BEEF - I'm so excited

[Wildsky]

Its crazy how excited I am.

Got a call this evening our 1/2 cow is ready for pick up on Saturday.
The half live weight was 315 pounds (red angus) and we haven't paid yet but its $1 per pound for the cow, the processing cost $195.
All told we'll get about 190 pounds back, for around $2.50 a pound and you can't beat that with a stick!



Edit to update: Live weight was 1200 pounds, we got half. The 315 was half hanging weight.

 

[justusnak]

Thats GREAT!! Congrats!! Fresh beef!!!

 

[The Vail Benton's]

That's awesome Wildsky!!!

 

[Farmfresh]

Yet another person learns the absolute joy of buying beef on the hoof! (or at least half a beef!)

Once you taste it you will NEVER go back to the store bought kind.

 

[Wildsky]

Yet another person learns the absolute joy of buying beef on the hoof! (or at least half a beef!)

Once you taste it you will NEVER go back to the store bought kind.

We have had it before, from my hubby's cousin, they gave us a bunch on Thanksgiving to bring home with us...
I found it a little more tough, but much more tasty - I think I will try change the way I cook to see if that will help with the tough issue...
I normally like to "age" my steaks in the fridge a week before cooking, if that doesn't do the trick I'll try cooking on different temps etc. till I can get it right.

I'm just SO excited to make more sausages and jerky!

 

[xpc]

Yet another person learns the absolute joy of buying beef on the hoof

That sure beats the heck out of buying bean on the curd.
Last time I bought half a steer I paid the butcher extra to cut and wrap the meat in small packages - 1 pound burgers and such, made my life so much easier.

 

[big brown horse]

Yet another person learns the absolute joy of buying beef on the hoof

That sure beats the heck out of buying bean on the curd.Last time I bought half a steer I paid the butcher extra to cut and wrap the meat in small packages - 1 pound burgers and such, made my life so much easier.

Hahahaha! That was funny!

How much extra did it cost you?

Wildsky, yea!! Tell us how yummy it is!

 

[Wildsky]

Last time I bought half a steer I paid the butcher extra to cut and wrap the meat in small packages - 1 pound burgers and such, made my life so much easier.

Yeah I spoke to the processor last week and they asked all kinds of questions - we're getting our ground beef in 1.5 pound packages. THey asked how many people in the household and all that stuff. We are four people, two kids but I also like having leftovers as hubby eats them for lunch the next day.

They wrap with double freezer plastic, the lady said it would last a year in the freezer wrapped like that (won't last a year for us I don't think, we'll eat it before then) All the packages are clearly marked so I'll know whats inside.
All that was included in the $194 processing price.

 

[Wildsky]

My freezer is PACKED solid, we got a huge box of bones and off cuts for the dog as well, the box must have weighed about 60-70 pounds, the dog was so dang happy, when we brought the box in she was holding a rawhide chew thing in her mouth, she dropped it so dang fast when she caught a wiff of the box.
The bones were just thrown in there, so I had to repack that into double grocery bags into a week or so amount of bones, fat etc. One of the bones is longer than the dog, I can't wait to give that to her - it will have to wait for summer so she can eat it out on the deck.
We threw two pieces of fat out on the deck and shook the box out and the chickens went NUTS!
Our steaks and stuff look SO good! I can't wait to tuck right in!


I had to choose between the heart and the oxtail - I chose the oxtail! I got two packages of kidneys (probably nobody else wanted that) and three packages of liver - don't people eat that anymore??

 

[Wildsky]

The entire bottom part is full of those grocery bags and bone/fat etc. I tried to separate it out as best I could.

We barely fit it all in!