Home grown beef

[Wewild]

We got our first butchered steer back a couple a weeks ago. Dad never did it said you could buy a lot of meat you like for what you had in it.

The ribeye and cubed steak have been top notch.

Here is a little sirlion.

I thought it was good as well. I'm not sure Dad ever did it the right way.

 

[Auburn_Ag]

Good Looking Steak, I'm hungry!

 

[Jogeephus]

I'm sure your dad was right about most everything else but on this I think he was mistaken. We ran out of steaks and my wife bought some ribeyes yesterday and they were $12.50/lb and they weren't that good. My cost of freezer beef - assuming I put $1.00/lb on the hoof - after processing is $2.90 per packaged pound of meat. Of course, the first time I ever did it I think I had about $5.00/lb in it so maybe he and I used the same system on that run.

 

[dieselbeef]

either way its better and cheaper than 12.50..at least ya know what yer eating

 

[Jim62]

I'm with dad on this one. It don't take very long to run out of ribeyes and sirloins---and then you get to eat brains, liver, kidneys, and oxtails from there on.

I've always thought it was more economical to buy, just the parts you want to eat. :tiphat:

 

[dieselbeef]

avg is still cheaper overall and i sell it also and most people wany hamburger more than anything else..even at 3$ lb

 

[I luv herfrds]

Makes no sense to me to buy that high price so-so beef in the store when you can raise your own.
We pay a $25.00 kill fee, $1.50 a mile (17 miles) and $.30 a pound to cut and wrap the beef.
Even if we do run out of our favorite cuts first our own beef still tastes much better.

 

[Alan]

I'm with dad on this one. It don't take very long to run out of ribeyes and sirloins---and then you get to eat brains, liver, kidneys, and oxtails from there on.

I've always thought it was more economical to buy, just the parts you want to eat. :tiphat:

You sound like my dad , like him I think you're wrong. We are just starting to finish or third steer in the last three years. I we don't eat or keep the liver, brains , kidneys or tongue and tail. We grain finish for approx 90 days free choice hay, worm heavy ( giving myself a weeks grace to cover slaughter restrictions). Last year I kept track of every cost including charging myself $600 for the 800lb steer. final cost was $3 per lb. cut and wrapped. My hamburger cost $3, but so did the T bones, Rib eyes, tenderloins, sirloins, roasts, ribs, stew meat. The only thing I can't put a cost on (yet) is the satisfaction I get knowing that I'm eating beef that I know is young (Hereford) and not some 9 yr old downer cow. I know exactly what went into the animal, no hormones, or excessive antibiotics, the beef is worm free...... and home grown...... no I won't say priceless .

BTW, very tasty looking steak.... just missing a piece of sweet corn on the cob and the baked potato smothered in butter, cheese and bacon bits and the slice of fresh bread to soak up all the juice left behind.

Jeez, it's only, 7:45 am and now I feel like firing up the grill :nod: .

Alan

 

[grannysoo]

I've always thought it was more economical to buy, just the parts you want to eat. :tiphat:

It may be, but when you compare that grocery store hamburger meat to what I raise, economics fly out the window.

Great looking steak too!

 

[Wewild]

The steer was 1/2 Lim and 1/2 angus out of a Lim Heifer and weighed on the hoof at 1150#. Hanging weight was 680# minus the organs. We hung it for 28 days.

I took some left over cube steak to work for lunch last week. A buddy stopped buy and said he'd never seen someone cut cube steak with a plastic fork. The wife can cook some cubed steak.

The ribeye was nice and tender.

Mother wanted roasts so we got a bunch of chuck.

We got a lot of hamburger and fair amount of stew meat.

I'm not sure if there is anything in the freezer that I don't like.

 

[Bez+]

For me the thread title says it all

In this day and age I like to know what I eat

Cheers

Bez+

 

[farmwriter]

Just for what it's worth, I never get stew meat cut. The shoulder roasts are what I use for that, and I can trim all the fat off I want and get the pieces just the size I want. And it tastes marvelous. My SIL ate some of my Veggie beef soup and asked how I made it taste so good. I told her really good meat makes all the difference!

