# Buying 1/2 a Beef?



## drstratton

Hi everyone! I hope this doesn't seem like a dumb question. I'm going to be purchasing a side of beef, I was wondering if I could get some information on how to place the order with the butcher?  I do know that we want the good cuts of beef cut into 1 1/2" steaks, we like ribs, but I would probably prefer to have steak, but some ribs would be nice.  I also want to order an 8 lb prime rib, for Christmas dinner. The rest roasts, steaks & hamburger.  I purchased a 1/4 beef many, many years ago, but don't remember how I placed the order. I just want to go to the butcher informed, I have no idea yet of the size of the beef we are getting.  I also want to have bones cut up for making bone broth. Thank you for your help!


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## firebob

I you google "ordering 1/2 a cow worksheet" you can read what different custom butchers have out there.  After that I would have a talk with your butcher.  A lot of times you have to ask for the bones as 90% of the people will not want them.


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## drstratton

firebob said:


> I you google "ordering 1/2 a cow worksheet" you can read what different custom butchers have out there.  After that I would have a talk with your butcher.  A lot of times you have to ask for the bones as 90% of the people will not want them.


Thank you! I did a search for ordering a  1/2 a beef yesterday and found 1 good page. I will add worksheet to it and see what else I get. Thank you again...I appreciate your time! 😊


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## Baymule

The back leg is where round steak comes from, have it tenderized if going for chicken fried steak. I always ask for the offal-heart, kidneys, liver and cook and can it for the dogs. You can cook and chop it up, put in containers and freeze it for your dogs. They will love it mixed with kibble.


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## drstratton

Baymule said:


> The back leg is where round steak comes from, have it tenderized if going for chicken fried steak. I always ask for the offal-heart, kidneys, liver and cook and can it for the dogs. You can cook and chop it up, put in containers and freeze it for your dogs. They will love it mixed with kibble.


Thank you that is good to know...we like chicken fried steak!  My son has dogs, a mom and her pup, so I will see if he wants to have that for them, I'm sure he will! She is 1/2 wolf and is the sweetest most beautiful dog I've ever seen, I'm sure she would love it, Milo would like it too! 💞


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## farmerjan

Every butcher is different so ask if the butcher where the beef is going to be worked up has a custom cut sheet.  Age and time of hanging is going to make some determination.  And yes, ask for every bone, scrap, odd stuff back.... and get the fat for making tallow or to just freeze and you can make suet for the birds..... plus if you hunt and get a deer, you can get some of the fat added to the venison to make it more juicy in like hamburgers. 
Also if you like stew meat or meat on the grill as shis-kabobs..... make sure you tell you wou would rather have more in stew meat and that it can be small pieces.  They will put alot in burger if you don't tell them that.  I like my stews with lots of meat and it doesn't have to be nice neat chunks.....


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## drstratton

farmerjan said:


> Every butcher is different so ask if the butcher where the beef is going to be worked up has a custom cut sheet.  Age and time of hanging is going to make some determination.  And yes, ask for every bone, scrap, odd stuff back.... and get the fat for making tallow or to just freeze and you can make suet for the birds..... plus if you hunt and get a deer, you can get some of the fat added to the venison to make it more juicy in like hamburgers.
> Also if you like stew meat or meat on the grill as shis-kabobs..... make sure you tell you wou would rather have more in stew meat and that it can be small pieces.  They will put alot in burger if you don't tell them that.  I like my stews with lots of meat and it doesn't have to be nice neat chunks.....


Thank you Jan!  I was thinking about asking for the fat...I use beef tallow for some of my cooking and it's so expensive to buy, would be great to render my own and to have some for suet (thank you)!  I was also thinking of stew meat, I like a lot of meat in my stew also!  I definitely don't want as much hamburger, I can always grind my own when I need it! I'm feeling better equipped, I just need to get the information from my friend about the butcher he uses!  The price is really good too, $4 a pound, including cut, wrap and butcher fee! Thank you again!


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## drstratton

I think my baby Buff roo is sick! I posted this in the health thread on backyard chickens, but I want to post it here too!

My 4 week old Buff Orpington Rooster, seems to be off of his feed this morning! Every day I feed my chicks a morning mash of chick starter soaked in warm water. This little guy is the one that is always there to greet me and hop in my hand! Today, he was totally disinterested. I left them for a bit and came back and he was still standing in the same place he was when I left. I also give them a clump of grass and dirt to scratch around in...just to let you know the routine! I brought him into the house with me and checked him over...his crop is soft and I'm really not sure about his tummy! I want to observe him to see if he is going to the bathroom. Is there anything else I should check. I have some homemade electrolytes for chicks, should I give him some of that or wait and just watch him for a bit. I will be so sad if anything happens to him, he's my favorite!😪


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## Jesusfreak101

Give him some yogurt incase of sour crop? But I would be more concerned with bowl movements at his age and when he goes (if) exam it for anything odd. Such as worms texture the whole nine yards.


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## drstratton

Jesusfreak101 said:


> Give him some yogurt incase of sour crop? But I would be more concerned with bowl movements at his age and when he goes (if) exam it for anything odd. Such as worms texture the whole nine yards.


