Anyone ever bought half a pig or cow locally?

[kps0001]

I am looking into buying a half a hog and half a cow from some local places. This whole "pink slime" thing has me really freaked out. I was just wondering if anyone has done this here and what you thought. The grass fed, hormone free cows are pretty costly but well worth it if you ask me. I found the Pork Shop down in Queen Creek has a pretty good price on a half hog but I don't know much about how their hogs are raised yet.

 

[Jersey Girl]

You could also check into some of the farmers markets in the area if you don't want to go hog wild on purchasing half a pig or cow. There are a few different organic farmers that raise grass-fed cows and pigs.

 

[DutchmanAZ]

The Pork Shop in Queen Creek is excellent. I've purchased from them before (up to and including a half hog) and the quality was fantastic. I think they bring the hogs in from Iowa IIRC.

 

[schutd]

No reason to buy locally if the animal wasnt raised locally. Most butchers these days are "boxed beef" types. Meaning they buy meat already broken into primals and then cryovac sealed to keep them fresh longer. The butchers only cut the larger primals into cuts for their cases. If you get to actually see a half hog or steer hanging in their shop. most likely the animal is local. On the bone beef and pork, not cut or wrapped spoils quickly once it starts getting moved around.

I urge you to look into local and humane farmers. Then, if local fails, look up Prater meats in SF (not sure if they ship, but my friend is a partner and I can vouch for not only the quality of meat, but the manner of animal husbandry they require from their farmers.

Next up are my friends at heritage foods usa. Ive used their pork for years in the restaurants, and its amazing. They have excellent goats and lamb as well, and seasonally offer game and birds, as well as beef. That will have to travel to get to you, but again, I can vouch for the quality, and trust my friend when he tells me of their husbandry standards, as Ive never visited the farms.

Also, look up American Grassfed beef americangrassfed.org. Ive met those farmers and some chefs I trust explicity here in NY use their product.

Finally the folks at animalwelfareapproved.org are an excellent resource for understanding the difference between industrial "farming" and dealing with the issues of todays indistrialized food chain.

Welcome!!!!

 

[ozzfloyd]

Also check out Painted Cave Cattle in Aravapia AZ. Not just beef!
www.paintedcavecattle.com

 

[NMCard]

Can you go to your local county fairs (4h/vo-ag) and buy whole hogs or steers that did not make it to the sale floor? Could be a good way to help a youth with the cost of raising the animal.

We raise a couple of steers and 4-5 hogs every year. We split between 3 families and share the cost. We also have elk, deer and oryx in the freezer most years. Inflation is killing the feed prices.

 

[Rivercard]

No reason to buy locally if the animal wasnt raised locally. Most butchers these days are "boxed beef" types. Meaning they buy meat already broken into primals and then cryovac sealed to keep them fresh longer. The butchers only cut the larger primals into cuts for their cases. If you get to actually see a half hog or steer hanging in their shop. most likely the animal is local. On the bone beef and pork, not cut or wrapped spoils quickly once it starts getting moved around.

I urge you to look into local and humane farmers. Then, if local fails, look up Prater meats in SF (not sure if they ship, but my friend is a partner and I can vouch for not only the quality of meat, but the manner of animal husbandry they require from their farmers.

Next up are my friends at heritage foods usa. Ive used their pork for years in the restaurants, and its amazing. They have excellent goats and lamb as well, and seasonally offer game and birds, as well as beef. That will have to travel to get to you, but again, I can vouch for the quality, and trust my friend when he tells me of their husbandry standards, as Ive never visited the farms.

Also, look up American Grassfed beef americangrassfed.org. Ive met those farmers and some chefs I trust explicity here in NY use their product.

Finally the folks at animalwelfareapproved.org are an excellent resource for understanding the difference between industrial "farming" and dealing with the issues of todays indistrialized food chain.

Welcome!!!!

I hope I get to eat at your restaurant someday.

 

[schutd]

I hope I get to eat at your restaurant someday.

me too! My Mexican place closed back in 10. I am working at a butcher shop in the city. http://www.dicksonsfarmstand.com

 

[D-Dogg]

We split a half steer with my father-in-law and are awaiting our delivery in a week. I researched local ranches quite a bit, and finally settled on this one:

http://www.jhgrassfed.com/

Good price and good recommendations, plus their ranch areas are very close to our home. You can visit them too. They were very responsive to email queries, and put customer service high on their agenda.

I'll let you know how it goes once we get our meat delivered.

 

[schutd]

Well done! How is it shipped? What do they grind? What do they cut for steaks? Tie any roasts for you? Frozen? Cryovac'ed?

 

[D-Dogg]

Well done! How is it shipped? What do they grind? What do they cut for steaks? Tie any roasts for you? Frozen? Cryovac'ed?

