How Much Is a Side of Beef Cost

Ownership a side of beef is a lot of beef. So, why practice people do it? And what questions should y'all ask before purchasing and so that you're sure it'south worth it. Here's everything you need to know.

What is a side of beef (half beef)?

A side of beef is the cuts from one side of a cow. This is also known as a "half beef."

How much beefiness comes with a side of beefiness?

With a side of beefiness, y'all will get approximately 220 pounds of beef. Basis beef accounts for 100 pounds, and the remainder is from cuts similar steaks, roasts, ribs, brisket, and soup bones.

Please note, that these are approximates. All cattle are different. Some may weigh more or less when butchered, which means that there may be more or less beef on them. The numbers given are what nosotros typically see on our farm.

What cuts come with a side of beef?

• Filet steak
• Ribeye steak
• Sirloin steak
• Strip steak
• Skirt steak
• Flank steak
• Brisket
• Chuck roast
• Sirloin roast
• Arm roast
• Ground beef
• Ribs
• Stew meat
• Kabob meat
• Soup bones
• Organ meat (liver, heart, etc., if desired)

Video: Quarter beef in our refrigerator

How many steaks do you get with a side of beef?

The number of steaks that come with a half beefiness varies based on how the beefiness is cut. For example, steaks cut into a i-inch thickness, result in approximately 12-14 sirloin steaks with a side. Steaks cut into one ½ -two inches thick, result in about 6-7 sirloin steaks with a side of beef. The overall weight of beef is the same, but the quantity is significantly unlike based upon how the beef is cut.

It's also important to recollect that some sections of beef tin can be cut in multiple ways, and you will have to choose how you lot want it cutting.

The best example of this is with a T-bone steak, which is a strip steak on one side and a tenderloin on the other. If y'all decide yous want T-os staks, you won't get tenderloin and strip steaks. If y'all decide you desire tenderloin and strip steaks, you lot won't get T-bone steaks. Why? Because it's the same beef cut differently and in that location is a limited corporeality of beef on an animal.

Can the entire half beef be steak?

No. There is a limited amount of beef on a steer. It'southward not all steak. In fact, the bulk of the brute is ground beef.

The USDA divides a cow into viii regions, known as the central cuts of beef:

• Chuck
• Rib
• Loin
• Round
• Flank
• Brusk Plate
• Brisket
• Shank

Numerous different cuts can come from each of these sections.

When purchasing beefiness at a shop, they butcher numerous animals and they do decide how to cutting each based on supply and demand. For case, at the grocery store "round" sold as ground beef, circular steak, middle of round, tip steak, tip roast, meridian round and bottom circular roasts. When you purchase a side of beef, you wouldn't receive all of these cuts because there is a limited corporeality of beef on each animal.

Is it worth buying a side of beef?

Yes! The do good of buying a cow is that you will save money and get college quality beef.

Every year, we compare the price of beef from our farm to local St. Louis grocery stores. Depending on where you ordinarily shop for groceries, you can save about $1,900 a year on beef by purchasing beef in majority.

This chart provides how much you would relieve on a whole beefiness, and we walk through this nautical chart in greater item in this post about how to save on groceries.

Delight notation, every farm and beef processor prices beef differently. You volition need to practise your own math on determining the price per pound if y'all're not in the St. Louis area and tin't lodge from our farm.

Exercise I need a stand-solitary freezer?

Yes. If yous're buying a side of beefiness, y'all'll need a freezer. The rule of pollex is 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 30-35 lbs of cut and wrapped meat.

You can unremarkably get a good deal at a warehouse store. We have both chest and upright freezers at our house and we like both of them.

A new 9 cubic foot freezer has a 1-fourth dimension cost of almost $400-$450, and its yearly running price will be approximately $38. Then, every bit long equally you go along to use your freezer in the future, ownership one is a good investment.

Be sure that your freezer has a lock and key, or y'all tin can also purchase an aftermarket lock. A lock is very important. Without a lock, the freezer door tin go slightly ajar and the beef will exist ruined. 2d, a concrete lock protects little ones. Children accept climbed into freezers and suffocated.

How much does a side of beefiness cost?

This is a great question. At that place are 2 basic ways that farmers sell beef:

1. Customer works with a farmer who raises beef AND has beefiness processed on the customer's behalf (i.e., spread-out pricing): On our subcontract, our pricing includes all beefiness, USDA processing fees and free delivery to a specific pick-up locations in the St. Louis expanse. We work with the USDA-canonical beef processor directly so that our customers don't accept to. With this method, our customers know exactly how much they will pay up forepart and we guarantee a sure amount of beefiness. There are no hidden fees or surprises.
   
2. Customer works with a farmer, and the customer cordinates their own beef processing. The client writes two checks — 1 to the farmer and one to the beef processor: When you purchase beef directly from a farmer and you're responsible to find your ain beef processor, program to ask lots of questions and do lots of math to make sure you know what you lot're buying. You'll also need to learn some agriculture-lingo, like live-weight and hang-weight (see beneath).

How to buy a side of beef?

First, yous'll demand to notice a farmer to purchase from. If you're in the St. Louis area, we hope you reach out to usa and we are happy to answer whatsoever questions you accept.