Thank you! He's sitting in my lap and he hasn't gone to the bathroom yet, but I've been waiting for him to!  Should I use unsweetened Greek yogurt?  My son is in town, which never happens, so he is picking up some Corid & electrolytes...I will have him pick up some yogurt too! I made some homemade electrolytes from this recipe, but it's been hard getting it into him.

*Homemade Electrolyte Recipe for Chicks*

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons molasses OR 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon potassium chloride* (optional)


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## Jesusfreak101

Yes Greek  yogurt is the best for it however when out any yogurt better then non


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## Jesusfreak101

Only other thing I can think can help is apple cider vinegar might help as well


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## drstratton

Jesusfreak101 said:


> Only other thing I can think can help is apple cider vinegar might help as well


Thank you...my son is bringing home some yogurt and I have some ACV with the mother in it!


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## Jesusfreak101

Welcome


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## drstratton

I just realized that i posted about my sick chick in the wrong thread. I was quite distracted! Thank you again for the advice I received!


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## Jesusfreak101

No problem lol i was just curious about the info you got on the 1/2 beef so it happened that i saw your question and I have experience with chickens lol it's a God thing if you ask me


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## drstratton

Jesusfreak101 said:


> No problem lol i was just curious about the info you got on the 1/2 beef so it happened that i saw your question and I have experience with chickens lol it's a God thing if you ask me


I totally agree! God is good...all the time! 💞


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## Jesusfreak101

AMEN


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## Simpleterrier

Yep think of all the different cuts of beef u like and ask for it. I stay away from the premade packed hamburgers that they make. I always hand pack my own. This time I got hot dogs and beef sticks and the round steaks into jerky. Tell them u want all the steak cuts hanger mocktender tri tip skirt flank and others if u like steak better then burger. Ask for the hanger steak no matter what it is by far the best and least know cut of all. If I could only pick one cut of beef for the rest of my life it would be the hanger. Unbelievable taste and texture.


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## drstratton

Simpleterrier said:


> Yep think of all the different cuts of beef u like and ask for it. I stay away from the premade packed hamburgers that they make. I always hand pack my own. This time I got hot dogs and beef sticks and the round steaks into jerky. Tell them u want all the steak cuts hanger mocktender tri tip skirt flank and others if u like steak better then burger. Ask for the hanger steak no matter what it is by far the best and least know cut of all. If I could only pick one cut of beef for the rest of my life it would be the hanger. Unbelievable taste and texture.View attachment 72614


Thank you so much!  I actually looked up the hangar steak today..., thank you for confirming how good it is...I will definitely ask for it! We do prefer steak and I figure if I want hamburger I can grind it up myself! I'm slowly putting a list of what to order together!


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## Baymule

I had to look up the hanger steak too. I guess the picture is not a New York Strip, LOL.


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## drstratton

Baymule said:


> I had to look up the hanger steak too. I guess the picture is not a New York Strip, LOL.


Lol...I'm glad that I wasn't alone!


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## drstratton

I figured that I would go ahead and give an update on my chick...he made it through the night and actually ate some food this morning...praying he is over the hump! 💞


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## Ridgetop

Hopefully your butcher is a good one.  Where is he getting his beef from?  Is it local?  What grade does it cut?  You want to make sure that it hangs a long enough time and has good marbling.   Short hanging beef with poor marbling will not be tender.  

We just ordered a beef half from our butcher.  When I called him to bring in the locker lambs he said he was really busy because these local steers were coming in.  $1.78 on the hoof.  Very large Angus steers, cutting prime or choice. Price comes out around $4/lb.  Kent vouched for them and he knows his quality.  The grower is excellent with beef.  Otherwise I don't usually buy a half steer anymore.  I actually prefer lamb and goat.

Usually the butcher will cut and package custom to instructions.  I have it packed for number of people eating every night.  If I want a large cut for family holiday dinners (16 or more) I tell Kent how many people will be eating it.  A good butcher knows the yield of what he is cutting.  

*Simpleterrier *and *Farmerjan:   *My mother used to buy what she called "hanging tender" years ago when it was an inexpensive cut but beautifully flavorful and tender.  I think she said it is the meat hanging under the steers neck.  Is that right?

Also, if you want the innards and bones for your dogs, ask up front and the butcher will save them for you.  He has to pay to dispose of that stuff so is happy to give it to you to take away.  Offal is the part predators eat first.  The intestinal contents of getting vegetable vitamins.  LOL  Your wolf dog should love the offal served to it raw.  The Eskimos prefer wolf dogs for their lead sled dogs I understand. 

