Photograph by Lisa Romerein

Don’t be intimidated if you don’t know the terminology. 
“All customers have to do is tell me what they want and how many they’re feeding. I even tell them how to cook it.”

An extra-lean trim is best. 
“A lot of places will leave one-quarter inch of fat, but I think that’s too much.”

You may find better deals at your neighborhood butcher. 
“I used to have a guy cutting meat for me who also worked at Bristol Farms. He’d say, ‘Harvey, we have the same meat. We don’t age it as long, but still we’re charging $10 a pound more than you!’ I have less overhead, so I can charge less.”

Doneness isn’t a guessing game. 
“Don’t be afraid to take your meat off the fire, slice it open, and look at it. It’s not cheating—it’s saving a good piece of meat.”