@kayb and @donk79 thank you so much!
23 hours ago, kayb said:
A lot depends on your farmer. I’ve been buying from the same farmer for 6-7 years, so they work with me very well.
I prefer less ground beef and more stew meat.
I prefer fewer steaks and more roasts.
I’ll take all the soup bones and other bony cuts (tails, shanks) I can get.
I don’t want any organ meat.
Farmer meets these preferences by trading around amongst different lots of beef. Some of my steaks go to someone else, and I get some of their roasts. Ditto ground beef/stew meat. Ditto bony cuts/organ meat.
Last year’s quarter steer dressed out only about 55 pounds. This year’s was 85. My daughter will wind up with a lot of my ground beef. I also have a copious quantity of round steaks, destined fro Rouladen or braciole.
I did not realize that round steaks could be used for Rouladen or braciole. I have not cooked either but have fond memories of the Rouladen my Omas used to make. I'll definitely see if I can get some round steaks from this cow. Hopefully my husband will like rouladen too (he tends to like steaks much more than braised beef).
On 4/4/2022 at 9:49 AM, donk79 said:I need to spend some more time on their website before responding, which in and of itself is really impressive! Warrenton is home territory for me, and while I am not surprised to find this farm there, I was not aware of it. On first reaction, their general recommendations are great. Bone-in, avoid grinding... So different than what you could find 20 years ago.
I'll get back to you with more, but a really important question is what will you cook? Not just what do you want to cook, but also what do you have time and resources to cook. For example I have a second half of a pork butt in the freezer that has been waiting 6 months for me to get around to. I hate to think how long it would take me to use a half steer!
I have been buying meats and eggs from the Whiffletree Farm store for a few years. Nice people and good products. Since you are nearby, I definitely recommend that you visit them.
Yes, I want to minimize the amount of ground beef and maximize the steaks. I will not be going thru a half steer -- I am splitting the half steer with a friend. Not sure how long it will take us to get thru a quarter steer but we're going to find out. Also hoping that my friend and I will be in agreement about how to have the cow processed (or at least come to some good trades and compromises). The grocery store meat prices keep going up and if we're going to keep eating beef, I would prefer to lock in the price for a year (or so) and to support a local farm.