Here is a good story for you BYHers who have all met similar people.  Years ago, when we had a lot of dairy goats, I got a call from a woman who wanted to buy goat milk.  At the time milk sales were only legal for animal consumption unless you had a grade A dairy (see Babsbag's  struggles).  After telling her this, the woman said she wanted it for her sick wolf.  She had a wolf she had somehow managed to buy without a permit for wildlife.  She loved her wolf but in spite of her special diet for him, his hair was falling and he was lethargic.  The vet didn't know what was wrong with him and she thought goats' milk might work.  When I talked to her abut this she said she was feeding him boiled wild rice and vegetables.  *NO MEAT!*    Apparently, meat was carcinogenic.
She had done no reading about wolves or their diets, although "she loved them passionately".  She was feeding this organic and vegetarian diet because it was healthier!  I sold her the goat milk and gave her some organ meats (we had just received our annual fair meat (half steer, 1 hog, 3 lambs, 2 goats, numerous rabbits, and our freezers were full.  I also referred her to the local wildlife rescue organization.  She was irate at them because they had told her she had no business having a wolf.       I could see why!  I also referred her to some excellent books and studies on wolves, none of which she had read or heard of before acquiring her poor wolf.

Next she wanted to know how to cook the organ meats so thy would be "safe".  She wanted to boil them for an hour to kill any cancer causing pathogens!  I told her absolutely *not* to cook them but to feed raw. Then she decided she could soak the meat in food grade alcohol for an hour to make it safe. After half hour explaining why she should not do that, I told her that the wolf would be dead of old age before it contracted cancer from raw meat. Finally, she agreed to feed the raw organ meat to the wolf. After a week eating the raw organ meats, the wolf was better, and his hair was growing back. By now she was giving me 2x daily updates on his progress.  
She confided her ambition was to buy an acre or so with a little house in the middle of the country where she could *let her wolf run free.  *  *!!!!!  *I told her that someone would shoot it if she did that. She was horrified and asked why anyone would do such a horrid thing to her sweet wolf. I told her that I would certainly shoot any wolf I caught running free through my pastures! I asked her what she expected from ranchers whose livestock would be at risk from a wolf raised in captivity who had not learned to kill wild prey came after thf would do what was natural to it and kill or mutilate livestock.   She stopped calling after that. 

Oh yeah, she was a vegan and card carrying member of PETA.  This is why I frown on trouble making organizations whose members do not do their homework about wildlife, livestock, farming practices, and woodland understory maintenance!  Of course, people that know about those things do not join PETA.


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## MoreAU

drstratton said:


> including cut, wrap and butcher fee!



I'll suggest that if you can, get vacuum packing instead of butcher's wrap. They'll keep longer in a deep freeze without freezer burn.

I also found my butcher was very helpful in deciding how to get it done up. I just let them know this was my first time (or 1st few times) and asked their opinion. One thing I didn't know to tell them was how old the beef was and that was a mistake. I have steaks still in my freezer for over 10 years now that are too tough to eat because I didn't know that an old bull should be made into hamburger.

On the bones, one other lesson I learned was the difference between dog bones & soup bones. Soup bones will fit in a stock pot. 

Good luck with it!


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## drstratton

Ridgetop said:


> Hopefully your butcher is a good one.  Where is he getting his beef from?  Is it local?  What grade does it cut?  You want to make sure that it hangs a long enough time and has good marbling.   Short hanging beef with poor marbling will not be tender.
> 
> We just ordered a beef half from our butcher.  When I called him to bring in the locker lambs he said he was really busy because these local steers were coming in.  $1.78 on the hoof.  Very large Angus steers, cutting prime or choice. Price comes out around $4/lb.  Kent vouched for them and he knows his quality.  The grower is excellent with beef.  Otherwise I don't usually buy a half steer anymore.  I actually prefer lamb and goat.
> 
> Usually the butcher will cut and package custom to instructions.  I have it packed for number of people eating every night.  If I want a large cut for family holiday dinners (16 or more) I tell Kent how many people will be eating it.  A good butcher knows the yield of what he is cutting.
> 
> *Simpleterrier *and *Farmerjan:   *My mother used to buy what she called "hanging tender" years ago when it was an inexpensive cut but beautifully flavorful and tender.  I think she said it is the meat hanging under the steers neck.  Is that right?
> 
> Also, if you want the innards and bones for your dogs, ask up front and the butcher will save them for you.  He has to pay to dispose of that stuff so is happy to give it to you to take away.  Offal is the part predators eat first.  The intestinal contents of getting vegetable vitamins.  LOL  Your wolf dog should love the offal served to it raw.  The Eskimos prefer wolf dogs for their lead sled dogs I understand.
> 
> Here is a good story for you BYHers who have all met similar people.  Years ago, when we had a lot of dairy goats, I got a call from a woman who wanted to buy goat milk.  At the time milk sales were only legal for animal consumption unless you had a grade A dairy (see Babsbag's  struggles).  After telling her this, the woman said she wanted it for her sick wolf.  She had a wolf she had somehow managed to buy without a permit for wildlife.  She loved her wolf but in spite of her special diet for him, his hair was falling and he was lethargic.  The vet didn't know what was wrong with him and she thought goats' milk might work.  When I talked to her abut this she said she was feeding him boiled wild rice and vegetables.  *NO MEAT!*    Apparently, meat was carcinogenic.
> She had done no reading about wolves or their diets, although "she loved them passionately".  She was feeding this organic and vegetarian diet because it was healthier!  I sold her the goat milk and gave her some organ meats (we had just received our annual fair meat (half steer, 1 hog, 3 lambs, 2 goats, numerous rabbits, and our freezers were full.  I also referred her to the local wildlife rescue organization.  She was irate at them because they had told her she had no business having a wolf.       I could see why!  I also referred her to some excellent books and studies on wolves, none of which she had read or heard of before acquiring her poor wolf.
> 
> Next she wanted to know how to cook the organ meats so thy would be "safe".  She wanted to boil them for an hour to kill any cancer causing pathogens!  I told her absolutely *not* to cook them but to feed raw. Then she decided she could soak the meat in food grade alcohol for an hour to make it safe. After half hour explaining why she should not do that, I told her that the wolf would be dead of old age before it contracted cancer from raw meat. Finally, she agreed to feed the raw organ meat to the wolf. After a week eating the raw organ meats, the wolf was better, and his hair was growing back. By now she was giving me 2x daily updates on his progress.
> She confided her ambition was to buy an acre or so with a little house in the middle of the country where she could *let her wolf run free.  *  *!!!!!  *I told her that someone would shoot it if she did that. She was horrified and asked why anyone would do such a horrid thing to her sweet wolf. I told her that I would certainly shoot any wolf I caught running free through my pastures! I asked her what she expected from ranchers whose livestock would be at risk from a wolf raised in captivity who had not learned to kill wild prey came after thf would do what was natural to it and kill or mutilate livestock. She stopped calling after that.
> 
> Oh yeah, she was a vegan and card carrying member of PETA.  This is why I frown on trouble making organizations whose members do not do their homework about wildlife, livestock, farming practices, and woodland understory maintenance!  Of course, people that know about those things do not join PETA.


