No doubt about it this is a daunting task, especially for the newbie. There are lots of questions and we have assembled this page to give you the absolute best information possible. Butcher Cuts Explained is another great page to start to give you background information on the individual cuts, also what a typical order (cut) sheet looks like and how much space it will require. If you have more questions feel free to reach out! I want to make sure you get something that you will enjoy and use.

Breakdown of Types Beef:

• 25% Steaks
• 35% Roasts
• 40% Ground Beef

This is what a 1/4 cow beef order can look like:

**It is very important to remember that if you want just Ground Beef, Steaks, and a few Roasts you can get that. You do not have to buy stew beef, flank steak, short ribs, brisket, or anything you don't want. You do not have the ability to add additional steaks. So you can turn steaks and roast into more ground beef but not the other way around. ** 

This is based on a hypothetical animal and the actual weights may vary

• 40 lbs Ground Beef

• 3 lbs NY Strip Steak (about 4 steaks)

• 3 lbs Top Sirloin Steak (about 4-5 steaks)

• 4 lbs Rump Roast (2 roasts)

• 4 lbs Sirloin Tip Roast (1 roast)

• 2 lbs Flat Iron Steak (about 2-3 steaks)

• 1.5 lbs Filet (about 4-5 steaks)

• 4 lbs Stew Meat

• 5.5 lbs Short Ribs

• 4 lbs brisket

• 5 lbs Ribeye Steak (about 6 steaks)

• 4 lbs Kabob Meat

• 5.5 lbs Chuck Roast (2 roasts)

How Much Freezer Space? 

• A 1/2 beef needs about 8 cubic feet.

• A 1/4 beef needs about 4 cubic feet.

• You should plan for at least 16-17 cu.ft. freezer space for a whole beef

• A good rule of thumb is one cubic foot of freezer space for every 35 – 40 pounds of packaged meat. A quarter of beef will easily fit into a 5 -7 cubic foot chest freezer. A half beef needs about 8 cubic feet. You should plan for at least 16-17 cu.

More important Info:

• You are not charged per pound of take-home meat.

• You are charged per pound of hanging weight. The amount of take-home meat will vary depending on details like the breed, butcher process, how long it hangs, etc.

• Hanging weight is determined immediately after the animal is harvested—-and hung. After it is weighed, cows 'hang' for 14-28 days. This is an ideal range and it improves the taste and tenderness. This is also referred to as Dry Aging.

• Actual take-home meat will be 25-40% less than hanging weight. This is normal due to moisture loss during hanging, breed (ratio of meat to bone / non-meat,) and cartilage/bones/waste during the butchering process. Lots of math here simple answer is take home is less htan hanging weight.

• Your average price of take-home meat is calculated once final take-home meat is weighed, and that is divided by your initial quarter share payment. In the above scenario, This includes everything from the ground to roasts to tenderloin and Strip steaks.

• For the Bold, you have the option of requesting soup bones, dog bones, offal (oxtail, kidney, tongue, heart, tallow). Contact us directly for more information.

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