I'll update when it's received. Here's a list of a similar order that they gave me as an example:

Item	Description	Wt. Lbs
1	Cross Rib Steak	0.99
2	Cross Rib Steak	1.95
3	Cross Rib Steak	1.32
4	Cross Rib Steak	1.56
5	Cross Rib Steak	2.06
6	Cross Rib Roast	1.92
7	Chuck Roast	3.37
8	Chuck Roast	3.63
9	Chuck Roast	3.57
10	Chuck Roast	3.81
11	Chuck Roast	2.76
12	Chuck Roast	3.30
13	Chuck Roast	2.51
14	Chuck Roast	3.49
15	Rib Steak	1.66
16	Rib Steak	1.63
17	Rib Steak	1.50
18	Rib Steak	1.83
19	Rib Steak	1.79
20	Rib Steak	1.74
21	Sirloin Tip Steak	2.16
22	Sirloin Tip Steak	2.22
23	Sirloin Tip Steak	1.33
24	Sirloin Tip Steak	1.15
25	Sirloin Tip Steak	1.32
26	Brisket	3.29
27	Brisket	3.20
28	Skirt Steak	0.62
29	Skirt Steak	0.59
30	Skirt Steak	0.41
31	Skirt Steak	0.45
32	Skirt Steak	0.31
33	Skirt Steak	0.43
34	Tri Tip	2.24
35	Tri Tip	2.54
36	New York Steak	1.26
37	New York Steak	1.14
38	New York Steak	1.30
39	Sirloin Steak	1.78
40	Sirloin Steak	2.23
41	Sirloin Steak	1.03
42	Sirloin Steak	2.09
43	Bottom Round Roast	3.46
44	Bottom Round Roast	3.55
45	London Broil	1.83
46	London Broil	2.35
47	London Broil	2.84
48	London Broil	2.01
49	Tenderloin	1.19
50	Tenderloin	0.95
51	Short Ribs	2.14
52	Short Ribs	2.78
53	Short Ribs	2.25
54	Short Ribs	2.25
55	Short Ribs	1.46
56	Short Ribs	1.55
57	Short Ribs	2.10
58	Flank Steak	0.68
59	Flank Steak	1.26
60	Ground Beef 1.5 Bulk	75.00
61	(50 Pk @ 1.5 lb)	 
62	Ground Beef Patties	0.00
63	(10 Pk @ 2.0 lb)	 
64	Soup/Neck Bones	1.66
65	Soup/Neck Bones	1.49
66	Beef for Stew	1.50
67	Beef for Stew	1.50
68	Beef for Stew	1.50
69	Beef for Stew	1.50
70	Beef for Stew	1.50
71	Beef for Stew	1.50
72	Porterhouse Steak	2.18
73	Porterhouse Steak	1.97
74	Porterhouse Steak	1.82
75	Porterhouse Steak	2.10
76	Eye of Round Roast	2.01
77	Eye of Round Roast	1.60

They seal with plastic, then paper and freeze. They can cryovac but it costs a bit more.

I'm getting this at around $6.55 per pound across the board.

 

[kps0001]

We split a half steer with my father-in-law and are awaiting our delivery in a week. I researched local ranches quite a bit, and finally settled on this one:

http://www.jhgrassfed.com/

Good price and good recommendations, plus their ranch areas are very close to our home. You can visit them too. They were very responsive to email queries, and put customer service high on their agenda.

I'll let you know how it goes once we get our meat delivered.

Please do. I was leaning towards JH as well.

 

[schutd]

Look at that list, folks. Keep in mind that an entire half steer has about 2.5 - 3 # of skirt steak. Total. Whole animal people.

That looks like a good breakdown, and the price is pretty damn awesome considering you'd pay 3 to 4 times that for just the "middle meat", rib steaks and such.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Yep - it is pretty neat

although I don't have $1,300 laying around for beef - let alone the freezer space to store 200lbs of it ....... would definitely be more than a years supply for us, which would give me pause to have it in the freezer that long

 

[D-Dogg]

Yep - it is pretty neat

although I don't have $1,300 laying around for beef - let alone the freezer space to store 200lbs of it ....... would definitely be more than a years supply for us, which would give me pause to have it in the freezer that long

That's why we're splitting the order with the father-in-law. A half is a lot. I think JH also offers quarters, though.

 

[schutd]

If you go that route, definitely pay the extra for the cryo-vac service. Meat will hold well for a year when vacuume packed. No air, no ice crystalization, no freezer burn. Its not the best thing in the world, but the negative are well mitigated by the positives of going whole.

 

[D-Dogg]

Haven't cooked any yet, but it was delivered this morning. Individually wrapped in plastic, then paper and labeled. It was delivered frozen in four boxes. Takes up two shelves and the big drawer on the bottom of our 14cubic foot freezer.

