Where's the beef?

[Alan]

We'll be butchering a steer this fall for the first time in many years. Now it seems like I'm hearing all the bad stories of people not getting back, what they think, was their beef they had butchered.

As a kid I remember my uncle throwing away a bunch of meat from his freezer, because it was uneatable, it was suppose to be a 2 yr old steer. He butchered one every year, and swears this old yellow meat was not from a 2 year old.

A good freind and mentor of mine butchers one every couple of years, just for him and his wife. The last one he had butchered, from the same place as always, came out and quartered it and hung it in the truck. They mentioned that they had 6 more to do that day so they where in a bit of a hurry. He asked if they should at least tag the quarters as his, they refused and said they know where it is in the truck. He said it's the toughest meat he every got back, he does't think it's his.

With all the time and effort and money folks put into graining and fitting a cow/steer for butchering, how many of you guys/gals ever felt you didn't get the right animal back? Any other stories you would like to share on this subject?

Thanks,
Alan

 

[KNERSIE]

I have one butchered about every third week during the winter and can't honestly say I have ever got the wrong one back.

Some steers will just be tougher than the norm for your herd. After hanging for 14 days and then cut and vacuum sealed and allowing it to age some more most steers will at the worst be edible.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Alan, I'm still looking for the other rump roast and all the stew beef from the last one we took to a processor ("highly recommended") but won't get any more business from me. When I called to inquire, the owner immediately asked me if I was accusing him of cheating me (first sentence out of his mouth!). I was told our steer was "stupid" (?) because he wouldn't go in the kill chute and tried to jump out, broke the guy's finger. (I think I know where the other rump roast and stew meat went.)

I'll be doing things a little differently with the next one; first off, I'll do my utmost to get a live weight, I'll request an itemized list of the cuts we pick up, I'll ask for an estimate of waste when cutting, I'll weigh everything when we get it home, and I'll make a list of all cuts and how many of each.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I'm confident that what I've gotten back was my animal. This last time around, however, I did get back an extra tongue :lol: . I know that steer didn't have 2. I use a privately owned outfit that is USDA inspected.

A friend of mine has changed processors due to what you're concerned about. The last 2 animals he had processed, he was sure that what he got back was not his. After having seen the beef this guy has year after year, I'd have to agree with him, that what he got back was not the animals he brought in.

Shop around, talk to as many people as you can, get names of places, and when a name is consistantly recommended then that would be the place to use.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find a place.

Katherine

 

[forageconverter]

If you use a reputable slaughter house that is privately owned and operated you shouldnt have to worry about this.

I agree with this.

Also, when we take a calf to our preferred processor, we know to call in advance as there is usually a six to seven month waiting list to have a calf butchered. Being that busy is a good indicator that he’s a reputable processor. I’m always a little leery of a processor that can take a calf immediately.

 

[Jogeephus]

I got one that was questionable once. Carried a steer to processor that was nearly a pet. In the pen beside him was a crazy brangus that broke his leg while being worked. When I picked the meat up it was bloody and dark. Learned later the guy that owned the brangus said it was the best meat he ever ate. :shock:

Now, I make sure they know I'm watching. Usually sit there all day while they are killing mine and have seen first hand how someone can drop a tag or forget to tag one of the halves. If I'm unable to be in the kill room, I tell them to call me if any of the carcusses aren't up to snuff.

I hope most of the mistakes are simply that.

 

[cattleluvr18]

for me it all depends on what butcherer we go to.

 

[L Weir]

We take our cattle to a custom butcher that does one at a time, so we never had that problem with him. A butcher we used before him I think was a littles sloppy with his meat processing because we'd fin bits of bone or hair in our hamburg.

 

[vs_cattle]

I wouldent know I guess Im no expert in knowing how my animals gonna taste