CCGA Meats - UA Meat Sciences Lab

If you're looking for locally raised meats, it doesn't get any more local than this. This is small farm operation run by the University of Arizona, located on Campbell near River Road. I know... descriptors like "comparative biomedical sciences" and "meat laboratory" sound unappealing at best, and frightening at worst. Had it not been vouched for by a friend of mine who works at the College of Agriculture, I probably wouldn't have tried it either. Now, it's the only place we go to purchase beef. Most people don't know that this place exists because their advertising is limited to a rather cryptic looking wooden A-frame sign placed out on Campbell every Friday that says "MEAT SALE 9-6." I don't fully understand why they aren't allowed to do any real marketing, but it's supposedly some state law that prohibits them from competing with local businesses. For a lot of folks, their hours aren't convenient either, since it's only open on Fridays. I also get the impression that a lot of customers prefer to keep this place their little secret. ;)The quality is as good or better than what you'll find in any high-end butcher shop or restaurant in Tucson. Most beef that you'll find anywhere else is going to be USDA "choice" at the highest, but the product here is considered "prime" and it doesn't get any better than that. They stock pretty much any cut of beef imaginable, but if there is something specific you want, you can put in a request and pick it up during the next meat sale. We like to make our own grass fed beef jerky, and these folks are always happy to slice up our choice of meat to our specifications which makes it a lot less work for us. We've also preordered prime rib roasts for the holidays, and the meat is always superb. We usually just get beef, but we've also purchase things like lamb chops and uncured bacon from here - which is also excellent. They do have a wide variety of pork and lamb, and I've seen bison and goat here on occasion. In years past, they've stocked turkeys around Thanksgiving, and I hope they bring them back, because the turkeys were terrific. Also terrific are the prices, which are unbeatable, especially considering the quality. The students who run this place know their stuff, so if you have questions about what cut or section of meat would work best for a given recipe, they can help you. I'm not a big meat expert, but I do try to stick with organic grass fed animal products, and those can be found here. I've read a lot about how a cows diet effects the quality and taste of the meat - but the UA College of Ag has actually done their own studies, and they've got a poster presentation in the lobby that demonstrates their findings (food for thought). They make dog treats, too - and since their USDA license is limited to human consumption, all of their dog treats are human food grade (so you know your dog isn't getting weird byproducts or icky stuff in these treats).

The first time I went here I had the best filet, it melted in my mouth I was excited for the next time I would be able to indulge. Then the second time came around and it was too gamey for my taste buds. I called and they were understanding and the professor even put special filets aside for me. He told me the meat that I had was aged close to 4 weeks and most of the customers prefer this. The next ones I got were aged about 2 weeks and they were great! I will defiantly be calling ahead from now on to make sure I get this kind. If you haven't been you have to check this place out, It is well worth it!

Our favorite place for grass-finished ground beef. Excellent prices, too!

This was the 3rd or 4th time that I noticed small signs, low to the ground on Campbell which read: MEAT SALE. Today was the first time I followed them.Carnivores: Check. This. Out. Fridays from 3-7pm, University of Arizona Collegiate Cattle Growers Association (CCGA) students sell amazing cuts of meat. Today they had Beef, Pork, and Lamb for sale. Just about every cut of steak you could ask for, plus beef chorizo, pork chorizo, bratwurst, ground beef, ground pork. The store at the UA Meat Sciences Lab is staffed by well-informed students who gladly took the time to talk about meat and recipes.They also have a broad selection of various sizes of bones and treats for dogs.Cash and checks only. Come prepared.Check out their site. There's info there about ordering online for pick-up or delivery!It's a small, high-service establishment, which unlike supermarkets, keeps it real 'cause when you walk outside, you just might see cows in the pasture.

I see this sign posted every Friday between 3-6 "Meat sale" on a farm for the U of A. Finally today out of curiosity I stopped by. Boy, am I glad I did! From what I can gather, this is a USDA packaged plant for meat and you can get all kinds of frozen kind. I arrived half an hour to closing so they were a little thin on selection, but I walked away with 1 pound of grass fed ground beef for $4.50 and two bags of soft jerky for $1.50 each. There is also lamb, various beefs, chorizo, and more. They had bones/dried meat for your pets, and other kinds of jerky. It's inside a classroom and there is a butcher in there and someone to ring up your purchases .It looks like you can't use a credit card so bring cash. They operate from 3-6 PM every Friday. Follow the signs, it's off Roger just west of Campbell. The meat is delicious! And what great prices!

So I was finally around at the right time to make it to the meat sale. I diligently followed the signs into a class-room auditorium set up with a meat counter at the front with various pre-packaged fresh cuts, a freezer with various frozen items and a small refridgerator with various sausages and bacon. It wasn't what I was expecting so I tested the water with 2 large lamp leg steaks $12 and fed it 4 people.It was the best lamb I've ever had!! No gamey taste, well marbleized, tender, etc, etc, I pulled out all the stops and paired it with a wed wine and mushroom reduction, and no steakhouse in town could compare. I will surely be back for more!

A hidden gem that needs some better advertising. I saw display cases on the website but also indications that sales were in whole animals. Turns out you can order anything from sausage and steaks to whole animals.At least some of the meat comes from animals raised down the hill from me at Rio Rico High School (Ag program). CCGA will do special cuts. It is nice to be able to buy a major chunk of an animal cut to your specifications and not have to worry about arrangements for slaughtering the animal. I'll be back.

The sausage and chorizo are excellent and a great value. I have bought it several times. I am running low and came here today to check their hours. I see that I forgot to leave a review before, so doing it now. They have a great selection.

UPDATED HOURS! -Fridays from 8am-6pm-Saturdays from 9am-1pm-Mondays from 9am-4pm. The University of Arizona Food Product and Safety Lab Meat Sale is wonderful! All of the animals are university raised animals. The sale has a variety of grainfed and grassfed beef cuts, lamb, pork, and cooked products! Their prices per pound can be found on their facebook page "U of A Food Product and Safety Lab" Go like their page so you can get updates about the sale! They are open all year round (including summer!) for their normal hours and will usually post about days they will not be open. Check them out, would HIGHLY recommend!Note: They accept only cards and checks... No cash!

Definitely a fan and I miss going here. The meat is pretty good and is definitely lower cost than other pasture raised meat you can find in town. Locally raised is great and the cashiers are always nice. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because it's rather out of the way, hard to find, and I have a hard time finding the meat I personally like. That said, this is a great place to visit and buy from.