Beef- Anyone process there own or know much about it?

[rAJJIN]

Im thinking about buying a Beef and filling up the freezer.
Ive never went this route before, Usually I just buy the top sirloin
each day at the market for 5$+ a Lb.

My Country Boy buddies tell me to Just buy A Whole or a Half of a Beef?
Anyone know much about it? JETHRO?

A few questions I have are How much of what do you get?
and an appx ballpark price?
Any special cuts or requests a guy should ask for?

 

[LEX]

In years past I have bought a side of beef and hd it processed I can remember exactly but I saved a substacial amount and the beef was better IMO. You get your self a some deer too

 

[Bionic]

Look into grass-fed or grass-finished beef and poultry. The meat is much healthier and nutritious because the animals are fed their natural diets (cows=grass chickens=bugs and whatever else chickens eat) as opposed to eating oats/corn and shit that is cheaper but unnatural/unhealthy.

 

[Paul Bunyan]

I split a cow with a friend of mine a couple of years ago. It was grass-fed and raised by a friend of ours. Total cost was $350 or about $1.66/lb processed. The cow was small.

PB

 

[manboy270]

It's very easy and you'll save a bundle. I cut everything boneless-saves a ton of freezer space. Main thing is keepit clean and cool and wrap it properly. Vacuum bags are great but they're expensive. I've been using butcher paper, then a foil barrier to protect from freezer burn-works well. I just cut my last deer this weekend-I've been practically living off them since September.

 

[lynx]

My parents would butcher either one or two a year. Then they would give us (my two sisters and myself) meat all the time (BOXES!). My mom had to rent a freezer at the butchers because we'd have so much. I got it free so I couldn't really say how much it cost, I know it was pretty cheap compared to buying it at the store (so my mom told me).

If you are looking for a fairly lean breed I'd suggest looking around in your area for Piedmontese.

**broken link removed**

I wish we would have started our herd with this breed but we have Black Angus, which is pretty good for this country.

 

[rAJJIN]

Thanks everyone, Ill keep all that in mind when checking into it.
Lynx.. Yes it seems like arounf here Ive always heard that the black angus was the best of the best. Ill check into the other one you mention also.

Can I just buy it from the Butcher?
Or is it better to buy your Own and then just take it in and have it done?

 

[atlas668]

CAB Beef

Rajjin, actually the best beef out there is called CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF, they were the first to institute specific specs on beef for optimum flavor/marbling. They started out in 1979. All of the otehr spin pff names liek Black Angus have been used to confuse the customer. Not to say everything else is bad, but if you want the best CAB is the top of the food chain. The actually brand contains the word CERTIFIED, whereas some brands use angus beef that sounds so much like CAB. check them out on the web. Without a doubt the best way to go is to get cuts from the butcher. Buying in bulk is cost effective and for most that don't know, supermarkets often do not receive the optimal tier of quality meats, those go to restaurants from food distributors like SYSCO Food services and other distriubtors that have been allowed to sell the CAB product. CAB is like Starbucks - they have strict brand control. Hope some of this info helps. Not sure of your application, but don't be afraid of marbling. It is the marbling that actually produces the most flavorful meats. at high temperatures the fat breaks down and it is this fat that makes that cut of beef taste so good, along with the age of the animals slaughter and various cuts.

Good luck, wish I could go in with someone, always wanted to buy bulk but never had a place to freeze it.

 

[lynx]

Rajjin, actually the best beef out there is called CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF, they were the first to institute specific specs on beef for optimum flavor/marbling. They started out in 1979. All of the otehr spin pff names liek Black Angus have been used to confuse the customer. Not to say everything else is bad, but if you want the best CAB is the top of the food chain.

Just curious are you a producer?
Black Angus is not a spin off name it is a breed of cattle like Red Angus or Herefords. CAB is a program that selects "dark hide" angus cattle for specific traits that they have come up with that has produced the best meat. Which is pretty pricey, I would expect to pay more to have a CAB butched than buying meat in a grocery store.

raJIN if you don't know what to do I suggest going to your local butcher and ask him if he's knows any cattle producers that have fairly young "drys" that they are willing to sell. (He might sell them himself.) A dry cow is one that is not going to have a calf this spring. Most producers will not want to feed a cow that will not bring a profit the following year.

The butcher we use come out, kills the cow, takes it, and cuts her up into what ever we want. Be sure you have enough freezer space! Some butchers have freezer space that they rent out. Most cull cows are going around $0.45 to $0.60 per pound here, just fyi.

 

[Ivan]

Another option raj...

Well here where I live the universities have thier agriculture department and they have their own line of meats. They raise the cows on grass etc and I absolutely LOVE the meat. It is Waaay cheaper and hella good. Check out your local Universities agri program and see if you can score some beef...chances are you will and the cost will be low for some pretty good quality meat bro. Oh and I love how you mentioned Jethro's name in your initial post, he IS our country boy isn't he? LOL..

 

[Steak Helmet]

Hey IVAN...if you need some good beef, I can hook you up down there...I picked up a 1/2 cow for free.

Let me know??

 

[Ivan]

LOL

Hey IVAN...if you need some good beef, I can hook you up down there...I picked up a 1/2 cow for free.

Let me know??

Now, Now Steak, I have no need for those drunk girls you hook up with...

 

[JETHRO TULL]

MY GIRL LYNX HAS A RANCH...AND RAISES BLACK ANGUS CATTLE.

Im thinking about buying a Beef and filling up the freezer.
Ive never went this route before, Usually I just buy the top sirloin
each day at the market for 5$+ a Lb.

My Country Boy buddies tell me to Just buy A Whole or a Half of a Beef?
Anyone know much about it? JETHRO?

A few questions I have are How much of what do you get?
and an appx ballpark price?
Any special cuts or requests a guy should ask for?[/QUOTE

SHE JUST SOLD A BUNCH OF COWS AND HAS MONEY..[HOPEFULLY FOR NEW BOOBS! LOL....THAT'S HER TALKING, NOT ME!] JUMP IN HERE AND GIVE RAJIN THE GOING RATE ON YOUR COWS, MEREDITH.

THESE ARE GRASS FED..NO HORMONES...[SOMEONE KEEPS TAKING ALL THE CATTLE HORMONES!] HAHAHA....JUST KIDDING.

IVAN, SHE IS THE ONE WHO OWNS THE LAND AND CATTLE. ...I JUST HANG IN THERE AND TRY TO LOOK IMPORTANT.