If you're not in the St. Louis area, a great way to find a farmer is to contact your local Extension office or USDA part and ask for a listing of those in the surface area that sell beefiness directly.

Once you lot find a farmer, contact them and enquire questions almost their cattle and butchering procedure. As yous do this, please continue in heed that agriculture has its own lingo and you may have to ask lots of questions to fully understand what yous're buying. Nigh farmers will exist very patient in answering any questions you take because nosotros accept pride in raising the nutrient people eat.

We've establish that one of the all-time questions is, "If I were to buy your beef at the store, what would the characterization say?" With this question, you'll learn things like if the beefiness is "grass fed", "all nautral", "organic", the expected lean ratio (i.e., xc/10, 85/15), etc.

Likewise, it'southward important to note that the packaging on nigh farm-fresh beef is very obviously. The reason for this is because labeling is very regulated by the USDA. Anything "extra" on the label like "grass fed" or a lean ratio, requires additional USDA certification and significant toll to the farmer.

Beef packaging

Near beef processors will give y'all an option betwixt newspaper, shrink wrapped, or vacuum sealing packaging. We recommend vacuum sealing because information technology will go on the beef fresh for longer. Vacuum sealing does toll a picayune more, merely it'south worth information technology so your beefiness doesn't get freezer burn. Vacuum sealed beef will final approximately 1-twelvemonth in the freezer.

What's a cut listing?

Once the animal is at the processor, you lot may or may not demand to think nigh filling out a cut listing.

On our farm, we take a standard cut listing nosotros utilise for all quarter and half beef orders. For whole beef orders, customers fill out a cust-list and can customize how they desire their beef cut.

Depending on the region of the country and the farmer, you lot may be asked to fill out a cut list for a half beef. If so, it tin can be a little intimidating, but don't panic. The farmer and butcher should be able to assist you lot and then it only takes a few minutes to complete.

Cut list recommendations

Every bit y'all make full out a cut list, remember, a steer is not all steak. Footing beef makes up the majority of a steer.

• Steaks: We like cut steaks into i-inch thickness.  If you decide you want a thicker steak and your beefiness processor allows it, continue in mind you lot'll exist getting fewer steaks. For example, if you social club a quarter beef, y'all would usually get approximately half-dozen-7 sirloin steaks if they're one-inch thick. If you lot have them cut to one ½ -2 inches thick, you may merely get 3-4 steaks. Information technology'south the same weight of beef, but how you have it cut makes a large departure on the quantity of steaks.
• Roasts: Arm, Chuck, Round, Rump cutting into 3-iv pound roasts.
• Ground Beef: Packaged in 1 pound packages
• Curt Ribs: You could accept this ground into hamburger, but nosotros don't recommend it. Short ribs are awesome.
• Stew Meat and/or Kabob Meat: These cuts are typically the trimmings from the steaks.
• Brisket: Yous could have this ground into ground beef, but please don't. Brisket is and then good and at that place are lots of ways to melt brisket.
• Soup Bones: Nosotros love soup bones. They make the best bone broth. We highly recommend them.
• Organ meat: This is upward to yous, but we recommend it, especially liver.

What is hanging weight?

• Live weight (or "on the hoof") is how much a cow weighs when it's alive and walking around. This includes meat, bones, blood, etc.
• Hanging weight (or "on the runway") is afterwards the animal is slaughtered and all the unusable parts are removed (like head, pare and hooves), Hanging weight includes bones and meat. Typically, the hanging weight is about 60% of the live weight.
• Boxed weight (or packaged weight) is the weight of all the packages of individual cuts of meat that you will put in your freezer This is typically well-nigh 60 percent of hanging weight.

And so, what does this hateful in patently-terms? If you lot're told it'southward $3.75 per pound hanging weight, then look to pay approximately $6.25 per pound ($three.75 / 0.threescore)  PLUS the butchering fee, which is usually nigh $600.00 for the entire moo-cow (you lot'll divide this fee if you're sharing with another family).

Payment, deposit and beefiness pick-upward

How you pay for the beef and pick it upward will vary by farm. This is a question you lot'll want to talk over with your farmer prior to ordering.

On our subcontract, we provide gratis delivery to specific locations in the St. Louis area, or home commitment for a small fee. All beef is frozen and boxed, and coolers aren't needed. We require full payment in advance, considering nosotros aren't going to butcher an animate being that shouldn't be butchered.

On other farms, the client is oft required to go to the beef processor to pick-up their beefiness. If this is the case, exist certain to ask if the beef volition exist frozen and boxed. If it's non, be sure to bring along coolers to keep the beefiness absurd until you can get it in your freezer.

One more matter

Practise you want to larn more about our farm and how we raise beef? Join our weekly eastward-newsletterwhere we share farm happenings, recipes and beefiness availability. Or, nosotros accept an entire ebook about beef that goes through purchasing and preparing beef from a cattle farmers perspective.

And here are a few other web log posts you may similar:

• What everybody ought to know nearly beef cuts
• Buying a Cow. How Much Beefiness Is Information technology?
• Is Information technology Washed Yet? The Best Meat Thermometer
• How We Heighten Our Grass Fed Beef

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Source: https://www.clovermeadowsbeef.com/side-of-beef/

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