When is a steer too old to butcher?
- Thread starter jpbaker
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This might get pretty good and who knows maybe take some heat off shadow. 
I would love to kick start it :cowboy: . 4 yrs is on the outside edge for age limit for me. I like them between 24 and 30 or so months. Also they need to be fed up ready to go. But you'll hear plenty of others that will talk about doing a 12 year old cow and it was fine. For me it's not, I like tender meat with a good bit of white fat, as opposed to old string meat covered in stinky yellow fat.
I would love to kick start it :cowboy: . 4 yrs is on the outside edge for age limit for me. I like them between 24 and 30 or so months. Also they need to be fed up ready to go. But you'll hear plenty of others that will talk about doing a 12 year old cow and it was fine. For me it's not, I like tender meat with a good bit of white fat, as opposed to old string meat covered in stinky yellow fat.Dave
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Depending on the condition when butchers...... it could be Ok. Not great but Ok. Make sure it is on the gain when killed. Hang as long as they will allow you to. I have a friend who prefers older steers ( Alan, this friend lives in Skamokawa.... might have spent too much time at the Duck Inn). Every year or two he sends me on a search for an older steer for him.
For me, I would make sure he is well fed and on the gain. Hang as long as possible. Then have the butcher cut off a steak for you to cook up and eat. Try it and decide if you want steaks or all burger. One thing it will do is make good burger. Just there will be a lot of it.
For me, I would make sure he is well fed and on the gain. Hang as long as possible. Then have the butcher cut off a steak for you to cook up and eat. Try it and decide if you want steaks or all burger. One thing it will do is make good burger. Just there will be a lot of it.
:lol: , you and I are probably the only ones that know if someone lives in Skamokawa that steer is okay. Since I lived in the bigger town in the county for a few years (Cathlamet, we'll Puget Island) it may be good eats. I never made to the Duck inn, but had plenty of sandwiches at the other dinner in town, the deli and ice cream slash post office.
snake67
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jpbaker":28csedyj said:
If it was fed right it will taste different from that baby beef stuff - but from personal experience I would tell you that you will probably enjoy it.
Lots of differing opinions - try it for yourself - nothing to lose - we do it all the time with older cows and have no complaints to date from the family when we sit down to eat them.
Cheers
Bez
plumber_greg
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Are the loins still tender as one younger? gs
No, they're just as tough as the rest. What we do with an older animal is let it hung for 2 weeks then cut a couple of chucnkes of loin into steaks and try them. If tough (usually are) we grind the whole thing. Since we don;t eat that much burger (a whole steer/cow makes a helluva lot of burger) we donate part of it to a local charity and get a tax write off that at least helps a little to defray some of the processing cost.plumber_greg":rabd1wfs said:
backhoeboogie
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3waycross":1ajhe3kr said:
:clap:
snake67
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AllForage":osbwka5t said:
Or it goes in the slow cooker and becomes a meal fit for royalty
A full grown 10 year old cow went down last year - once it was cut up we ate it all and had no complaints - remember that slow cooker? We did use it for the brisket cuts.
The steaks were dammed good - age is not always a detriment - how it was fed and the genetics behind it matter as well.
If it is one of those magnificent, only cow to own, best momma in the world, stands on a pedestal, makes all others look bad, always brings the most money and makes all others not worth owning and never fails to make you a true cattleman/woman - drum roll please - you know it.......!!!!
That fabled black angus everyone worships in the US as much or more than any religion in the world - then how can it not be good? LOL
(Trust me I am being sarcastic - we run HORNED Herfs - you know - those dirty, dangerous, cheap and often maligned for almost anything someone can think of - horned cattle that are prone to every disease and will never make you a penny in the world of cattle according to those who follow the angus religion! LOL)
When we ground a whole cow for the local girls hockey team to sell - they used that money to go to Europe and cleaned up in all the major leagues - that cow gave about 380 pounds of excellent burger. We just gave them the whole cow and paid for all the processing - it went to a decent cause.
First time we ever did that. Trust me it is surprizing how much you lose when you strip them right down to pure meat.
Personally I would not grind your steer all - I would cut it as if I was cutting any steer - bet you will not be unhappy. Worst case scenario - slow cook - awesome meat.
In the end you really have nothing to lose - because if you need to, or really want to, you can grind the cuts for about another 20-30 bucks if you are not happy.
I am out of this one because there are enough opinions here now and most - as per normal - are somewhat to very different.
Best to all
Bez
gonzo
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:welcome: What kinda animal are we talkin . Most don't want to winter'm that many times less thier produc'n young'ns . Was this steer a pet? :cowboy: if he was a pet he might be good if he was a lazy pet. :tiphat:
mwj
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Check out the USDA reports on the cow processors and see what they sell and the price it brings :shock: If you think the money is coming from burger you would be incorrect. Someone is eating a lot of old cow meat that is not burger so age does not make it unpalatable :cboy:
