what to tell the butcher when you order a half beef

When ordering half a beef, what cuts to request can be a confusing task. Learn how to have 1/2 a cow butchered for your family to get the right cuts for you.

When ordering half a beef, what cuts to request can be a confusing task. Learn how to have 1/2 a cow butchered for your family to get the right cuts for you.

I was cleaning up my knives after a presentation at the Texas Mother Earth News Fair when an elderly man approached the stage. He smiled up at me and said, “Nobody’s ever going to do the stuff you’re telling them. They’re too lazy.” I remembered his face from the audience, smiling and nodding as I butchered half an animal from nose to tail, explaining the workings of the muscles, the different types of fat, and the value of the bones, feet, and organs.

He went on to tell me, “When I was a boy, we were in the meat club. Once every month, somebody would slaughter a beef. After it was cut, everyone in the club would take a piece or two. There was a record of what you had received every month to make sure you got a little of everything before the year was over. Everyone shared, everyone worked, and everything got eaten. But nobody thinks about it like that anymore.”

I told him I thought that was a great idea, and that because I was talking to someone who could remember it happening, then it’s probably possible to keep the practice alive. To which he said, “Bless you, darlin’,” and then disappeared into the crowd.

Maybe he’s right, but it seems to me there’s too much at stake to be lazy. What we need is for our meat to have a good life, a good death, a good butcher, and a good cook. It’s a tall order, considering the obstacles toward affordable, environmentally friendly, low-stress production and processing. Plus, there are added impediments in affordability and culinary aptitude. We need buy-in from everyone, from the farmer to the guy at the grill. How do we do it?

Buying meat as whole as possible, or in bulk, is the first domino in a chain reaction that leads in a positive direction. Buying in bulk drastically reduces the cost of production, which in turn alters the price the farmer has to charge at the point of sale. It also rewards a growing cohort of artisan butchers who are aiming to bring thrift, ingenuity, artistry, and quality back into the meat supply chain.

In addition to being supportive of a sensible, sustainable food economy, buying as whole as possible will save you money, teach you new knowledge and skills, and allow you to enjoy more diversity in the kitchen. I’d bet that people are just itching to know how, and aren’t too lazy or hopeless to learn.

You’ll Need to Choose Package Sizes

One of the things the butcher will ask you is what size package you want your hamburger in. Typically, it comes in one, one and a half, or two pounds. That of course depends on your family size and how much meat you usually use when cooking.

With our family of four we usually just do a one-pound package with our ground meat like hamburger and sausage. If I need two pounds in the event of a potluck, hosting a dinner, or batch cooking and doubling a recipe, then Im able to just grab two packages out and know that thats two pounds. For the majority of the time, especially when doing hamburgers, spaghetti, meatballs, or something like that, one pound is very sufficient for us.

The next decision youll need to make is how many steaks youll want per package. For our family of four, usually, I like to have two steaks per package. My daughter is still young while my son is starting to hit those teenage years and eating more, but even with that we usually are able to divide up the two steaks between the four of use. That gives us one meal with no leftovers. Again, this all depends on your family size.

As mentioned in episode 214 Raising Grass-Fed Beef – What You Need to Know on Butcher Day, you want the meat to be dry-aged for at least 14 days, preferably 21 days. But before that time period is up the butcher will want your cut and wrap order so that they can get it done as soon as possible, especially when its a busy season. Theyll put that order with your beef so that on the day that they actually cut and wrap everything, they already have the order information right there ready to go. So, just know that within the first couple of days of kill day, they want you to call in with your order. If you dont call them, theyll call you.

How Much Meat is a Half Beef? Explained in 3 Minutes!

FAQ

What cuts to get when ordering half a cow?

• Roasts (3-4 lbs each) Shoulder roast- 3-4 Packages. Chuck roast- 6-8 packages. …
• Steaks (standard is 3/4″ thick, 2 per package) T-bone- 10-12 steaks. Rib eye- 12-16 steaks. …
• Ground beef: You will receive approximately 70 lbs of ground beef. …
• Other: Stew meat- 8 0.5 lb packages.

How much should 1/2 cow cost?

If you’re thinking about buying a half cow, the price can be different depending on a few things. A pasture-raised half cow will cost you between $2,000 and $3,000. If it’s not pasture-raised and was given chemicals—or if it’s a smaller cow—you’ll be able to get one for cheaper.

How many ribeyes are in 1/2 beef?

Your individual cuts may vary depending on the size of your animal and your cutting and wrapping instructions: Steaks (Our Standard: 7/8 or 1 inch thick): T-Bone Steaks: 10-12 steaks. Rib eye: 12-16 steaks.

How much meat should you get from a 1/4 cow?

A quarter cow is 100 pounds of fully processed meat wrapped and ready for your freezer starting at $11 per lb.