I'm getting my 1/2 of beef from a good friend!  Thank you for all of the info!

Some people definitely have no business raising a wolf and as sweet as my sons dog is...she won't hurt a kitten, in fact absolutely loves them, but she will go after fowl & goats!  My son got her as a rescue...if he had gotten her as a puppy, he might have been able to train her not to go after the above mentioned animals, but I can't say that for sure either and as to a purebred wolf...I don't think you could keep them from going after livestock!


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## Ridgetop

One of my cousins had a couple wolf crosses too.  They were very sweet.  And like I said they are very prized among the northern people who considered the wolf blood gave the dogs extra stamina and brains.  The wolf pack would kill a dog so the Eskimos (Innuits)  used to tie a bitch in heat out where one of the unmated males in a pack would come across her,  After the honeymoon the owner would collect his bitch and the wolf would return smiling to the pack.  Only the alpha male and female produce pups in a pack.  They mate for life.  However, there are always additional adult males and females in a pack as well that do not mate.  These adults help in the hunt and also babysit the pups.  Single adult male "uncles" were not adverse to play around outside the pack structure.  These days with snowmobiles there is not as much need for sled dogs so I don't know if this still goes on.  You are right, impossible to kill genetic heredity in a species without generations of human selective breeding.


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## drstratton

MoreAU said:


> I'll suggest that if you can, get vacuum packing instead of butcher's wrap. They'll keep longer in a deep freeze without freezer burn.
> 
> I also found my butcher was very helpful in deciding how to get it done up. I just let them know this was my first time (or 1st few times) and asked their opinion. One thing I didn't know to tell them was how old the beef was and that was a mistake. I have steaks still in my freezer for over 10 years now that are too tough to eat because I didn't know that an old bull should be made into hamburger.
> 
> On the bones, one other lesson I learned was the difference between dog bones & soup bones. Soup bones will fit in a stock pot.
> 
> Good luck with it!


Thank you so much for the info!  The beef I'm getting is a young one at prime butchering stage!  

I will be asking for soup bones, hoping to get them cut 1-2" preferably 1"!  I'm also asking for the fat that is cut off, I plan on rendering it for my own tallow!  I don't use Polyunsaturated oils (to much processing), they are so bad for you!


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## drstratton

Ridgetop said:


> One of my cousins had a couple wolf crosses too.  They were very sweet.  And like I said they are very prized among the northern people who considered the wolf blood gave the dogs extra stamina and brains.  The wolf pack would kill a dog so the Eskimos (Innuits)  used to tie a bitch in heat out where one of the unmated males in a pack would come across her,  After the honeymoon the owner would collect his bitch and the wolf would return smiling to the pack.  Only the alpha male and female produce pups in a pack.  They mate for life.  However, there are always additional adult males and females in a pack as well that do not mate.  These adults help in the hunt and also babysit the pups.  Single adult male "uncles" were not adverse to play around outside the pack structure.  These days with snowmobiles there is not as much need for sled dogs so I don't know if this still goes on.  You are right, impossible to kill genetic heredity in a species without generations of human selective breeding.


I believe it's true...Edon is extremely smart, she's also quite stubborn!


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## Ridgetop

I use olive oil for everything.  Suet is good to have, and of course, lard makes the best pie crust.  It is getting hard to find lard these days.  Everyone is afraid of fat.


