06/06/2023
Buying Beef by the Quarter or Half
Buying a quarter of beef is a bit of a milestone. It marks a point where you change the way you think about meat. You see, when you are buying by the cut, you don't have to take into account the way animals are built, only the prices of individual cuts. When you buy by the quarter you realize why some cuts are pricier than others, and why some are hard to find. Oxtail is dear because there's only one per animal. There's a very real limit on how much of a beef can even be made into steak. On the other hand, if its all the same price, you'll find that you can try things you may not otherwise have been able to get. If ground beef is your go-to, you might jump at a chance to get a little steak in your quarter, or try making bone broth since the bones cost you nothing extra. Here are a few things you should know before buying beef by the quarter.
Most people buy in the fall.
This means that if you want it in the fall, then you need to order well ahead, because these slots fill up fast. I'm unaware of any real reason besides fall being when folks would historically butcher a beef, to avoid feeding it over winter. A great way to get around the bottleneck is to buy yours in the spring or summer, before everything fills up. We tend to schedule our animals earlier, to avoid the bottleneck at the butcher, since their slots fill up early for the same reason.
Price is by the pound, but its HANGING weight.
This is while it is still on the rail, so it includes the fat and bones that are removed when the beef is cut up and packaged. Standard "take home" weight is on average 65-70% of your hanging weight (depending on the individual animal and how you get it cut), so take that into account when you figure out your cost.
Extras are free!
You already paid for the whole hanging quarter, so why not keep what you can? Those bones were part of your hanging weight, and they will just get tossed if you don't take them. Make some bone broth and they won't go to waste. If that's not your thing, get them and give them to a friend who has dogs, or donate them to a shelter. Same thing with extra fat, there isn't a lot on ours, but suet still makes great winter bird treats if you won't use it any other way. Heart, liver, tail, tongue, kidneys, these are all things that may be available. They are usually given to the first person to ask, since they are limited to one or two per animal, and if you are one of those who like them, be that first person, because not everyone does. You've already paid for those things, you might as well get the most out of it ;-)
Be sure there are no hidden costs.
That cheaper beef might seem too good to be true, and it may very well be! I have known too many people (my own parents among them!) who found out too late that the butcher needed paid too, and it wasn't included in the price. Some farmers charge a flat rate for their beef and cover the butchering costs themselves (like we do). Others sell cheaper and saddle the customer with the processing fees, which add up really fast. Know what you are paying for before you order!
Know your choices.
Some butchers have set cuts they do, and only those. Others cut to order. Most charge extra for special things like hot dogs or bologna, some charge for stew meat and patties too. Some pledge that you will get the beef you paid for, not someone else's. Others don't. Some will vacuum wrap, which helps protect your meat from freezer burn and makes it last longer. Others only do paper wrap. We choose our butchers carefully, to make sure you have no issues and get the beef we raised for you.
Know your Quarters.
Most beef quarters are sold as a front or back quarter. This is essentially a division just behind the rib cage.
The front quarter is generally cheaper, but its got more bones, and since it's a hanging weight price you get less actual meat per hanging pound. The front is also mostly "chuck", muscles that are well used, and need long slow cooking to turn out well. This is bad news if you like steak (the front only has ribeye) , but great if you are a fan of stew or pot roast.
Back quarters bring the steak, but you won't really get pot roasts, and ground round gets almost too lean on a pastured beef without the well marbled chuck to balance it. You also miss out on the ribeye steak and short ribs. These are usually pricier too, due to a higher meat to bone ratio.
A split-side quarter, our standard choice, gives you the best of both worlds. Its an actual half of a half, evenly dividing both the front and back quarters for a good balanced meat to bone ratio and full access to all of the cuts. Both quarters in the half need to have their prime steaks the same way (bone-in or boneless) but since that's the only downside its by far the best choice for most people. We used to offer front and back quarters, but switched over when we realized that disappointment was a common side effect. Split-side fixed that :-)
Know what you want. For those who want an idea of what is involved, look for our our "Average Cuts in an Average Quarter" post. Hopefully this will help you figure out what cuts to order and realistic expectations of what you will receive.
- Marion, for The Shepherd's Market
