At a party a couple of weeks ago, I met a Catholic man visiting Santa Fe from Queens in New York City. During our conversation, he mentioned that his wife is Jewish. "How does that work?" a friend asked him. The man responded nonchalantly, "We really don't talk about it."

That's how I feel about food decisions. In my opinion, what each of us chooses to eat, much like our religion (or lack thereof), is a sensitive, deeply personal matter. Although I was vegan for more than a decade and still prefer a vegetarian diet, I'm married to an avid omnivore, and most of my friends and family eat meat.

We have one rule in our house: If you're going to opt to eat meat, you have the responsibility to choose local, organic, sustainable or humanely raised meat products — preferably all of the above, if you can find it.

These days, "Meatless Mondays" are catching on among diehard carnivores. Since most people have been eating meat for millennia, it's a given that they aren't going to stop altogether. In that case, choosing "ethical" meat is critical.

There are plenty of good reasons not to buy or eat conventionally raised meat. Some concerns might be environmental (pesticides, farm runoff, carbon footprints created by transporting animals); medical (foodborne illness, antibiotics and hormones regularly fed to some animals); humanitarian (welfare of factory farm workers); animal-centric (humane treatment and slaughter of animals); or economic (buying local products pumps money back into the local economy).

The fact is, though, that the choosier you are when you shop, the more you can affect what's available in stores. As Rick Hale of Kaune's Neighborhood Market says, "The customer determines what ends up in the case."

The Santa Fe Farmers Market is an obvious first choice for finding locally raised meat — beef, lamb, chicken and even yak are usually available throughout the seasons. The market is held from 7 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Railyard, and from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays at the San Isidro Plaza off Cerrillos Road at Zafarano Drive.

Kaune's, a self-proclaimed "old-fashioned place," has a full-service, in-house butcher shop. They grind their own beef and usually have lamb from Cedar Springs, which raises animals in Colorado, in stock.

The meat department at La Montañita Co-op sources as much local meat as much as possible. They are also dedicated to choosing products that are free-range, certified organic and antibiotic- and hormone-free. Shepherd's Lamb from the Sweet Grass Cooperative is among their local providers. The co-op also sells pork products from Beeler's in Iowa, which is known for prioritizing animal welfare.

Whole Foods also sells some locally raised meat, including from Talus Wind Ranch in Galisteo. The market selects its meats based on a very detailed, species-specific, five-step animal welfare rating system.

No matter where you shop, however, once you get to the market, you'll have to read labels and understand what they mean.

Do you really know the difference between natural, vegetarian-fed, free-range, organic, biodynamic and cruelty-free? Or how strictly labels are enforced? Luckily, two helpful new books are available: The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone and Alexandra Zissu (Clarkson Potter) and Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat by Deborah Krasner (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). Both books will help you make good, responsible choices and navigate the confusing labeling universe.


2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons allspice berries

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons mace

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

4-5 bay leaves, torn into small pieces

2 habañero peppers, finely chopped

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Juice of 2 limes or 1 large lemon

1 local, organic and/or free-range chicken, about 4 pounds

Lemon or lime juice

Salt

Preparation: Grind the peppercorns and allspice berries in a spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle. Combine in a food processor with the remaining seasoning ingredients, brown sugar, oil and butter and blend until the mixture has the consistency of a rough paste. Set aside.

Wash the chicken in cold water and rub it with lemon or lime juice and salt. Place the chicken a large bowl and rub it well with the jerk paste. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Bake for an hour. Uncover and cook for an additional 45 to 60 minutes; you can also finish cooking the chicken on the grill (cook to minimum internal temperature of 165° F).