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## drstratton

Ridgetop said:


> I use olive oil for everything.  Suet is good to have, and of course, lard makes the best pie crust.  It is getting hard to find lard these days.  Everyone is afraid of fat.



I use olive oil too, I just don't like to use it if I'm cooking at a higher temperature. I also use Avocado oil (stands up to high temp  better than Olive oil), bacon grease, tallow and lard! Tallow is expensive, so I'm excited to make my own. It's hard to find lard that isn't hydrogenated. We are raising 2 pigs, I will also be rendering the fat from those for the lard! I think more info is making it into the mainstream that fat has been demonized based on false information!


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## Ridgetop

Absolutely!!!  There was a big push against butter in the 40's.  Butter was scarce during the war.  Like beef it was rationed to provide the most for the troops.  Oleomargarine was produced and used due to the scarcity of butter.  After the war it was  advertised as being cheaper and better than butter.  Later butter was vilified as bad for you and types of margarine were supposedly healthier and lower in calories.  Then a study came out proving that butter was nutritious, the same calorie count, and not bad for you  By then everyone in our generation had been raised on margarine and a lot of people don't even realize you can eat butter like margarine!  Amazing what marketing can do.  LOL  Butter is still more expensive if you use a lot, but it has a better flavor, and is not anymore fattening.   I certainly never bake with margarine.


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## drstratton

Ridgetop said:


> Absolutely!!!  There was a big push against butter in the 40's.  Butter was scarce during the war.  Like beef it was rationed to provide the most for the troops.  Oleomargarine was produced and used due to the scarcity of butter.  After the war it was  advertised as being cheaper and better than butter.  Later butter was vilified as bad for you and types of margarine were supposedly healthier and lower in calories.  Then a study came out proving that butter was nutritious, the same calorie count, and not bad for you  By then everyone in our generation had been raised on margarine and a lot of people don't even realize you can eat butter like margarine!  Amazing what marketing can do.  LOL  Butter is still more expensive if you use a lot, but it has a better flavor, and is not anymore fattening.   I certainly never bake with margarine.


Yep, I never use margarine now! I grew up using butter, but when I got married my husband was used to margarine and it was cheaper, it was a hard switch and one that I'm sorry I made, knowing what I know now!


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## Ridgetop

I have been considering returning to butter when DS2 and FDIL move out.  Or when DH and I move out.  LOL  I will try it when we go on our next trailer trip with just the two of us.  Won't be too expensive then.


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## bethh

Ridgetop said:


> Hopefully your butcher is a good one.  Where is he getting his beef from?  Is it local?  What grade does it cut?  You want to make sure that it hangs a long enough time and has good marbling.   Short hanging beef with poor marbling will not be tender.
> 
> We just ordered a beef half from our butcher.  When I called him to bring in the locker lambs he said he was really busy because these local steers were coming in.  $1.78 on the hoof.  Very large Angus steers, cutting prime or choice. Price comes out around $4/lb.  Kent vouched for them and he knows his quality.  The grower is excellent with beef.  Otherwise I don't usually buy a half steer anymore.  I actually prefer lamb and goat.
> 
> Usually the butcher will cut and package custom to instructions.  I have it packed for number of people eating every night.  If I want a large cut for family holiday dinners (16 or more) I tell Kent how many people will be eating it.  A good butcher knows the yield of what he is cutting.
> 
> *Simpleterrier *and *Farmerjan:   *My mother used to buy what she called "hanging tender" years ago when it was an inexpensive cut but beautifully flavorful and tender.  I think she said it is the meat hanging under the steers neck.  Is that right?
> 
> Also, if you want the innards and bones for your dogs, ask up front and the butcher will save them for you.  He has to pay to dispose of that stuff so is happy to give it to you to take away.  Offal is the part predators eat first.  The intestinal contents of getting vegetable vitamins.  LOL  Your wolf dog should love the offal served to it raw.  The Eskimos prefer wolf dogs for their lead sled dogs I understand.
> 
> Here is a good story for you BYHers who have all met similar people.  Years ago, when we had a lot of dairy goats, I got a call from a woman who wanted to buy goat milk.  At the time milk sales were only legal for animal consumption unless you had a grade A dairy (see Babsbag's  struggles).  After telling her this, the woman said she wanted it for her sick wolf.  She had a wolf she had somehow managed to buy without a permit for wildlife.  She loved her wolf but in spite of her special diet for him, his hair was falling and he was lethargic.  The vet didn't know what was wrong with him and she thought goats' milk might work.  When I talked to her abut this she said she was feeding him boiled wild rice and vegetables.  *NO MEAT!*    Apparently, meat was carcinogenic.
> She had done no reading about wolves or their diets, although "she loved them passionately".  She was feeding this organic and vegetarian diet because it was healthier!  I sold her the goat milk and gave her some organ meats (we had just received our annual fair meat (half steer, 1 hog, 3 lambs, 2 goats, numerous rabbits, and our freezers were full.  I also referred her to the local wildlife rescue organization.  She was irate at them because they had told her she had no business having a wolf.       I could see why!  I also referred her to some excellent books and studies on wolves, none of which she had read or heard of before acquiring her poor wolf.
> 
> Next she wanted to know how to cook the organ meats so thy would be "safe".  She wanted to boil them for an hour to kill any cancer causing pathogens!  I told her absolutely *not* to cook them but to feed raw. Then she decided she could soak the meat in food grade alcohol for an hour to make it safe. After half hour explaining why she should not do that, I told her that the wolf would be dead of old age before it contracted cancer from raw meat. Finally, she agreed to feed the raw organ meat to the wolf. After a week eating the raw organ meats, the wolf was better, and his hair was growing back. By now she was giving me 2x daily updates on his progress.
> She confided her ambition was to buy an acre or so with a little house in the middle of the country where she could *let her wolf run free.  *  *!!!!!  *I told her that someone would shoot it if she did that. She was horrified and asked why anyone would do such a horrid thing to her sweet wolf. I told her that I would certainly shoot any wolf I caught running free through my pastures! I asked her what she expected from ranchers whose livestock would be at risk from a wolf raised in captivity who had not learned to kill wild prey came after thf would do what was natural to it and kill or mutilate livestock.   She stopped calling after that.
> 
> Oh yeah, she was a vegan and card carrying member of PETA.  This is why I frown on trouble making organizations whose members do not do their homework about wildlife, livestock, farming practices, and woodland understory maintenance!  Of course, people that know about those things do not join PETA.


