Buying Meat on the Hoof for Dummies

Farmfresh

City Biddy
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
8,841
Reaction score
80
Points
310
Location
Missouri USA
In a recent thread Wifezilla made this comment, "I think a lot of people (me included) don't understand the buying a cow for meat process. Is there anyway you knowledgeable folks could get a "buying meat on the hoof for dummies" thread going??"

So here it is! :D

Feel free to add in all you know. Lets get these folks out there, with no place to raise their own, eating quality small farm raised meats and saving some money!

Here is my contribution:

All of you out there moaning about no space nor money to buy good meat I have learned the way. First you MUST buy a BIG freezer. That is not an option. Second you must save up some cash. Go meat free for a while if you must, but save save save. Third while you are saving do some research and some networking.

If you look (Craigslist is a good place to start - as is your local 4-H group or FFA chapter. There are some of those in EVERY state) you can always find a small farmer out there somewhere that is doing things right. Sometimes (like with my pig farmer) they are raising animals basically for their own use. (My pig farmer raises a pig for herself and a couple extra that she markets to pay for her pigs feed and keep her pig company.) Sometimes they are just raising a few animals for show (like FFA or 4-H) and eating the cull animals. What ever the case, they are out there raising those animals.

Also if you look there will be a small processor (sometimes these are mobile, sometimes these are just tucked away in the country, sometimes it is just a willing knowledgeable individual). Often your small producer will have already found them for their own use.

Now for that cash. Buy your meat animal live on the hoof directly from the farmer. Usually you can even pick them out. Most farmers really like this because they tend to make more profit selling direct to you than they do running their animal through an auction. Plus if you like the meat you will be back for more, giving them a little extra security in their work. It is NOT cheap to buy a whole beef steer or a whole pig, but buy it you must. UNLESS you can find a friend or two to "go halves-ies" with you! wink

The farmer will usually haul it to the butcher for you. You may have to pay extra for this, but usually I don't have to. Sometimes they will even make the appointments for you - especially if they have other animals going as well.

Then the butcher shop will take the processing order for your animal. (See you are the owner of a cow now and didn't ever have to house it!) With in a few weeks you have to go, with some more of that cash, and pay the butcher. At this time you will also pick up your meat order, all wrapped and ready to go.

When I pick up my meat I usually weigh each package and mark it accordingly. Then I usually bag it (AGAIN) in a Ziplock freezer bag. (They can be reused) That helps keep my meat from any freezer burn and protects it extra in my chest freezer. Now do the math. I usually pay LESS for my farmer grown, grass fed, gourmet delicious meats than most people pay at the grocery store for that yummy ammonia filled goop. Usually about 80 to 85% of the price.

BUT it is expensive to buy all your meat for a year (or more) at once. AND you have to have a place to keep it.

Also at first it is monotonous. Pork, pork, pork, pork .... So you mix it up over time. A beef will last us about 2 years, unless I buy a yearling (good way to insure it is grass fed and smaller). I usually share beef with my grown kids. A pig lasts a year (and I share with my kids). I buy rabbits from a 4-H girl and process them myself. Same with duck. I buy a sheep a year as well (or two sheep every other year). We grow our own turkeys and chickens with borrowed space at my D1's house AND we fish. So now I always have a wonderful variety of TERRIFIC meat that is cheap. TADA!

Now lets here those ideas!
 

Wifezilla

Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
8,928
Reaction score
16
Points
270
Location
Colorado
Thanks for starting this post :D

Got the freezer...but it is full of turkeys right now.
::note to self::: start thawing a turkey or two :D

One thing that has always confused me is the deciding what cuts you want thing. What is the best way to get it cut? Most economical? Best bang for your buck?

So far all I have done along this line is piggy-back on someone else's bison order. Going to do that again in February.
 

