Best Butcher in Texas

A San Antonio native, Mark DeWitt was introduced to the meat industry at a very young age. He watched his grandfather process deer in his garage and spent time with his father in the fabrication room at the local Albertson’s grocery store. In 2014, he graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and will graduate this May with a master’s degree in Animal Science-Meat Science. Mark currently works as a meat cutter at H-E-B’s Tower Point location in College Station, Texas. After graduation, he will take the skills he’s learned to begin working for Cargill Meat Solutions.

As the meat market manager for United Supermarkets in Amarillo, Texas, Eric Fuller brings 16 years of meat cutting experience to the table. He has held this position for 10 years and says he loves what he does, and he is proud to be a purveyor of Texas’ beef.

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Evelio Morales, Jr. has been in the meat business since 1998 when his family started Casino Grocery & Market in Eagle Pass. The company has grown to be four locations strong and continues to branch out to feature even more brand products!

Bryan Butler has a lifetime of experience as a butcher. After graduating from Texas State Technical College’s Meat Fabrication and Market Management program he worked as a butcher in shops in Central Texas.  In 2010 he partnered with Ben Runkle to take Salt & Time from a small farmer’s market operation to Austin’s first whole carcass Butcher Shop, Salumeria and Restaurant.

Michele Feuerborn is a successful writer, recipe developer, food photographer, blogger, and owner of Flavor Mosaic, where she features fast, easy, flavorful recipes with a Texas twist. She has appeared on television on Great Day Houston, and her recipes have been featured in Chile Pepper Magazine as well as numerous online sites, such as BuzzFeed, MSN, Huffington Post, Parade, Delish, and Cosmopolitan. She has been cooking for years and started her cooking blog, Flavor Mosaic, in 2013 to share her recipes with family and friends across the country. What started as a hobby turned into a successful business.

Chef Steve DeShazo is the director of the Food and Hospitality Institute at El Centro College. He started working in restaurants in 1983 and has loved the restaurant industry ever since. He later became a certified executive chef through the American Culinary Federation and a certified foodservice management professional through the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. He holds a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana, and serves on the boards of several industry and educational organizations.

Ray R. Riley was born March 2, 1957, in Dallas, Texas.  He was raised with an interest in the efficient production of livestock and related products.  While attending Texas A&M University (TAMU), his experience was in these same fields broadening his background and hands-on experience through extra-curricular activities.  Ray earned two degrees from TAMU:  a bachelor degree in Animal Science in 1979 and a master’s degree in Animal Science (meats) in 1981.  He has served as a student employee (1979), a graduate research assistant (1979-1980), and an instructor (1980-1981) for the Meats and Muscle Biology Section, Department of Animal Science at TAMU.  In 1981, he became the first manager of the TAMU Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center (RMSTC).  In addition to his managerial duties, Ray also teaches Animal Science 307 labs, Animal Science 337, and Animal Science 117 (Texas BBQ). He serves as the assistant superintendent for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Junior Lamb Carcass Show and an official for several 4-H, FFA, and Intercollegiate Meats Judging Contests.  He has served as a member of the Texas State Technical Institute Advisory Committee and as an advisor to the TAMU Saddle and Sirloin Club. Professional memberships include the American Meat Science Association and Intercollegiate Meat Judging Coaches Association.  Ray loves his family, his students, teaching, all Aggie sports, perfecting the art of good BBQ, and relaxing and working around his home.

Jeffrey W. Savell is University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal Chairholder, and leader of the Meat Science Section in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M. Jeff currently teaches an introductory course in meat science, a livestock and meat marketing class, a course in carcass composition and quality, a course in HACCP, and a Texas Barbecue class. Jeff is a past-president of the American Meat Science Association, serves on the McDonald’s Corporation International Scientific Advisory Committee on BSE and BBI Animal Well-Being and Food Safety Advisory Council, is a member of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, and has been identified by ISIHighlyCited.com as one of the top 250 most cited researchers in the world in the field of agricultural science.