Anyone ever buy a cow?

[mchar69]

If I had the space and a chiller, I'd butcher my own. Buckhead beef has a great video series on beef butchering that probably was passed around here years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOBGoYrXVQ&list=PLB5CAA438C4B020CE

 

[cholloway]

I bought a side of beef years ago for the deep freezer.
A lot of ground meat and stew meat. Not as many steaks
and roasts that I wanted.
I remember the butcher charged me $2.79/lb. for everything.
Like I said... Years ago.

 

[snadamo]

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. Some logistics hurdles I’d need to overcome. One hunt camp, a guy brought some steaks from his uncles ranch….holy chit those we’re probably some of the best steaks I’ve had.

 

[edmonds]

I was born a a farm and been around cattle since. My mother worked at a processor a few years and my brother-in-law was a professional butcher for a number of years at various places. I haven't had a beef processed since they retired. There are countless ways processors cheat clients and every one I've had experience with used one or more. Until dna testing became affordable the favorite was switching carcasses. Now the favorite is weighing their thumb when weighing carcass. Skimming a few packages is 100%. I've hauled a number of steers to processors for people that knew live weight of animal and they were charged hanging weight equal to 65% to 75% live weight. 50% to 60% is what can be obtained. A friend gave me a half a couple years ago and when I went by to give them cutting order, I was appalled at misc add on charges. Animals off pasture should hang 10-14 days before cutting,supermarket wholesalers hand theirs off feed with good fat cover an addition 5-7 days. Processors rarly hang more than 3-5 days.

It would take a little more than a thumb to change hanging weight, maybe leaning on it. And they always hang my cows 14 days, but only 7 for goats (less fat?). Sometimes my processor will have a little electric skillet going with some sausage or something, so I'm not surprised if they were sampling some of the goods.

 

[Tal/IL]

My grandparents had a slaughter house and custom processing/locker plant operation. After they retired, they kept enough equipment to do their own processing. They would feed out two beef every year. We would kill them at Thanksgiving and hang the quarters to age in a detached garage. At Christmas we would cut them up and freeze.

 

[Robert]

The thing about buying in bulk like that is you really have to dedicate yourself to eating from the freezer or the meat will get old and develop an off flavor. Or at least it does for me. As a result, we quit doing that years ago. I guess it might work if I unwrapped everything and put the meat in Food Saver bags. However, I don't think I would do more than a half of each at this time since it is just my wife and I now.



YMMV. We just buy from Sam's now.



Thanks,


Robert

 

[APPARITION]

Grew up on a beef farm. And once I moved away I've sold at least 20 beef to coworkers and every one said it's the best they'd ever eaten. Purebred Red Angus. My dad passed since so the cattle were all sold.

Currently my freezer is loaded with a beef from an Amish butcher, better than anything store bought but I do miss our own.

Call a local locker and ask if they have any farmers selling beef. Lots of times we had an extra 1/4 or half that needed a home.

 

[LYU370]

Any Michigan Brethren know any Mangalista farmers? I've purchased a Tamworth hog in the past, delicious stuff! But thinking of getting a Mangalista next time.

 

[Robert]

Any Michigan Brethren know any Mangalista farmers? I've purchased a Tamworth hog in the past, delicious stuff! But thinking of getting a Mangalista next time.

I have a friend in Grand Rapids that knows someone who raises them. Each year he cures a ham and brings it to the American Royal. It is really, really good. If you want, I can contact him and see if he has the number to the farmer.


Robert

 

[Cat797]

The things that matter the most are if you have any say in the cut sheet, how good the processor is, and the quality of their packaging.

I agree with this ^^^^. I would not buy from anyone who wouldn't let me dictate the cut sheet.

One factor that no one has talked about yet is how long the animal hangs before processing. Standard is 14 days. This is not long enough.

The last 2 halves I purchased, one went 21 days which was excellent, but the last one went 28 days, which was phenomenal the difference in the steaks. I highly recommend hanging for as long as possible. Probably tough to accomplish today, or you might have to pay extra.

 

[NickTheGreat]

This is the way to do it in the Midwest I thought. And a quarter cow ain't much for a family!