Oh my, owned a wolf and a member of PETA.


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## Baymule

I rendered lard from our hogs. I love using lard. I committed the offense of having leg of lamb cut into round steaks, deboned and tenderized so I could chicken fry it. I fried some last night in lard, dang that is good stuff! I have a fantastic recipe for pie crust that uses lard and REAL butter, it is the best! We have two feeder pigs now, one is pre-sold. When we take them to slaughter, I keep the fat, the butcher grinds it up.The cracklin's are delicious. ​  I also keep the offal and can it for the dogs, they love it mixed with their kibble. 

We bought a calf this week. When the pigs go to slaughter, we'll get the calf and raise it over the winter. I'm going to keep the fat from it too. 






						LARD
					

I rendered l rendered lard for the first time yesterday. This is a thread for us to discuss lard, rendering it, canning it and using it in cooking. @frustratedearthmother  @Britesea  @Mini Horses  @NH Homesteader and anyone else please add your experience to the thread!   So yesterday I took out...



					www.sufficientself.com


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## drstratton

Ridgetop said:


> I have been considering returning to butter when DS2 and FDIL move out.  Or when DH and I move out.  LOL  I will try it when we go on our next trailer trip with just the two of us.  Won't be too expensive then.


Once you do, you'll never go back!


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## Baymule

I quit using margarine years ago.


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## drstratton

Baymule said:


> I rendered lard from our hogs. I love using lard. I committed the offense of having leg of lamb cut into round steaks, deboned and tenderized so I could chicken fry it. I fried some last night in lard, dang that is good stuff! I have a fantastic recipe for pie crust that uses lard and REAL butter, it is the best! We have two feeder pigs now, one is pre-sold. When we take them to slaughter, I keep the fat, the butcher grinds it up.
> The cracklin's are delicious.
> I also keep the offal and can it for the dogs, they love it mixed with their kibble.
> 
> We bought a calf this week. When the pigs go to slaughter, we'll get the calf and raise it over the winter. I'm going to keep the fat from it too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LARD
> 
> 
> I rendered l rendered lard for the first time yesterday. This is a thread for us to discuss lard, rendering it, canning it and using it in cooking. @frustratedearthmother  @Britesea  @Mini Horses  @NH Homesteader and anyone else please add your experience to the thread!   So yesterday I took out...
> 
> 
> 
> www.sufficientself.com


Thank you for the link...looks like I have another group to join!!!  

Do you find that it works better to have it ground up?


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## drstratton

Baymule said:


> I quit using margarine years ago.


So did I!


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## farmerjan

I haven't used margarine in so long I can't remember the last time I even bought it.  My mom only had margarine in the fridge for one cookie recipe , and it still tastes better made with margarine, but she always used butter for the family for eating etc.  We did use Crisco, and there are some things that the smoothness of Crisco seems to work better. But for the most part, I grew up using butter and continued.  Then, I got even more adamant about butter for cooking and most everything when I started milking cows for a living, and then when I became a milk tester;  I am not going to work in one industry, and NOT support it.  I don't like the taste of margarine, it has an oily feel to it that I find off putting.  I used lard for things when I could find it, and still prefer it for alot of things done in the fry pan even though I don't eat alot of "fried food" ,  but things like eggs and such are better in lard if there is no bacon grease around. 

My definition of margarine..... "glorified penzoil"  .  One other thing that few if any people have ever taken into consideration..... soybeans are phytoestrogen..... there are some studies about how it can overcome the testosterone.... but women should be careful about soy and estrogen like effects.    

Ever wonder why there are so many males that seem so effeminate?????  All these soy based drinks and food...... 

Soybeans are the basis of margarine......


