Serving Local Agriculture

A family of three generations serving the freshest meats in town–along with our dedicated and helpful employees.

Whether you are looking for USDA-inspected grass-fed beef, farm-fresh eggs, honey, or a friendly smile, Steve’s Meat Market offers small-town values with big-time flavor. For three generations the local De Soto meat market has been a high-quality operation spanning over five decades. Their website boasts, “Serving Local Agriculture Since 1969.”

The “neighborhood butcher shop” passion and vision of Steve Prudden Sr. has been carried on as a family-owned business by grandson, Stephen Prudden Jr. and son, Mitch Prudden. Manager Rob Monroe, and the helpful, dedicated staff keep the daily business operations running smoothly.

Surviving a fire from an electrical surge in February of 2015, the remodel of Steve’s Meat Market allowed for an expansion of the building and overall offerings.

Drive by on a Saturday morning and you’ll see the parking lot bustling from the live public market, allowing customers to hand-select fresh meats purchased directly from local farmers. Other patrons can be seen forming a line to purchase savory smoked chicken or pork ribs (customer favorites) from inside. Restaurants and local businesses purchase and proudly offer meat from Steve’s, including Knub’s Pub, JT’s Grill, and others. Steve’s Meat Market is honored to be one of the few nationally recognized USDA facilities with a religious exemption. This allows them to provide traditional meats for their customers’ cultural and religious heritage.

The “back of house” operation is overseen daily by the USDA. A USDA inspector resides in an office at Steve’s and works with the butchers to inspect the livestock from start to finish. Livestock must be brought in walking (alive), per federal regulations. Each animal is rigorously inspected to check for disease and cleanliness. Butchered and processed meats consist of cattle, hogs, lambs, goats, deer, bison, and wild game. Beef is processed first and separately. The facilities are then cleaned, sanitized, and inspected before other animals are processed. Once the meat is processed it is moved to the cooler, where it remains for approximately 14 days. This time allows the enzymes to begin breaking down the protein, making the meat more tender and preferred by customers. Local farmers, hunters, or residents can schedule an appointment to have their livestock delivered, inspected, slaughtered, prepared, and/or sold. Custom cutting orders and preferences are drawn up to determine what types of cuts the customer will receive and what will be sold in the cases. The “front of house” retail operation is where customers can choose from a variety of fresh-cut meats and brats made inhouse. Steve’s knowledgeable and friendly butchers eagerly cater to the individual needs of inquiring customers. From sausage to jerky, stuffed chicken breasts, and thick-sliced bacon, Steve’s Meat Market can be a one-stop shop for a quality family meal. Steve’s also sells a variety of fresh produce, including eggs from Amish farmers, cheeses, butter, BBQ sauce, frozen dogbone delights, and delicious frozen pies!

Steve’s Meat Market

32685 Lexington Avenue in De Soto (913) 583-1390 StevesMeat.com

Open Tuesday-Friday 10-6 Saturday 9-5

Several types of meat are smoked in the large smoker that sits in the parking lot out front. The cast iron wood smoker is a time-honored relic that is hand-welded and has been around for decades.

The smoker traditionally cooks brisket, pork ribs (spare and baby backs), and pulled pork tossed in various Steve’s Meat Market seasonings and sold inside the retail store. Cured meats such as bacon and ham are smoked inside the store’s larger smoker. Steve’s has been part of many family gatherings for generations–weddings, graduations and backyard barbecues.

Whether you have a craving for the tender and robust flavor of farm-fresh meats, or the aromatic scents of the smoker lure you in–you’ll find that “Steve’s Meat can’t be beat!”

–written by Kris Meyer, contributing writer