The first few questions you may ask are how much does it cost and how much am I getting?
Cost – The short answer, roughly $1,000. Most often how it works is, you will pay the farmer for the steer, then pay the butcher for the processing. This is where we are different, we take care of everything. Our price includes the cost of our steer and your processing. Our price is $5.50/lb on the hanging weight. That means you only pay for the actual meat, not the hide or all that other stuff we prefer not to think about. An average hanging weight for a quarter of one of our steers is 175-200 lbs. Multiply that by $5.50/lb and you come out around $962-$1100. We do have to charge 1% sales tax but that is it, no surprises, it’s simply based on what that steer actually weighs. We do ask for a $200 deposit at the time of ordering, with the remainder due at pickup, which is usually 3-4 weeks but I’ll talk more about that later.
How much meat – Remember that 175-200 lbs we talked about earlier? That’s close, there is some loss from cutting and deboning, trimming fat and etc. So the take home weight will be +/- 25% less, so you might lose 45 lbs or so.
What cuts do I get, and do I get steaks? – Absolutely! This is where I walk you through your cutting instructions. We will discuss how thick you want your steaks, how many pounds you want your roasts, etc. But don’t worry if you aren’t sure! I will tell you what the norms are and can even make recommendations based on what you and your family’s preferences are. If there is something you don’t really want or a cut you think you won’t cook, we can always have it made into extra ground beef or sometimes other options are available, depending on what it is. Now, you get to choose whether you want a front quarter or a hind quarter. This is a good representation of what each of those will include, again, sometimes there can be variations made.
Front Quarter – 14-18 Ribeye Steaks 7-10 Chuck Roasts 3 Arm Roast
Beef Short Ribs Brisket Stew Meat
Soup Bones Minute (cube) Steaks Heart/Tongue
30-40 lbs Ground Beef (Patties too!)
Hind Quarter - 14-18 T-Bone Steaks 2-4 Porterhouse Steaks 6-8 Sirloin Stk
2 Rump Roasts 8-10 Round Steaks Stew Meat
Soup Bones 30-40 lbs Ground Beef Liver/Tail
(Patties too!)
Freezer Space – One of our quarter beef will fit in about 7-9 cubic feet of freezer space. That’s not a lot. One of the small chest freezers will hold it.
How long will it last? – That depends on how much you cook, it will last quite a while though, unless you have a few teenage boys, then you may want to consider ordering a half beef lol. Your beef will stay fresh in the freezer for 12-18 months.
How long does it take – We butcher year round, so you don’t have to wait until Spring or Fall. From the time you order, usually 3-4 weeks. I will call you when it comes in to let you know the hanging weight, remaining balance and schedule your pickup. We typically do pickups Thursday – Saturday. You can bring coolers if you like but it is not necessary. Your beef will come in large cardboard boxes and be totally frozen. It should be fine for transport unless its super-hot outside and you are driving a long distance. **This is for local pickup only, we can’t ship bulk beef orders.
That’s it! It really is that easy. If you have any additional questions please feel free to give me a call at 618-499-3917 or send me an email at heartlandbeef@gmail.com.
If you are ready to order, simply click the button below to pay your deposit and I will call you for cutting instructions.
Would you like Lori’s Top 5 Tips for your Most Flavorful Beef?
