Let's face it: meat at the grocery store can be pricey. And then you feel like you've got to cook up those cuts of meat quickly before they go bad and you waste that money. Have you ever heard of buying half a cow from a farm or ranch instead? The process might actually be cheaper in the end, and you get lots of different possible forms of beef to choose from.
How Do You Buy Half a Cow?
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Honestly, the main thing you have to do to buy half a cow is to contact a farmer, rancher, or butcher, potentially somewhere like a farmer's market, to see if it's a service they offer or if they know someone who will sell half a cow's worth of cuts of beef to you. Also, make sure you have a chest freezer or otherwise have a LOT of freezer space for when you need to pick up the meat — you'll get approximately 220 pounds of beef from the order, according to Clover Meadows Beef. Woah!
What Cuts of Meat Do You Get When Buying Half a Cow?
There are lots of cuts of beef you can get from buying half a cow. Steaks such as tenderloin (filet mignon), sirloin steaks, ribeye steaks, strip steaks, skirt, and flank are a few of the options. Others include brisket, roasts such as chuck roasts, sirloin, and arm, ground beef, short ribs, stew meat, kabob meat, soup bones, and even organ meat are also possibilities.
One of the best things about buying half a cow is you can be sure if it's grass-fed beef when you get it. You can also ask for custom cuts, and support a local farmer instead of a big business.
Can You Buy Other Sizes?
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Yes! In addition to half beef cow, some farmers or ranchers will sell a quarter of a cow or a whole cow, or other options by pounds of meat. If you know you will only use a quarter beef cow, go with that option instead of half a cow.
If this is your first time considering buying half a cow, do your research, then contact local farmers or butchers and see how you and your family can get started!
