We are taking a fat heifer to the locker in the morning. I want flank, and skit steaks. Oxtail, and the kidneys saved. Maybe shins as well.

The heifer should weigh, say 1300 to 1400 pounds. The steaks should be cut say 3/4 thick.

How would you have the beef cut?

I'd tell the meat cutter what I want to cook and let him do his thing.

.75 inch steaks?


Thats criminal!


I like good steaks cut to 1.5 inches.


The crappers can be cut to 1 inch.


2 pound packages of burger, 4-6 pound roasts.


Save the tail, heart and tongue.


We save a brisket once in a while too. They cut them in half though....which I dont like.


Save the ribs as well.



Wife likes the flat irons.

Brisket! How could I forget?

Steaks 1.25” and two to a pack. I’ll take T bones over a bunch of filet.
Ribs split between English and flanken style, half of each style, please.
Don’t grind too much, I like cube/Swiss steak, stew meat, and soup/neck/shank bones with some meat on them.
Ground lean and 1.5#’s to a pack. 4-5 pound roasts.

Too big, roasts, cube steak and burger imo

Jim's list,
plus the liver.

WAT? No Tri-Tip roasts?


Sorry just had to toss that in there from the left coast.

I'da thought old farm boys like you woulda butchered and cut your own!

I used to love processing meat (Beef, Pork or Moose) for old farmers—they always knew exactly what they wanted.

A 3/4" thick steak isn't my baseline preference either, but they are fine for a quick pan sear.

But Richard gets twice as many that way !

Haha! Yeah.


Richard and I are opposites I guess.


I like a thick steak.....and a paper thin pork chop.

Coated in seasoned Zatarain's fish fry and deep fried. Yum!

Jeeze......that sounds terrible good!


Zatarain's fish fry you say??


Gonna look for some of that.

Whatever you do, don't trim the fat from the outer edge of the chop. The crispy fried fat is great.

Depends on how much fat it has.
Have you ever seen a 400+# hog cut up.

From a whole beef to pork chops, in a blink of an eye, the good ol' 'fire.

What about all the beef fat? Especially the good stuff around the liver. Are any of you saving it to render and use later?

Just a thought as I was trimming up a fat cap on a roast im gonna throw in the oven later. I started saving all the beef fat trimming and maybe by the end of the month I'll do a rendering.

^^^^^ THIS IS A PRO ^^^^^

You cut it off the roast?

Depends on the cut and how its gonna be cooked.

High roller.....

As to those 3/4" steaks, a couple years ago, Paul, and Deb had me convinced the T-bones weren't all bad.

Richard....what in the heck would an Australian know about good beef?

They will gladly brush the flies off a fevered up water buff and dig right in........

I love a T Bone. I'll take it over a rib eye.

Roasts are the cuts I utilize the least. I prepare steaks, groundmeat, stew meat, then the smaller braising or grilling cuts the most.

Ground is usually hamburgers or meatloaf. Stew meat in chili/soup/stews. Small braising cuts like thick cut ribs or shanks/neck bones are great in the crock. Thin cut flanken style ribs are great marinated and grilled.

About three weeks until this years steers get hung. Hope they are as good as last years. Was beyond pleased with the beef from our first foray into bovine husbandry.

Ow Big Jim, them sound much like fightin' words to me. Nothin wrong with a thick steak.

Word....

Costco carries that garbage.....

Or spider steaks?

We could of had the whole brisket, we took them cut into. A full brisket is a lot of meat. we can still cook both,

A whole packer is just half right?

Poor Jim....

LOL, seeing as how I get them from Safeway.

Who buys them from Costco.......(probably).

Agreed. Cut your steaks less than 1.5" and use them for breakfast steaks of beef stroganoff.

Agreed. Cut your steaks less than 1.5" and use them for breakfast steaks or beef stroganoff.

Yep, they were eminently edible !! Great flavour too !






Truff dat, my lil' Kiwi buddy !!

Want some vegemite ?

Thickness of steak, beans in chili, will the 'fire ever change?

Not if I cook my beans and meat in a Teflon pot!

What the hell is wrong with you ?

Here it is just back from the locker. The heifer weighted a thousand pounds hanging on the rail.
$414. 05 bill for half. We should be able to eat well for some time.

Hope you got the good half Richard !

Half plus the liver, plus ox tail, kidneys, and I plum forgot about neck bones.