Here's the cut list:

Number	Cut	Pounds
5	cross rib roast	7
6	chuck roast	23.1
4	sirloin tip steak	3.53
1	rib roast	4.32
4	rib steak	6.61
1	Sirloin tip roast	3.16
2	brisket	8.89
3	new york steak	4.04
1	tri tip roast	2.18
1	tbone steak	1.9
2	porterhouse steak	4.46
7	sirloin steak	8.69
2	round steak	1.55
2	eye of round	3.84
4	london broil	8.12
2	tenderloin	1.64
3	skirt steak	2.05
7	short ribs	16.57
4	stew meat	6.06
41	ground beef	61.5
2	bottom round roast	6.24
4	shanks	9.06
1	flank steak	1.3
2	neckbones (soup)	3.85
111		199.66

 

[schutd]

Any plans for the harder stuff? Shanks? eye of round? Have a second fridge where you could brine some cuts for a week or so?

 

[D-Dogg]

Any plans for the harder stuff? Shanks? eye of round? Have a second fridge where you could brine some cuts for a week or so?

Found an emeril recipe for the shanks we are going to try - braised garlic and something shanks.

We have room in our fridge where we could brine some cuts...any suggestions? I'm all for them.

One thing we've noticed is the texture of the ground beef is great. We also had a chuck roast and it was delicious, but for some of the tough ones we are very interested in creative ways to cook 'em.

 

[schutd]

Too many people grind their beef too fine. Texture is everything. Did they offer any clue as to the beef/fat ratio? Im an 80/20 lover myself.

Chucks got great flavor, but can be harder to cook as a roast. Well done.

I was thinking you should take that eye round and make a bresaola. The recipe from Mark Ruhlmans book "Charcuterie" is awesome, simple, and can be found adapted on line with a google search. Hell, if it spoils or doesnt come out good, tis better to have tried and failed, than tried to eat a cooked eye of round!

Beef shank is delicious. Beefy, and all the connective collegen makes for a rich sauce from the braising liquid. Theres always osso buco as well. Did you get any marrow bones? That would have been icing on the cake, but I bet they arent allowed to send bones. Very perishable...

Lets talk more. Im into this. This forum is dead!

 

[schutd]

Definitely brine the brisket and then braise for corned beef!

 

[D-Dogg]

Too many people grind their beef too fine. Texture is everything. Did they offer any clue as to the beef/fat ratio? Im an 80/20 lover myself.

they said it is 85-90

Chucks got great flavor, but can be harder to cook as a roast. Well done.

We had a long, long day of cooking it, but it was tender as hell when done, fell off the bone (yes, bones in...awesome for the gravy afterward, very flavorful).

I was thinking you should take that eye round and make a bresaola. The recipe from Mark Ruhlmans book "Charcuterie" is awesome, simple, and can be found adapted on line with a google search. Hell, if it spoils or doesnt come out good, tis better to have tried and failed, than tried to eat a cooked eye of round!

Sounds like a plan! We will definitely look that one up...

Beef shank is delicious. Beefy, and all the connective collegen makes for a rich sauce from the braising liquid. Theres always osso buco as well.

I know almost nothing about beef shank...but since we have a bunch of it, I want to get something awesome from it. I'm way open for ideas and recipes for that. What I've heard is that if you cook it for a long while, you get some really, really beefy liquid because of the marrow in the bone. Looking forward to that.

Did you get any marrow bones? That would have been icing on the cake, but I bet they arent allowed to send bones. Very perishable...

Only bones I think we got were neckbones, which I'm planning to use for some soups, minestrone and the like. Maybe some stock as well. But no marrow bones.

 

[BigRedRage]

<H1>Quarters

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$6.85 per pound, this package contains mixed meats with premium cuts from the entire beef, approximately 75-100 lbs of meat.
Final package cost will be calculated based on the actual weight of the meat delivered to you. We collect a $250.00 deposit online. A JH Grass Fed representative will contact you to finalize your order and arrange for delivery. Delivery within the greater Phoenix area is provided free of charge. Arrangements for delivery outside of Phoenix will be made when you are contacted.

</H1>6.85 a lb is pretty steep...

 

[D-Dogg]

</H1>6.85 a lb is pretty steep...

Not for grass-fed. A lb of organic or grassfed ground beef at the supermarket will fetch you the same price or more. Here you're also getting porterhouses and other premium cuts for that same price. But more importantly to me, sure we could get sales and get better prices overall, but grass-fed is more healthy, lower caloried and supports local ranchers who are producing in a sustatinable manner - that makes all the difference for me personally.

BTW, we did the half and split it, for 6.55 per pound, saving a little bit, since my father in law wanted a quarter steer as well. We cowpooled.

 

[BigRedRage]

Not for grass-fed. A lb of organic or grassfed ground beef at the supermarket will fetch you the same price or more. Here you're also getting porterhouses and other premium cuts for that same price. But more importantly to me, sure we could get sales and get better prices overall, but grass-fed is more healthy, lower caloried and supports local ranchers who are producing in a sustatinable manner - that makes all the difference for me personally.

BTW, we did the half and split it, for 6.55 per pound, saving a little bit, since my father in law wanted a quarter steer as well. We cowpooled.

I agree 100% and have been looking into this for some time. But for example - Ground beef at fresh and easy (no filler, corn syrup, blah blah) is $2.50 a lb. If F&E uses no crap, preservatives or etc, the only difference is diet, no?