I picked up my side of beef a couple weeks ago and made a video of the cuts. The butcher skins the steer and removes the organs, head, and feet and then weighs a side. They charge the per-pound fee based on hanging weight. My side weighed 330 pounds. After cutting and packaging, the usable portion was 245 pounds. The rest was waste.
Below the video are a couple pictures of the herd from which my steer was selected. These are Piedmontese cattle, known for their lean meat rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Unlike their grain-eating counterparts, these cattle lived a life of leisure, free from predation and fed year round from the grasses and hay that grew on this land. They consumed no grain, which is given to cattle to fatten them and provide the marbling that we’ve been convinced is so desirable. They received no antibiotics or vaccinations, because they never needed them. They had only one bad day in their lives. (Well, perhaps the steers had two bad days, if you get my meaning.)
Anybody hungry? Dinner’s on me! Here’s what half a cow looks like:
Additional reading:
Shopping Local Farms for Pasture-raised Lamb, Pork, Beef, Poultry, and Eggs
Illegal Federal Raids on Food Co-ops Should Make Us All Ill
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You’re going to be happy, I know – and I hope you didn’t let the butcher throw away those organs…
Pasture-raised really does make a difference. Omega-3 content is as much if not more dependent on the animals’ being pastured as what breed they are. Take your Piedmontese and raise it on grain instead of grass (feedlot or free range, it’s the grain that makes the difference in this respect) and the Omega 3/6 ratios will start creeping right back up in the wrong direction.
Hi, Courtney. Thanks for posting.
I was able to get the organs. I couldn’t handle the liver. Yuck! I ate some of the kidneys and a little heart. The tongue was absolutely delicious. I’ll try liver again after I’ve clean up my palate a bit.
Yes, grass-fed beef is higher in omega 3s than grain-fed, but Piedmontese are higher in omega-3 than other pastured beef, perhaps because they’re from Italy. I’ve read that animals from hotter climates have more omega 3s than those from colder climates.
But given the benefits of animal fats, I don’t know that I would choose such a lean beast again.
My husband and I are real blessed in that we have a cattle rancher in the family who pasture raises all his beef and gives us all the meat we can use. I haven’t bought beef in years lol, and the quality is heads above anything you can get in a grocery store. We also get goat meat from him from time to time which is kind of different but good. I think you will really enjoy all that beef! Don’t toss that liver though, it makes for some good kitty treats!