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## drstratton

farmerjan said:


> I haven't used margarine in so long I can't remember the last time I even bought it.  My mom only had margarine in the fridge for one cookie recipe , and it still tastes better made with margarine, but she always used butter for the family for eating etc.  We did use Crisco, and there are some things that the smoothness of Crisco seems to work better. But for the most part, I grew up using butter and continued.  Then, I got even more adamant about butter for cooking and most everything when I started milking cows for a living, and then when I became a milk tester;  I am not going to work in one industry, and NOT support it.  I don't like the taste of margarine, it has an oily feel to it that I find off putting.  I used lard for things when I could find it, and still prefer it for alot of things done in the fry pan even though I don't eat alot of "fried food" ,  but things like eggs and such are better in lard if there is no bacon grease around.
> 
> My definition of margarine..... "glorified penzoil"  .  One other thing that few if any people have ever taken into consideration..... soybeans are phytoestrogen..... there are some studies about how it can overcome the testosterone.... but women should be careful about soy and estrogen like effects.
> 
> Ever wonder why there are so many males that seem so effeminate?????  All these soy based drinks and food......
> 
> Soybeans are the basis of margarine......


Yes, your question about the males, that's something I've been saying for years!!! Stay away from soy products! The only time I allow myself to have soy is if we go out for Chinese food or Sushi!  I use coconut aminos at home in place of soy sauce!


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## WyoLiving

I try to avoid soy as much as possible, but I am not sure I can give up my soy sauce on rice.  I dn't use much when I use soy sauce, so hopefully that helps protect me.


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## drstratton

WyoLiving said:


> I try to avoid soy as much as possible, but I am not sure I can give up my soy sauce on rice.  I dn't use much when I use soy sauce, so hopefully that helps protect me.


You should try the Coconut Aminos...it's really not a bad substitute and so much better for you!


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## farmerjan

A little soy will not hurt.  Unless you are a woman who is battling cancer where increase estrogen will be a major disaster... but what I am talking about is the soy that is being used in so many products.... think of all the "soy milk" that people use, all the soy that is substituted for so much.  Soybeans are not all bad.... it is like everything else..... we seem to go way overboard every time we "get on board" with some new product.   All this "low fat" craze, has used so much soy as base for some stuff..... and now people are finally realizing that fat is not so bad..... real food is not so bad...... and we have to start looking at and realizing that we need to eat REAL FOOD. 

And when people get on the kick of vegetarian, vegan, and such..... and use things like soy as substitutes without realizing that there will be consequences for that.

I don't think that using a little soy sauce is the end of the world..... do you use it by the pint or qt ?????


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## WyoLiving

I use it by the tablespoon, lol.  I am a breast cancer survivor and have avoided soy as much as possible (except a couple tablespoons of soy sauce a month) for years. Even before the cancer.

I bought coconut oil but absolutely hate it.


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## drstratton

WyoLiving said:


> I use it by the tablespoon, lol.  I am a breast cancer survivor and have avoided soy as much as possible (except a couple tablespoons of soy sauce a month) for years. Even before the cancer.
> 
> I bought coconut oil but absolutely hate it.


Congratulations! 💞  My mother is a 2 time cancer survivor and my youngest son is also a cancer survivor!  Watching him go through his treatments was the hardest thing I've ever had to do!
I don't like coconut oil either, although I do use it for some things...Coconut Amino's are different!


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## farmerjan

If you don't like coconut oil, say for cooking, try avocado oil.  I really like the taste of it because it is so mild, and it will withstand higher temps for cooking/frying.  Maybe it can be used in place of coconut oil in mixing stuff?

Bless you both;  both for being a survivor, @WyoLiving ;  and for being a part of your family surviving @drstratton .  I have seen what it has done to some friends,  but not as close as having an immediate family member battle it.


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## drstratton

farmerjan said:


> If you don't like coconut oil, say for cooking, try avocado oil.  I really like the taste of it because it is so mild, and it will withstand higher temps for cooking/frying.  Maybe it can be used in place of coconut oil in mixing stuff?
> 
> Bless you both;  both for being a survivor, @WyoLiving ;  and for being a part of your family surviving @drstratton .  I have seen what it has done to some friends,  but not as close as having an immediate family member battle it.


Thank you @farmerjan! 💞


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## WyoLiving

Thank you, everyone.  I was lucky and was diagnosed at Stage 1a.  My older sister is also a breast cancer survivor, but didn't get diagnosed until she was stage 3.  I have some guilt that I was diagnosed so early and she went through so much more than I had to.  It doesn't make sense why I feel guilty, but that is part of who I am I guess.  Just so glad that God decided to leave her here with us so she gets to see and love on her grand children.


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## WyoLiving

Sorry to take this thread on a 180.  

I hope to talk DH into getting a 1/2 beef this fall.  I might be successful if I don't get a deer this year...
There are always ads on craigs list for beef cattle for sale.


I am trying to clean out our chest freezer.  It is full to the top and I know some of the stuff on the bottom moved out to Wyoming with us in 2006 and then back to Wisconsin in 2014.   

