Follow your nose: Fulton Meat Market offers food for grilling, does the work for you on Saturdays

FULTON – If you drive through Fulton some Saturday this summer, you might see a long line of people standing in front of the meat market, snaking down 11th Avenue, in front of the building at 211. That's right, the Fulton Meat Market, across the street from Manny's Pizza.

The people would cause you to look, but your nose would guide you. The aroma, coming from a large, outdoor cooker, would not allow you to move down the street.

You can get a sandwich – chicken, pork chop, or burger – or a whole barbecued chicken for the family, or you can buy a mouthwatering rack of barbecued ribs with homemade sauce.

Tim Maus and his crew from the market fire-sell the food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday, through the second weekend in November.

They have been doing this for the past 22 years – except April 8, 1997 – when a heavy snowfall shut them down.

Maus started the cookouts a few years after he and a partner, Fred Fiet, bought the business in 1983, then known as the Fulton Locker.

Maus and Fiet already had made their way into the retail grocery business, and began to bring many good changes. Fiet has since retired and Maus still is taking care of business and making a difference.

The business, after all those years, still is referred to by some as the "Fulton Locker" – a name that is not quite accurate.

When the men took over the business, one of its main services was renting freezer lockers to the public. But that aspect of the popular meat market has been all but phased out, with only about 100 of the original 700 lockers left. Maus sees those disappearing over the next few years.

The building has been remodeled over the years, and a retail store was moved into one end, which formerly housed many of the lockers.

The store sells such items as seasonings, sauces, buns, chips, and condiments.

"Anything that goes with meat," Maus said.

The best seller is their own homemade baked beans. "We make our own sauce," Maus said. The market also offers select grocery products and Dutch food items. The market is a block from an authentic Dutch windmill, De Immigrant.

Several items made at the market – such as meatloaf mix and a ham loaf – are popular for a quick meal.

Maus and his crew grind and cut all the meat sold in the shop. "We use nothing but top round and boneless pork, and our ground beef is made from pure good ground chuck; no trim is used," Maus said.

Maus said ground beef is his biggest seller, consistently priced at $2.49 a pound, $2.29 if you buy the 10-pound pack.

The market makes all its own sausages – bratwurst, ring sausage, smoked sausage, Italian sausage and pressed sausages.

The biggest change over the years has been eliminating the slaughtering and turning the market into a retail operation.

The market has grown since Maus took over, now providing retail and wholesale elements to such establishments as restaurants and schools.

"Catering has become a large part of our business," Maus said. "I just catered a wedding for 300 people; we are getting a lot of graduation parties right now."

Customers still can get beef quarters or a side from beef hanging on a hook at the meat market.

"We have to be federal and state licensed," Maus said.

There is a state meat inspector at his market every day.

"They watch our logs, send samples to the authorities, check temperatures."

Maus said his prices are in line with the other markets and grocery stores and the quality of his meat is tops.

One of the reasons why the market has done so well, Maus said, is "we draw from a wide area."

The market services the Sauk Valley and across the Mississippi River into Iowa. He said there aren't many markets that specialize in just meat.

One of his secrets to success, he said, is, "I get good workers and I keep them."

Maus said he has eight or nine full-time employees and a couple part-time people.

"We have never had a layoff; I always find something for them to do," he said.

Recipes of the week

[ All-American pork baby back ribs ]

[ Steak kabobs ]

[ All-around good marinade ]

Tip of the week

Tom Maus says if you want to grill or barbecue for the Memorial Day holiday, just choose any good cut of meat: T-bone steaks, filet mignons, sirloin, pork chops, chicken, whatever you want. And don't forget the hamburgers.

"Just season it to your liking, a little salt and pepper or barbecue sauce, whatever you want."

Maus sells an all-around seasoning spice at the Fulton Meat Market, so check that out if you don't already have a favorite.

[ ‘She came with the business’: Employee marks 40 years with Meat Market ]