Anyone purchased a side of beef?

Can't help you on most of your questions, but I admit to relishing beef heart.

It's pretty tough so you will need to beat the heck out of it, but after cutting into strips and pan-frying, it tastes pretty good.

 

leaving the bone in the steak cuts will improve their flavor dramatically, and your beef will be leaner than typical commercial beef, and less marbled, the additional flavor will help

be cautious about applying high heat, grass fed cuts dry and toughen quick

i season only with olive oil and sea salt :thumb:

do you have a good chart to identify which cuts?


blades and rib roasts can be delicious when cooked right, same for flanks and hanger steaks

i'm a huge fan of the briskest, cook it texas style for 12 to 20 hours

here's a link, tho assume you've got what you need
http://dixiegrilling.com/beefchart.pdf


i'm not a fan of organ meat, and i don't my dogs table food,
but plenty of folks feed their animals the organs
personally, i'd let the butcher keep 'em

as for chop meat/burgers ... you got yourself a lean animal there
gonna need to be careful with burgers, typically cooked over high heat, they will dry and toughen fast from a low fat grass fed animal

good luck, have fun

 

If you do end up with too many roasts, it's easy to grind them into hamburger at a later date. Do you have a small meat grinder?

Btw, I *loved* the opening disclaimer on your OP.

Tom

 

Go Meat! (P.S. what does a side of beef cost anyway?)

 

Varies considerably I think, based on location, size of the animal, and how much is put into assuring it's a healthy animal ( grass feed, v.s corncow)


I did buy a side of beef a while ago, I let the butcher decide what to give us mostly and regretted it. We went through the burger relatively quickly, and had a hard time using up the roasts. I'm a pretty busy mom and most of the meals we eat are "quick fixes", roast tends to take some planning and time and effort.

I'd base the decision on your current eating and meal habits as a family. If you find that you are more willing to do roasts than burger based on how you utilize the current side, then change the ratios on your next side. (once you buy good quality meat affordably, it's hard to go back to the so-so stuff)

If you have time, I'd get all the organs and cook and feed to your pets or give as prezzies to friends' pets.
I just bought a food dryer and am wondering if you could use organs for making dog treats with?

 

i used to feed my rottie dehydrated liver as treats
i see dried organs, including wieners and ears, at the pet store

 

In my dark and troubled past, I've been a buyer of sides of beef. Actually, more like quarters, but I digress.

Except for the brisket, you might ask the butcher to just make roasts from the hind of the side, and turn the front into burger. The hind will give you the roasts that you are most familiar with, and the front will have more stringy, hamburger making meat. This will give you a good balance of burger to roasts. Are you much of a ribs eater? if not, ask to have that put into burger, as well.

Note: Don't give your dogs cooked bones. Only raw ones.

*Disclaimer: While I am a vegan, I support organic, grass-fed, local grown animals for those that MUST eat fellow creatures. Thanks for not supporting feedlot beef!

 

I can't wait to hear this answer.

 

Usually its said to never give dogs chicken or pork bones because they splinter.

 

I say just freeze it, strap it to the roof, drive it home and hack off what you want later. Mostly I just want the pictures of a Prius with half a frozen cow tied to the roof. In my world it's funny.

Sorry, I have absolutely no constructive input. I didn't even know you could buy beef this way.

 

Raw bones are softer, more flexible, and digestible. I wouldn't give the dog an entire cow leg bone, unless it's a large dog and used to gnawing on bones, but smaller bones, not too often unless the dog is used to them, should be fine.

Cooked bones are very hard, will splinter, and are fairly indigestible, thus you end up with troubles like perforated intestines. You get this less with those non-splintery bones, like the eyes in ribeyes, but those are just basically chew toys, not food. Raw bones are food for dogs (and smaller ones, like from chicken, are food for cats).

Here's a link: Raw Bones for Dogs

Note: I would NEVER give raw bones/meat to a dog or cat that came from feedlot raised, huge packing plant processed animals. The disease that runs rampant through livestock raised in those conditions could negatively impact a pet!

 

Evan, I think you're really over-analyzing this situation. There has been good advice here, especially from Rae.

Here is how I like my beef: dead, red, and corn fed