ground beef

[clem]

Been lurking for awhile. With prices the way they are, I'm thinking about some freezer beef instead of giving culls away at the sale barn, that's about what it amounts to. At what age is it mandatory for the whole cow to be turned into ground beef? Clem

 

[MikeC]

Been lurking for awhile. With prices the way they are, I'm thinking about some freezer beef instead of giving culls away at the sale barn, that's about what it amounts to. At what age is it mandatory for the whole cow to be turned into ground beef? Clem

There's no mandatory age. But be sure that the older they get, the tougher they get.

Nothing over 30 months can grade choice by USDA standards.

I've never harvested one over 3 years and they have all been good.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We usually take one of our "bottom end accidents"...lol and put him in the freezer. Usually butcher one as a yearling. On a 700-800 lb Longhorn, we expect about 45 to 50% of edible meat (we toss any organ meats). Figure we get about $750 worth of meat out of the animal which lasts us 12-14 months (along with chicken and pork we eat). Considering all of our cuts, we average about $2.50 a pound for the ~ 95% lean beef. We eat a LOT of ground beef (we're GB junkies...lol). Works for us!

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have butchered old cows for various reason's always kept the loin cuts t bones rib eyes and sirloins which have been good rest was hamburger. Always had the butcher hang it a week longer.

 

[Susie David]

We're eating a three year old heifer that we got at the sale and kept on grass this summer...nice yellow fat and was well marbled.

 

[sidney411]

I checked w/ 2 different local butchers and they both told me they could not cut steaks out of any animal over 30 mts. It had to all be ground. I really don't understand but the lady I talked with said it was because of new regulations since this whole BSE thing??? She wouldn't discuss it further. I am thinking about processing one of our old cows ourselves instead of taking her to the butcher for this reason.

 

[Chris H]

I checked w/ 2 different local butchers and they both told me they could not cut steaks out of any animal over 30 mts. It had to all be ground. I really don't understand but the lady I talked with said it was because of new regulations since this whole BSE thing??? She wouldn't discuss it further. I am thinking about processing one of our old cows ourselves instead of taking her to the butcher for this reason.

Are those butchers USDA inspected for resale of the beef? Just a thought as to why they said that because I don't know. We did take a heiferette in last year and the butcher asked if she was over 30 months, we didn't know why he asked. BTW, around here a 'heiferette' is a 2 year old that was fattened for slaughter after losing a calf or weaning the calf early.

 

[dieselbeef]

how they know how old they are....

 

[dun]

And all a long I thought ground beef came from short legged cows

dun

 

[Victoria]

how they know how old they are....

They can make a fairly accurate guess by looking at the teeth.