Buying Beef/Pig

[Dock Boy]

Hello All, I don't post much in this forum, but do enjoy reading and using some of your great recipes. I don't know much about buying beef or whole pigs, but is it worth it? Does it save enough money to make it worth it? I haven't purchased any yet, but would like to with in the next month. What would be a good price per pound. Any advice would be great I know nothing about it. Thanks for your time!

[Snowking]

I just paid 175.00 for a 300 pound pig before thanksgiving. We do all the butchering and have Osseo meats do the bacon and hams. Cost 27.00 for the bacons smoked, cut and wrapped. Didn't have any ham done this year because I made it into brats. Lasts me all year. So for me it's a good deal. I found not tell you how much it would if a butcher did it.

[hockeybc69]

Is that hanging weight(gutted)? Live weight?

I can never remember how it all works.

[BLACKJACK]

I bought a quarter beef this fall from the local butcher, paid $2.49 a pound, that was hanging weight, after the guts and skin were off, that also included processing down into the white packages. Sometimes people will sell them as hanging weight and then you have to pay for the processing. Remember you will also lose some pounds during the cutting up, the big bones and trim.

We actually bought 'half of a half', that way you get some of the front quarter cuts and some of the hind quarter cuts.

Nice thing about ordering a quarter is you get quality beef from a local farm, and you can have it cut up and packaged the way you want, you tell them you want 1 inch steaks, 4 pound roasts, hamburger patties or 1 pound burger packages, etc. Think about how you like to cook, some of the cuts like chuck can either be made into roasts or steaks. Personally I like the roasts, nothing easier to make on a Sat afternoon than a roast with some baked potatoes. And I get plenty of steaks anyway with the T-bones, sirloins, and rib steaks.

The whole quarter was not cheap, we dropped $500, but we ended up with two big coolers of meat that will last us well into next year. But next time you wander thru the meat case and look at the prices - $6.99+ a pound for steak - I paid $2.49 a pound, you can't hardly buy good burger for that.

You also have to plan ahead on your meals, you need to take your packages out several days in advance to thaw out, I've already got a roast thawing out for Sunday.

Good luck.

[delcecchi]

To be technical you didn't pay 2.49 due to the cutting losses. Graded beef has a "yield grade" as well that you can ask for.

But 2.49 still seems like a good deal even with the cutting loss. Even burger costs like 3.50 these days.

[fishhuntwork]

I just butchered a cow and processed it myself. I was lucky my buddies father in law has a farm and a pretty sweet set up for butchering which included a band saw and a heavy duty grinder. I payed $1300 for the whole animal that included all my steaks, roasts and lots of hamburger. I also have a half of a pig coming in the next few days, that costed me $150.

[lispeej]

When you guys butcher it yourself, what do you guys do with the heart,liver,and entrails?

[fishhuntwork]

The heart, liver and tongue I give to the farmer. Everything else gets thrown away.

[Snowking]

That was live weight on my pig. We let the kids play with all the gut and then it go's to the back of the property for the coyotes. And they make quick work of them

[lispeej]

The heart, liver and tongue I give to the farmer. Everything else gets thrown away.

Good man.

[graingrower]

I sell butcher steers private treaty on a weekly basis; current market price for me is $2.00 lb hanging weight. Processing fees vary according to the amount of grinding and sausage making. A straight cut/wrap/freeze job runs approx 46 cents and also varies by processor. Most clients have the heart put in the hamburger, the liver is fought over by the purchaser of either half, and the tongue is gifted to thankful old ladies. As an approximation, 62% of live weight hangs, and anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 of that actually comes home to the freezer depending on cutting instructions. If you have the freezer space, it is far cheaper than buying the same cuts over the counter.

[delcecchi]

half of the live weight or half of the hanging weight?

[LindellProStaf]

We buy half a hog around Thanksgiving each year. I just call the and have the butcher find me a large one. This year it was only $0.59 lb live weight. Then I pay the butcher. I think it ended up at about $1.89 lb including bacon, ham, and breakfast sausage. You can do whatever you like and the butcher will write it down so you can do it the same every year or you can tweek the butchering as you like. Fun to have all that pork in the freezer and it is quality meat..... I still buy some at the store when it is a real good sale price.

[smurfy]

doesnt anyone take the taloow.........suet for the birds????????? they dont exactly give that stuff away in the stores anymore!!!