When crafting recipes in Resident Evil Village with the Duke, players can usually figure out where poultry and fish meat are located. Searching rivers for salmon and sniping chickens isn't exactly rocket science. Yet regular "meat" has proved to be a tough find. Players are constantly in short supply and waiting on the next upgrade for more to be found.
Thankfully, Ethan doesn't have to become a vegetarian or a pescatarian to complete all of the dishes that require meat; there is a way to acquire all the meat required (and some extras) for those who know exactly where to look and can find the big secret near the end.
Mind Ethan's Inventory
Meat takes up space in the inventory and many unfortunate gamers will throw it away or sell it before realizing the Duke has a purpose for it. Make sure not to sell any meat to the Duke until after completing every recipe. Following this guide will yield all the meat plus some to spare, but not too much extra. Also, getting unlucky with animals that run away or don't spawn can hurt the player's odds of knocking out these recipes.
Looking For Pigs And Goats
- Meat comes from pigs and goats
- Some, but not all, of the meat locations will be on the map
Goats are wild and can appear at various points throughout the game. They are non-confrontational and will run the instant there is fighting or if Ethan gets too close. Kill goats and pigs before zombies. The meat can be collected later, but if the creature runs off, it's a waste. Check the farms for pigs as they are fenced in. It's wise to shoot them through the fence before opening the gate to get to them.
Zoom slightly in on the map until icons like chickens and wells are visible. Occasionally, the map will reveal the location of goats and pigs. Visit these locations and go hunting for guaranteed meat. If it has an X over the icon, the location has been hunted already.
Finding The Meat Gold Mine
Even the most vigilant players will be a little bit short on meat before getting to the Foundry (Heisenberg). That's perfectly normal, there's a spot coming up that is about to take care of Ethan's meat shortage for good and even give him a few extras to sell off.
The meat cooler is labeled with a treasure icon on the map, but it's easy to miss because the icon is so far north and the entire area is completely missable and not necessary for completing the game.
Officially, this area is called "Otto's Mill." The front door is locked, so cross the river and enter from the left side. There are pigs in between Ethan and the entrance, so grab some more meat before getting the mother lode.
Otto himself is a gigantic mutant and proves to be a difficult fight (the mechanics are similar to the Urias fight). Though he is busily butchering meat, it's impossible to sneak by Otto and the fight will trigger as soon as Ethan gets within a certain distance. After taking him out, head through the red door he was in front of.
After breaking the three locks on the door, there is a meat paradise in the next room, out in the open and easy to grab. Take it all and head back to the Duke to complete the rest of the recipes. The end of the game isn't too far away, but the hardest fights are still to come, so this will come in handy.
Eat heartily!