First Time Buying A Half Cow?

Most of us are not familiar with the various sections of a carcass.  Nor are we aware of the different options in choices, thicknesses and types of cuts.  It can all seem overwhelming when you receive one of our cut pages and look at the long list of steaks, roasts and ribs that you can choose.

Many grass fed beef operations have a set cut page.  They do the guesswork for you on selection of cuts and then present you with the end results.  I take a different approach.  In my mind this is a major purchase for a family, and you will be living with this beef for at least six months.  I want you to be happy!

So, first thing.  After you have had a chance to look over the cut page (don’t freak out!), we - you and I - have a thirty minute consultation.  

I want to know if you have eaten grass fed before.  I want to know how you like to cook - grill, braise, roast, pan fry?  All of the above?  Then I want to know do you like rare, medium rare, medium or well done (please never the last!).  Now, that we’ve loosened up, we can move back to the cut page.  Given how you cook, and what your preferences are for done, we decide  how thick to do the steaks.  We can decide to swing toward more roasts or stew.  Want to braise?  Let’s talk red veal shanks!

It is useful to have someone walk through the process because while there is lots of beef on a half and I can work with you to match it closely to your needs and wants, there are always trade-offs.  Many roasts can be cut into steaks, chopped up for stew or ground up for hamburger.  However, when it comes to those lovely prime cuts - ribeye, tenderloin, t-bones, New York Strips - there are some limitations that I can’t control.  If you love bone in ribeye there are only 7.  I can’t make cattle grow more ribs!  If you love t-bones and tenderloin fillet, sorry it’s one or the other!  Tenderloin is on one side of the t-bone and strips are on the other.  If you love t-bones, you can’t have fillet.  

There are also some cuts that are wonderful, but no one ever thinks about.  Take Pikes Peak roast.  This is an old style cut that only select butcher shops still do.  It is a rich tasting, boneless pot roast full of flavor.  Or how about a neck roast.  Another cut that delivers on lots of meat and lots of taste.  I try to not only suggest cuts that would otherwise end up stripped and ground but that more fully utilize all the weight of the carcass.  And, yes, take all the bones you can get!  Grass fed beef bones make the best broths and soups.

By the time we finish, you should feel that this is your half.  And that is what I want.  It’s a big investment and it should make you happy.  Cut the way you want and meeting the needs of your family.  

There is no need to feel intimidated when it comes to buying a side of beef!  BCC makes sure of that!

-Pati Jacobs,
Owner & Rancher, Bastrop Cattle Company