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WHAT SIZE freezer do I need for all this beef? (And other appliances for your beef)!

1/31/2020

YES, YOU NEED FREEZER SPACE! The rule of thumb is one cubic foot of freezer space for every 25-30lbs of packaged meat.

A Side will likely require 7-8 cubic feet of freezer space
A SPLIT will likely require 3-5 cubic feet of freezer space

We did do an experiment once, and were able to put a SPLIT into the top half of our refrigerator freezer. There was nothing else in that freezer - but it is doable! A chest freezer is likely a better appliance to have as it gives you more options!

YOU REALLY SHOULD INVEST IN A MEAT THERMOMETER! The only way to tell if beef is done is by the internal temperature, not the color or the cook time! The temperature of cooked beef will continue to rise as it rests. Here's a trick, remove beef from heat when the thermometer reads about 5-10°F lower than the desired doneness.

HAVE YOU TRIED A SMOKER? We absolutely swear by our smoker! We have placed some lesser value roasts in the smoker and had them turn out melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

WHAT ABOUT A SLOW COOKER? The average crock-pot can hold a 3-4lb roast! Just layer in your veggies, etc and let it cook all day! We hear nothing but good things about the "instant pot" - our daughter has one, we will let you know how that's going!

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Many Cuts from the same primal - sorry, you cannot have it all!

1/30/2020

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The portion cuts are what makes up your order. These cuts are wrapped in butcher paper, stamped (identify what's in the package on the outside of the package) and flash frozen - all based on your cutting instructions.

Sounds simple but here's the thing: many cuts of beef come from the same area of the primal - which means for instance, you cannot get a T-Bone Steak and Strip Steaks at the same time! But you can get Tenderloin and Strip Steaks!

Not only that, but one cut of beef can have several different names for example, a Strip Steak can also be called a NY Strip, KC Strip, or Hotel steak, just to name a few!. This causes problems when navigating through our cutting instructions. Talk about confusion!

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Expect Consistent Results!

1/30/2020

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When you go out and buy your steak or roast, you can only expect consistent results if you know:

Grade (very important),
Aging (very important),
Diet (important),
Genetics (less important) and
Age of the animal (less important)

When a store advertises “…cut from “A” or “higher grade”, it really means it is a crap shoot as to what you are getting. Consequently, your cooking and taste results will vary. We like to compare it to your internet service. When you want to get online and you don’t know if you will get ‘dial up’, ‘cable’, ‘high speed’, or ‘satellite’ service, your results will truly be inconsistent. Most stores do not know (nor can they) what age of animal their meat comes from, since most meat is sold through brokers and can not be ‘source verified’. As with farmers markets and smaller local stores, management makes it their business to know who is growing their vegetables or is raising the meat they sell.

Quality will be more consistent because you know the producer, who is ultimately directly responsible, and accountable, to you. As always and with everything, knowledge empowers. Cook roasts with a meat thermometer for best results.

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What's a Primal

1/30/2020

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A SIDE is divided into 8 areas or Primals:

Chuck
Rib
Loin
Round
Flank
Short Plate
Brisket
Shank

After the SIDE is divided into its primals, the primals can get further divided into subprimal cuts. According to the dictionary, this is a “cut of meat larger than a steak, roast or other single cut, but smaller than a side of beef.” A butcher oftentimes starts with a sub-primal cut, and then they cut it into the individual sizes (portion cuts) we’re used to seeing at the meat counter.

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"take home" weight versus "hanging weight" what's the difference?

1/30/2020

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There are three different weights that customers should be aware when it comes to purchasing freezer beef.

The “Live” weight is what the animal weighed "on the hoof", or when it was alive. The live weight for our yearlings usually average around 1000 lbs.
The “Hanging” weight refers to the weight of the carcass as it hangs in the butcher’s cooler once the head, hide, feet, organs and blood are removed. The butcher base their processing fees on the hanging weight, and is the industry standard of measurement by direct to market farmers, thus the weight measurement we use when selling our beef. There is about a 40% loss in weight from live to hanging. So, a 1000 lb animal would have a hanging weight of 600 lbs (estimated). A SIDE would then be 300 lbs; and a SPLIT would be 150 lbs (estimated).
The “Order” or “Final” weight is the weight of the order that each customer will have delivered. The Order weight is usually about 70-80% of the Hanging weight. The weight loss from hanging to final weight is a result of water loss and cutting instruction loss. About 4% is water weight lost during the 14 day period that the carcass is hung (or “cured”). Then about another 20-30% can be lost during the cutting process. The more boneless cuts requested by the customer, the lower the final weight. (Note: the lower weight doesn’t mean that you are receiving less meat – rather, you are receiving fewer bones).

Hopefully this information is helpful to folks considering buying a SIDE or SPLIT.
As always, please drop us a line if you have questions!

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What is a side versus a split???

1/28/2020

Beef = a whole beef has 2 Sides – each Side can be custom cut to different specifications or the whole beef can be custom cut to the same specifications. (That’s a lot of beef!)
Side = (1/2 a Beef) – your order is custom cut to your specifications
Split Side = This order is usually shared between two groups (i.e. 2 families) where the Side is custom cut to specification but its divided or split into two orders with cuts from the front and hind quarters making up each order.
Split or Mixed Quarter = If you do not have someone to “share” with, we will still fill your Split order but customization is limited as we will need to find the other “Split” order with similar characteristics as yours. (confused yet? Just ask!)

Sorry, as a rule, we do not offer Front Quarters or Hind Quarters

Let's Talk Beef...

WHAT SIZE freezer do I need for all this beef? (And other appliances for your beef)!

Many Cuts from the same primal - sorry, you cannot have it all!

Expect Consistent Results!

What's a Primal

"take home" weight versus "hanging weight" what's the difference?

What is a side versus a split???

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