 

[Bez+]

Just for what it's worth, I never get stew meat cut. The shoulder roasts are what I use for that, and I can trim all the fat off I want and get the pieces just the size I want. And it tastes marvelous. My SIL ate some of my Veggie beef soup and asked how I made it taste so good. I told her really good meat makes all the difference!

And we always get it cut up.

I have the old girl fry it up in butter with salt and garlic - throw it in a bag and send it to the field for me to eat - love it that way.

Too darned good to waste in stews and soups.

Bez+

 

[MO_cows]

We bought home grown beef for years before we were able to raise one of our own. I believe it is both better AND cheaper. You just can't beat the consistency in taste and texture of using beef from one specific animal. Even though some beeves are better than others, after the first couple of packages you know exactly what you've got and can prepare it the best possible way.

 

[1982vett]

If everyone raised their own beef, their wouldn't be anyone to buy our calves.

 

[Jogeephus]

My hamburger cost $3, but so did the T bones, Rib eyes, tenderloins, sirloins, roasts, ribs, stew meat.

Alan, if your hamburger is anything like mine then you are insulting it by calling it hamburger.(I'm guilty of this too) Its more in line with ground chuck and last I checked store bought ground chuck is about $3+/lb.

 

[Jim62]

Just out of curiousity, once you turn it over to the processer, what makes you think that the packages you get back contain YOUR beef? In these parts, I think this is a major reason why folks don't eat their "own" beef. One of the few times we tried our own, this happened to us. Turned in an excellent, well fed out steer, and got back a freezer full of junk that it pretty much took an axe to cut. Lesson learned. :tiphat:

 

[grannysoo]

Just out of curiousity, once you turn it over to the processer, what makes you think that the packages you get back contain YOUR beef? In these parts, I think this is a major reason why folks don't eat their "own" beef. One of the few times we tried our own, this happened to us. Turned in an excellent, well fed out steer, and got back a freezer full of junk that it pretty much took an axe to cut. Lesson learned. :tiphat:

I have no doubt that I get my cows back when I take them off. If you have doubts, you need to find another processor.

 

[grannysoo]

My hamburger cost $3, but so did the T bones, Rib eyes, tenderloins, sirloins, roasts, ribs, stew meat.

Alan, if your hamburger is anything like mine then you are insulting it by calling it hamburger.(I'm guilty of this too) Its more in line with ground chuck and last I checked store bought ground chuck is about $3+/lb.

I believe that you call call it "steakburger". Cause that's sure what my hamburger tastes like. :nod:

 

[Bez+]

Just out of curiousity, once you turn it over to the processer, what makes you think that the packages you get back contain YOUR beef? In these parts, I think this is a major reason why folks don't eat their "own" beef. One of the few times we tried our own, this happened to us. Turned in an excellent, well fed out steer, and got back a freezer full of junk that it pretty much took an axe to cut. Lesson learned. :tiphat:

Jim

There is a serious amount of suspicion in some part of the world over this topic - and I hate to say it but it usually comes from the US of A folks. Seems you guys either have no system of proof or you have seen bad things happen.

For Canadian processors the following comes into play.

First now processors MUST be licensed federally or provincially. Not the "joe blow" meat guy - but the processor in small town XYZ.

Second when the kill is done it MUST be inspected if killed at the plant - and I have always seen a provincial or federal inspector on site for kill - even at our local 40 animals a day facility. We are for the first time ever - going to use a licensed on farm killer this year - I am not entirely sure how the inspection part will come into play unless a government inspector comes along - which would not surprise me.

Third there are some very serious legal liabilities to the processor if your meat goes somewhere else and they are required by law to be able to prove who's meat belongs to who at all steps in the process - the traceability factor is always foremost in the business - and you can see your animal - should you want to - at all stages of the processing - from kill to cooling to cut up. In fact I have done this just to satisfy my own curiosity.

No system is perfect - but we are getting closer. Far too many satisfied people in our part of the world to say otherwise.

Cannot tell you more, but what you have now is what I have not only been told, but what I have seen.

Regards

Bez+