Buying half a cow?

[taxlady]

Disappointed is NOT the word I would use...

Well, it was the appropriate word when I was given a third of a cow.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

 

[Dawgluver]

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

I've herd that somewhere before. In the moo'd.

 

[FrankZ]

Well, it was the appropriate word when I was given a third of a cow.

I would have used stronger language, but you are correct it is appropriate (at least for Discuss Cooking).

I would be downright ornery...

I have heard tales about butchers keeping select piece for themselves when you bring in an animal. I suppose you have to trust your butcher, but I think if we have something done again I will specify no ground meat. I can grind it, and like to do it.

 

[taxlady]

I would have used stronger language, but you are correct it is appropriate (at least for Discuss Cooking).

I would be downright ornery...

I have heard tales about butchers keeping select piece for themselves when you bring in an animal. I suppose you have to trust your butcher, but I think if we have something done again I will specify no ground meat. I can grind it, and like to do it.

Oh, I learned a lot from those parcels of cow.

I would want to grind my own too. I don't even want them to cut stuff up for stew for me. I can do it and it will get done the way I want.

Some of my Danish recipes call for grinding the meat several times. I would feel like a right wally if I put a package of ground meat in my meat grinder.

 

[Claire]

With both tongue and heart Mom would either slow, day long stew or pressure cook to speed the process. Tongue was very tender, but heart no matter how long-cooked, tough. Tongue was a family favorite, it is very flavorful. Mom would skin it to it didn't gross anyone out. But she always took the water she stewed it in and made a horseradish gravy. For some reason beef tongue was always accompanied by horseradish gravy.

Daddy was raised on farms and ate a lot of organ meats as a kid and loved them. So even when we didn't have half a cow, Mom bought heart, tongue, liver often. They were quite cheap at the commissary. I just love liver, period (still do ... remember when it was considered healthy). Kidneys, alas, smell like what they are and Mom did cook them one time that I remember, but just for Dad and didn't expect us to eat them.

 

[CWS4322]

CWS--I did google brining the heart--I think I'll do that starting tomorrow and then cook it as our 'corned beef dinner'. I'm going to have to have a friend cut it up for me--take out the veins and whatnot--otherwise I'm not sure I could eat it.

Simonbaker--good point--we did get a sample package of ground beef before we decided to go with this processor. It was lean, no bone chips. It's a woman and her husband and they do it all themselves. I was warmed in my heart at meeting them, they seemed happy and well organized and truly kind. I told her how nice it was to see a couple that was married and also worked together. She just shined. They are the kind of people I want to know.

Let me know what you think of the heart prepared that way. I have 1/2 a steer ordered for the fall (when I am back in the city and have the other freezer available).

 

[blissful]

$1.90 per pound carcass hanging weight + $0.42 per pound cutting and wrapping = $2.32 per pound. x 405 pounds = $939.60 total.

$939.60/268 net pounds = $3.51 per pound.

I'm expecting an 'A' for this.

A++ Andy M!

As for the tenderloin--I have no way to know if part of it is missing, unless I thaw everything out and reassemble half the cow with meat glue. No chance of that happening. All you professional meat-gluers, don't bother offering your services to me.

Frank Z--I don't see anything labeled loin (only sirloin) or strip steak (though I thought I had seen strip steak--it's not on the inventory we put together). So I don't know if this half cow is missing any of the tenderloin.

I also don't know what kind of meat they put in the stew meat packages and they are wrapped in plastic and paper and I can't see it--it'll be surprise when I open them.

Is there another term for flank steak? Brisket? I see nothing labeled like that.

CWS--I'll probably corn some regular beef when I corn the heart--just in case we aren't thrilled with the heart, I'll let you know when we do it.

 

[FrankZ]

Frank Z--I don't see anything labeled loin (only sirloin) or strip steak (though I thought I had seen strip steak--it's not on the inventory we put together). So I don't know if this half cow is missing any of the tenderloin.

I also don't know what kind of meat they put in the stew meat packages and they are wrapped in plastic and paper and I can't see it--it'll be surprise when I open them.

Is there another term for flank steak? Brisket? I see nothing labeled like that.

I would ask about the tenderloin and loins. A few T-bone and porterhouse steaks shouldn't account for the entire loin and tenderloin parts, and those are the expensive bits usually.

