So, my wife and I are getting a Half of a cow and I wanted to know if anyone had advice on "Need to get cuts". Normally we get as many steaks as possible, a few roasts and burger. But if there is a cut or two that are must haves let me know. Thanks.
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Be sure to tell them what fat content you want in the hamburger meat. For burgers you want 20% to 30% fat. For sphagetti sauce you want no more than 10 or 15%. Have them mark the fat content on each package for you.
Beef ribs are good. Flank steak is good. Get some bones so you can use the marrow. Have them save you at least 10 pounds of fat so you can render it down to beef love. Render it and when it cools pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then take the cubes and put them in a freezer bag in store them in the freezer. Put them in the microwave to reliquify them when you need beef love. -
I really recommend visiting your butcher and discussing what you want and looking at their beef cuts chart. We recently bought a 1/2 of beef and talked to the butcher on the phone about what we wanted and how we wanted it cut. When we picked up our meat, it was not cut like we expected at all. We thought we were clear in our instructions and he thought he understood what we wanted. Communication problem all the way around. Will know better next time.
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Hagen, NiceRack, Years ago when I was a kid my Folks had a small farm town Meat Market. They sold cut meat as well as processed meat for the local folks that either had livestock of their own or purchased from the producer by the 1/2 or 1/4. In all cases my mother kept a recipe card with the Customer Preferences on Package Sizes, Hamburger 1# - 1 1/2# - 2#, Steaks Thickness, #'s per package, bone in or boneless, Soup Bones, Oxe Tail, Liver, Tongue, Roast Sizes and On and On! The most important Spec of All is your preference on aging before cutting? We used to use 10 days in the cooler before cutting as the Standard. I hope these foggy memories help you some! Buying Meat by the 1/2 is a major financial commitment for a family and I would like to see them pleased with their purchase!
Eat Well and Prosper! From Fargo ND, DanLast edited by Danjohnston949; February 28, 2016, 07:35 AM.Comment
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Ask for the hanger steak, then come and tell us how it tastes. I keep hearing about them but can never find one. LOLComment
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Forequarter:
Split the shoulder clod and flat iron. The clod is a good roast, the flat iron becomes steaks.
Separate out the Teras Major, treat this like a tenderloin.
Cut the Chuck flap into steaks
Brisket - you should know what to do.
Navel - if you are into smoking save and cook like a brisket flat, or brine and make beef bacon. Or grind it for 70/30.
Chuck tender - small roast
Navel and Chuck Short ribs - leave on the bone.
Chuck eye roll - have them leave the ribeye end on the bone, about 2 ribs worth, for a standing rib roast. Remove the flap meat and connective tissue and make a tied roast with the eye of the center portion. Grind the 1/4 that's on the neck-end (80/20), or pot roast it.
Ribeye into steaks.
Back ribs as back ribs.
Hindquarter:
Striploin into steaks.
Tenderloin: make a 1 poound roast with the tail end and 1 pound roast with the butt end, then steaks with the center portion. Side muscle packaged separately as kebab meat.
Top Butt: Split off the coulette as a small carving roast. Have all the connective tissue trimmed off the top butt heart and keep as a large carving roast.
Inside Round: Remove the bavette and split into roasts or grind for 90/10
Outside: Split into eye of round and flat. Eye of round for roasting, treat the flat like a brisket and smoke it.
Knuckle: remove the tri-tip for carving roast. Grind the rest for 90/10
Flank: as is.
Others:
Tongue: have it skinned. Remove the cap, the tip, and the butt - cube these and toss them in a slow cooker with bacon, butter, and a cup of red wine in the morning and have it for dinner. Slice the tongue-heart at 1/8 inch and grill over charcoal with a squeeze of lemon.
Outside skirt, inside skirt, hanging tender - reserve for steaks, quick sear and a rest is all they need.
Cheek meat - use for stew or sous vide.
Shank meat - same as cheek meat
Heart, liver, other offal. Use as you see fit.
Or something like that.Comment
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TheMeatGuyJapan, Wish I Would have or Could have Said That! ðŸ‘ÂðŸ‘Â👠From Fargo ND, Dan
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Wow... You are the Man TheMeatGuyJapan ...
I read the story about your family business. Your comment here is very impressive to us backyard grill masters. It's obvious that you really know your stuff when it comes to getting a great yield out of a side of beef.
Bowing down to the expert in the room...👌Comment
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Oh I just made all that up. I don't really know what the hell I'm talking about! -
You're a funny guy TheMeatGuyJapan ...
Something that detailed cannot be made up. Most non butchers don't know many of those terms even.
That really was an impressive response.👌
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Thank you TheMeatGuyJapan I wish I would have had this in my back pocket when we had our last 1/2 butchered a few years back. I argued with the dude for about 20 minutes on how I wanted my steaks cut. I wanted 1.50", he wanted to cut them 0.75". He finally relented and cut them at inch and to this day I still wonder if we actually got the heifer that was dropped off. Personally I think he just did an approximate exchange for what was already on hand. Some of the specific cuts I asked for (brisket and skirt steak) ended up being ground. Needless to say we ended up with a lot of ground beef. We have not gone back and I have never recommended him to anyone else.Comment
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