OT: recommendations on processing side of beef

[BLinWMI]

I need you advice on how to have a side of beef cut up. I had a grass fed Brown Swiss steer butchered just before Christmas and the shop is going to process him tomorrow. I am splitting a side with the in laws but have no idea what is best to tell the cutter. I want as many steaks and decent cuts than hamburger. This is the first one I have raised in 12 years and back then Grandma took care of all this stuff so I am really in the dark how to direct the cutter.
Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Personal opinion of grass fed beef isn't too good. However, if you have a decent butcher doing the job then they should be able to assist in getting what you want rather easily.

 

[Jimmy King]

Have them tenderize any thing they can.

 

[rrlund]

Depends on the size of you're family. I shouldn't even be the one telling you this,the wife takes care of this stuff. I do know we have the steaks 2 to a package one inch thick. Unless you want a freezer full of ribs,have them scrape the ribs and make it in to burger. She just said she usually has 2 pound roasts,but she had 5 pounds made this time. Burger,two pounds to a package. But,there's six of us in the house.

 

[BLinWMI]

I have heard that also but have heard a lot of talk about people getting good steak that don't taste like corn meal too, so guess I don't know for sure yet. One thing I have going for me is this thing was still sucking off his mom at 1500 pounds. Even when she had a new calf the next year, she still let him suck off her. She had teats the size of coke bottles in the front and normal size in the back, so the little calf took the rear and the the big buster took the big front ones. Hopefully helps meat texture.

 

[Joe in IN]

From front to back along top(backbone area) of steer:

Chuck Roasts: come from Front sholder area
Rib Section: Ribeye steaks or rib roasts
Short Loin Section: TBones or NY Strips
Sirloin: Sirloin Steaks
Tenderloin is on bottom side of back bone
Back Leg: Round Roasts and steaks

ALong bottom of animal is the Hamburger quality meats, again from Front to back:

Brisket, shank(leg), then skirt steak, Flank and back shank.

So for a lot of steaks:

Ribeyes, NY Strip(or Tbone/porterhouse but lose tenderloin), sirloin and round steaks(or round roasts, I prefer round roasts to round steak but to each his own).

Chuck area: You can get a tob blade steak but I do not consider that a real steak. This is chuck roast for stewing(IMHO)

Burger along the bottom of animal again unless you like brisket, flank and skirt steak but I personally do not eat those cuts that often....

 

[Anonymous-0]

Remember one thing, there are not that many steaks etc. other than the back muscles, like T Bone, porterhouse , rib steak that are considered prime cuts. Your round steaks , flanks and shoulders can be pretty chewy and make good burger. Also remember that a half a beef also iincludes liver, heart, tongue etc. So dont be suprised when you only get 3 or 4 packs of t bones, but lots of burger and even an oxtail. Remember enjoy in moderation. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

 

[TomH in PA]

I like to get most of the chuck ground into hamburger. Also (as Jimmy King said) ask for cube steaks, they're good for swiss steak and slicing up into beef stroganoff, etc.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Might add to the other replys, tell the butcher what percent of fat you want in your hamburger. We prefer all the tough meat in to hamburger, makes alot of different ways to put meat on the table. Hamburger, meatloaf, chili, chopsteak for breakfast, loosemeat for buns or sloppy joes,put it in spagethi,mix it with deer meat, just a few of the ways with ground round, but get all the steaks and good roasts you can. Someone suggested tenderizing, diffently do it. Dont expect a lot of meat, for there is a lot of waste on a critter. We used to do 3-4 critters a year for 4 different familys, also processed hogs. Makes me hungry for prime rib tonite for New Years eve.

 

[onefarmer]

I like 2 steaks to the pack, thickness is your choice. One pound hamburg. I usually get just the T-bone, Sirloin, sometimes rib steak, 3/4"thick, and have the round steak cubed. 3-4 pound roasts, hamburg the rest. I always run out of hamburg before anything else. Been known to just roast and hamburg a cow.

The packer will be happy to walk you through it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

One more thing, the meat might have a taste of veal in it from the milk from the cow. Might not make any difference, I dont know. Enjoy

 

[Walt Davies]

I have half the Round steak made into Cube steaks for better eating great for breakfast steaks or just quick little steaks for a quick dinner. and the other half made into hamburger. I like the T-Bones If you have a good butcher you can get then cut half and half also.
I get as much hamburger as possible being old and lazy. I also like it Spaghetti and Elbow macaroni Goulash. Make a big pot and just eat till you are full. Also Portagee beans my friend showed me how to make them like Mexican beans only a lot better.
Walt

 

[hayray]

Grass fed Brown Swiss - Ouch! Anyways, you first need to decide for each side of beef if you want them processed bone in cuts, i.e. T-Bone, Porterhouse or fillet cuts, such as Tenderloin and Strip steaks. When the steer was slaughtered they cut the backbone down the center and split the carcass into two sides and each side is cut either bone in or bone out. About 20% of the cutability is primal cuts, such as T-bones, Porterhouse, Rib Steaks, and Sirloins. Then you can raise the overall % of steaks up to 35% if you include round steak, sirloin tip Steak, and Chuck Steak; those are leaner and tougher cuts, and on a grass fed diary steer I don't recommend it. The Sirloin tip can either be a roast, steak, or ground, also the round such as the round steak works good as a roast, ground, or cubed. The other roast such as the rump and then from the chuck are the English, Round Bone, and Blade Roast (Chuck Steak); English and Round Bone are real good, the Blade is grisley, but is a classic pot roast. 50% at least will be ground. Take home meat will be probably about 65% of the hanging weight.

 

[grazer]

Make sure they leave it hang in the cooler at least 10 days.