The stew meat and ground may account for some of the stuff you are not seeing, along with ribs.

 

[blissful]

I would ask about the tenderloin and loins. A few T-bone and porterhouse steaks shouldn't account for the entire loin and tenderloin parts, and those are the expensive bits usually.

The stew meat and ground may account for some of the stuff you are not seeing, along with ribs.

I am thinking that most people (the general consumer) would be happy with the cuts in this half beef. I had ideas about certain steaks--like the tenderloin, the flank steak--because I like to cook and had things I wanted to try and usually couldn't afford to buy them. It never occurred to me to mention any of this when telling them how I wanted the cuts.

Had I asked for the whole tenderloin (which I've cut up myself in the past), I would have sacrificed some t-bones and porterhouse steaks--correct?

The couple that processed the meat will most likely be retired by the time I want to get beef again (2 years). I'm going to make notes for how I would rather the cuts are done the next time. I'll have to find another processor in 2 years and I'll be more persnickety in my choices.

I have to say though--the taste of this beef is excellent. The hamburger we had last night was very lean (health wise I'm happy about it) and finely ground. Had I ground it myself, I'd have had to run it through the grinder at least twice to get it so fine.

We haven't had a roast or steak yet--so I can't say what the marbling looks like and hopefully it will have the same great beefy taste. I'll take pictures when I get there.

I'm going to ask my friend that I bought the beef from--actually her father raises them--about the loin to see what she has to say. I appreciate your suggestions, I'm afraid I just don't want to offend the processors or my friend's father. **see doormat written on my forehead**

 

[FrankZ]

I think you can ask without being offensive. It is all part of learning and you are just trying to understand what you have.

Since there is a lack of understanding about the different parts of the cow (or any animal really) marketers have taken advantage of that to make things seem exotic. Delmonico steak? Ribeye.

When we got the deer the first thing I did was look for the tenderloin and loin (backstrap). Then I went looking for the rib meat (The best stew I ever made was deer rib meat).

Overall if you are happy then that is what counts... but you should be happy with understanding, not happy because you don't understand and you have a freezer full of meat (which is a thing of beauty)

Now go grind up some chuck and make hot dogs...

 

[blissful]

I think you can ask without being offensive. It is all part of learning and you are just trying to understand what you have.

Since there is a lack of understanding about the different parts of the cow (or any animal really) marketers have taken advantage of that to make things seem exotic. Delmonico steak? Ribeye.

When we got the deer the first thing I did was look for the tenderloin and loin (backstrap). Then I went looking for the rib meat (The best stew I ever made was deer rib meat).

Overall if you are happy then that is what counts... but you should be happy with understanding, not happy because you don't understand and you have a freezer full of meat (which is a thing of beauty)

Now go grind up some chuck and make hot dogs...

Ha ha--@hotdogs. Frank Z you are right about understanding the parts of the cow.
I've cut up deer for years. The tenderloin, fried quickly, in butter with onions--well--we usually ate that the day we cut it up. Yesterday after getting the beef, we called it a 'meat celebration day'. (yes we are lame)

I'm sorely tempted to butcher half a cow myself the next time--just pay for the kill fee, gutting and cutting it in half. A deer only usually takes 4 hours 2 people, a cow--hmmm, 12 hours 2 people, 8 hours 3 people?

Oh and the freezer--it looks like something out of a supermarket--'tis beautiful! It's the 'I feel richer' effect (after going without for so long).

 

[FrankZ]

Oh and the freezer--it looks like something out of a supermarket--'tis beautiful! It's the 'I feel richer' effect (after going without for so long).

So what are the store hours?

 

[blissful]

So what are the store hours?

Oh! I'll have the store open anytime you will be stopping by to shop!! I should put a picture here--it is so fine!

 

[FrankZ]

We like pictures...

 

[blissful]

So, how is this?

 

[FrankZ]

Ermm.. I'll have two of those.. three of those.. and toss in a couple of them...

Fantastic!

 

[Dawgluver]

So, how is this?

Complete and total awesomeness.

 

[blissful]

Awwwwwweeeeeee------thanks stop by when you can
I think what stopped me from getting a beef or half a beef in the past was that I had no idea what I was getting into. Maybe this will help someone in the future (me too).

 

[Andy M.]

WOW! Organized, neat AND frost-free! Impressive.