I have slowly been pulling old, freezer burned meats out and canning them for the pooches as meal toppers.  So far they have had beef and chicken ground together with beef broth; and chicken and carrots ground together and canned in chicken broth.  Next will be the Tuna and Salmon that DH never wanted to have for supper - those make me mad because I really love seafood - but they are so badly freezer burned that I can't eat them.


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## drstratton

WyoLiving said:


> Thank you, everyone.  I was lucky and was diagnosed at Stage 1a.  My older sister is also a breast cancer survivor, but didn't get diagnosed until she was stage 3.  I have some guilt that I was diagnosed so early and she went through so much more than I had to.  It doesn't make sense why I feel guilty, but that is part of who I am I guess.  Just so glad that God decided to leave her here with us so she gets to see and love on her grand children.


Praise God she is still here with you and I'm sure that she's so happy that you didn't have to go through what she did and is just thankful that you are both still here! 💞


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## drstratton

WyoLiving said:


> Sorry to take this thread on a 180.
> 
> I hope to talk DH into getting a 1/2 beef this fall.  I might be successful if I don't get a deer this year...
> There are always ads on craigs list for beef cattle for sale.
> 
> 
> I am trying to clean out our chest freezer.  It is full to the top and I know some of the stuff on the bottom moved out to Wyoming with us in 2006 and then back to Wisconsin in 2014.
> 
> I have slowly been pulling old, freezer burned meats out and canning them for the pooches as meal toppers.  So far they have had beef and chicken ground together with beef broth; and chicken and carrots ground together and canned in chicken broth.  Next will be the Tuna and Salmon that DH never wanted to have for supper - those make me mad because I really love seafood - but they are so badly freezer burned that I can't eat them.


I'm the thread starter and I didn't mind the 180...it's nice to be able to support each other!💞

That's why I never wanted a chest freezer, I know me and I'm not organized enough to use one properly...I have a hard enough time with an upright...lol! The beef we are buying will be stored at my sons house and we will bring some home for us as we need it, it is also for our daughter and her husband to have!  We are talking about buying a 2nd upright freezer as we will be slaughtering 2 hogs in the fall.  These are also for our whole family to have!


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## farmerjan

Chest freezers are a pain for some things, great for bigger bulky things like big turkeys..... I put things in cardboard boxes in both the chest and uprights to make it easier to find and move.  Less chance of the packages getting caught and tiny holes in the vacuum packages in the cardboard boxes too.  Plus when they get messed up, use for mulch and get another to use.  I also find that I like the uprights because you are less likely to "pile stuff" in the top and then not go into them or check them as often.  2 uprights will hold more than a chest that takes up the same amount of floor space too. And you can put stuff on the top for storage all according to how high the roof/ceiling is above them.  I have one chest still operational and will replace it with an upright after it goes bad.  They do make great feed storage that the danged varmints can't get into.   And since they are "squared off" actually use the space better than a few round garbage cans.  There are places for all sorts of  storage containers.  The defunct freezers are hard to move around though so cans are easier for that.


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## WyoLiving

We prefer the chest freezer because it holds more and is more energy efficient - especially when full.  It it is also a better option for areas that loose power often - they will hold the food frozen longer and are more forgiving if you have to open it to get something out.  A friend of mine keeps his chest freezer full by making a layer of milk jugs on the bottom with ice in them - they are great for target shooting and create a nice ice pack for when the power goes out.  Which is a problem in his area.
My problem began with the move out to Wyoming, DH started to throw stuff in the freezer and I could never get on top of the problem.

Cardboard boxes sound like a good idea.  We had used milk crates, but they eventully got broken and never replaced.
I was also thinking about making some bags with handles - tan for chicken, pink for pork, green for fruits and veg and red for beef/venison.  I am short enough that I can't reach the bottom 8" of the chest freezer, so bags with handles would be helpful.


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## farmerjan

Agree with the more energy efficient for the chest freezer, and the holding the cold etc..... 
I never thought about bags with handles..... I have some plastic bags that have handles that would be workable for that. Not too big so that,  not too hard to lift.   Good idea for small stuff... but I will still go with the smaller stuff in cardboard boxes, even on the shelves in the uprights.  Just easier for me to keep up with stuff.  I can pack the shelves pretty full in the upright if the stuff is in cardboard boxes so as to use all the space.  If you just pack stuff in an upright, you cannot use all the space very well I know.


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## Baymule

I have clear plastic tubs in both my upright freezers. Organized and easy to keep up with.


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## drstratton

Baymule said:


> I have clear plastic tubs in both my upright freezers. Organized and easy to keep up with.


I need to do this...I like being able to see what I have!


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## farmerjan

The biggest difference in the plastic tubs to the cardboard boxes is that the tubs are tapered for stacking and the cardboard boxes are straight so not as much lost space.  You can see through the tubs though and can not see through the boxes.


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## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> The biggest difference in the plastic tubs to the cardboard boxes is that the tubs are tapered for stacking and the cardboard boxes are straight so not as much lost space.  You can see through the tubs though and can not see through the boxes.


Good point. There is a space between the tubs, so I stick small stuff in there.


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## shuvasishphotography

Great Information


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