Bettacreek

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
1,695
Reaction score
4
Points
180
Location
Central Pennsyltucky
You could also butcher the carcass yourself to save a good bit of money. Wrapping at home also saves money if you don't want to butcher at home. Trading excess is another good idea for when you're first starting out. You get a hog and a co-worker gets a steer, so you guys trade a little bit to spice things up a bit.
Another good thing to know is the average amount of weight an animal looses from hoof to table.
 

Bettacreek

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
1,695
Reaction score
4
Points
180
Location
Central Pennsyltucky
Wifezilla said:
Got the freezer...but it is full of turkeys right now.
::note to self::: start thawing a turkey or two :D

One thing that has always confused me is the deciding what cuts you want thing. What is the best way to get it cut? Most economical? Best bang for your buck?
Trade turkey for something else! Ground turkey may sell better than whole turkey though, so maybe look into that?

Best cuts depends entirely on what you want. If you love your steak, get cuts of steak made. If you have a large family, get roasts instead of steaks. Save the tenderloin of course. Grind the rest.
 

Wifezilla

Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
8,928
Reaction score
16
Points
270
Location
Colorado
My freezer is in an unheated garage. No problems so far.

It will be totally fun setting you up with a container garden :D
 

Wildsky

Femivore
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,744
Reaction score
2
Points
124
Location
Nebraska Sandhills
:D I've been using up freezer meats for a little while now, our steer will be going to the processor in a couple of weeks - we only own half of it.
The processor will be done cutting and packaging on Feb 10th I think is the date!

I'm going to ask for a variety of meat cuts, but I also want some with Bone in, nothing like a good stew with the bones in the pot as well.
All other bones I'll aslo ask for, to make stock and raw for my dog.

As far as organ meat goes I'm looking into that, we'll use the liver for sure, and Kidneys I've eaten before in "steak and kidney" pies.
I'm thinking my dog can have the heart, I'm just not sure about anything else. (anyone?) tongue?
I don't want to be wastefull or have them destroy some part that even my dog can eat and enjoy. I also don't want to see too much "yukkie" stuff... :gig
 

Farmfresh

City Biddy
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
8,841
Reaction score
80
Points
310
Location
Missouri USA
Currently I am watching a BBC series called River Cottage in which the star Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is basically trying to instill the homesteading/ self sufficient way of live in England.

Some of the GREAT points that he makes is that we should all learn:

1. Where does our food comes from?

2. What should a healthy meat animal look like? What traits produce the best cuts of meat?

3. What is the best way to raise an animal to be humane and develop a nutritious meat?

4. How should you cut up a whole animal carcass? How then should you use those cuts of meat to their best advantage?

Even if you NEVER buy anything but packaged grocery store meat you should learn this stuff. It makes you a better shopper and a better cook.

For example you should not pay a prime price for those "patio" chuck steaks. They look in the store like a great bargain for the grill, but they are NOT. They come from the animals chuck and are usually tough and require a moist long slow cook to be their best. On the other hand a cheap cut like ox tails actually makes a BETTER tasting beef stew than a T-bone would. River Cottage Spring (woops I posted Autumn before!) he actually trains a woman how to butcher a lamb for just those reasons.

If you decide to go the "on the hoof" route the more knowledge you have the better.

For example in my area almost ALL beef are raised on grass after weaning until they almost reach "market weight". At that time they are shipped as FEEDERS to the lots to be crammed full of starchy corn and get fat and sick. Armed with that knowledge I can find a local farmer and buy a 600 to 800 pound yearling that has indeed been only grass fed without paying the grass finished price. Butchering at this size they are more tender, and take up less freezer space. They are actually what is sold as gourmet grass fed baby beef. Since I know the farmer I can ask what wormings or injections they have had recently and pay him a far better price than he would make sending that cow to a feeder steer auction.

Plus this stuff is right up our alley. Who among us does not love reading about choosing a good beef cow or learning about pig conformation?

When we were kids in 4-H there were market lamb competitions and even meat classes where we competed by raising the best meat producing livestock. While I never raised any meat stock back then it was interesting to learn about.

The better knowledge the better armed we are.
 

Latest posts

Top