Buy a 1/4 or a 1/2 or a Full Beef???

[Mesa_John]

Here's the question.... Who of you Carnivores would consider purchasing beef off a ranch, rather than out of a grocery store?

???

Last year the wife and I purchased 1/2 a beef from a local rancher.  It was processed nicely and it has taken us a year to eat it all up.  This year, due to us going Ketovore and eating so much more Beef, we opted to purchase a whole calf.  The Angus calf just went to the processor, is 16 months old and weighs 1,100 live weight.  It was completely milk/grass raised until the last 30 days, when it was given a diet of Meadow Hay and Cracked Corn, which will boost the fat content.  

After processing and paying for the calf, it will cost me $5.45 a lb for everything.  Yep, that is a lot of money up front, but everyone on this forum knows the cost of Beef at the store these days.  

Sam's Club Pricing this week.........

Tenderloin is $20 a lb

Ribeye is $15 lb

Sirloin is $10 a lb

Hamburger is $4.79 a lb for Organic, non-Antibiotic.

Oh... my Ranch raised steer is Organic, non-Antibiotic.... So check those prices at Whole Foods!!!!!!

Also, when you buy a beef and have a local processor kill and package your meat, you get to choose the cuts you want.  And you get to choose the fat percentage of your hamburger.  We opted for 85/15 for our hamburger.

Like I said, we have to pay north of $3,500 for a full beef, but there is two of us and that only amounts to about $150 a month per person for a year.  

And here is the BIG DEAL... We know how that calf was raised and fed and processed.

 

PS... the other cool thing is... you can request all of the big bones and you can make your own Bone Broth.

 

[Scott F.]

We are in this current discussion. My wife just did a 30 day carnivore stint and for now, it is just not her cup of tea. My son does it on and off and his wife is not interested. We live next door to one another and share a common freezer. 

We are looking into going in halves between the household for a 1/2 cow and then go from there. We did the math and ours worked out to be in the $5.70 a pound range. I am sure that is dependent upon location. 

I agree with all the points you made and I feel like we will be heading that way soon. 

Our two households are 3/4 non-carnivore but we go thru a boat load of red meat. 

Scott

[Skeptic]

In my opinion, anyone on the carnivore diet that has the means to do so should be buying their beef this way.  Its not about the quantity, its about the quality.  Store beef tastes and acts nothing like what we get back from our local butcher.  Cost savings is also huge, and not to be overlooked.

We have been raising beef at the farm for a lot of years now, and sadly the prices have skyrocketed over the last 5 or so.  Last year's rangy looking little feeder calves were going for $2.50 to $3.00/lb at the auction, so $5.45 a lb all done up nice for freezer camp isnt too bad from what Ive been seeing.

We put a whole beef in the freezer every fall now, and it doesnt last the year.  Gonna have to pony up and buy another upright unit (or a walk-in haha)

[Geezy]

It’s the second best way to go for sure. 
If you have the means then this is my preferred way. 

raising my own. 
It isn’t cheaper but I love doing it and I know exactly what’s in my meat. That goes for my lambs as well and my chickens and eggs. 
And you are absolutely correct about the custom processing. I get my burger 70/30. 
I keep all fat trimmings and suet that isn’t used in the burger so I can make tallow. Bones go to the dogs and bone broth. Steaks cut to preferred size. Heart, liver and kidneys kept. 
Raising your own or buying one and having it processed is the best, healthiest and cheapest way to eat. 

[Scott F.]

Sold.

 

Scott

[Mesa_John]

Geoff... all I see is Ribeyes!!!!    

Oh my goodness... beautiful pics.

[Mesa_John]

You know... back in the day (1960's) my family was cross breeding Bison with Domestic Cattle.   They claim the steaks were awesome. 

.....

[Geezy]

You know... back in the day (1960's) my family was cross breeding Bison with Domestic Cattle.   They claim the steaks were awesome. 
.....

Beefaloe.


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