My son in law is rancher. I just put 250 lbs of beef in my freezer Nd inTe that much at least last year. So 10 percent of that is 25 lbs of meat a year. Joe assumes we only eat 40 lbs of beef a year.
As stated there are a lot of variables. Last one I sold it ended up being in the $4.25/lb neighbor hood for the customer after buying the steer from me and after their butcher fees. Pricey for burger and dirt cheap for steaks!
I haven’t bought meat in a store for 15 years or better. These clowns can make whatever “rules” they want. I’m not playing. Beef, deer, and pork all in my freezer and all done myself. Beef gets packaged by a butcher, everything else I do at home.
Get good knives and buy the "primals" (primal cuts). Very good knives for not a lot of money is the Victorinox Fibrox line. I am also very partial to the "Wenger Swibo" knifes. You will need a "Curved Rigid Blade" and a "Boning Knife", for starters.
Learn to sharpen your own knives. A "Work Sharp" is a good start.
Get a freezer. Get butcher paper and/or a vacuum sealer.
Learn Charcuterie/Salumi practices to make your meat go even further.
Shoot for grass fed grass finished as the ideal, for beef. For pork, shoot for "heritage" breeds that were not fed soy and were allowed to walk around in the dirt. For poultry, look for "pastured". You want chickens that scratched the dirt and ate bugs.
And learn to shoot a rifle and a shotgun, and get a hunting license and go get the meat yourself.
The reward of these activities are:
You will have done something good for you and your family.
You will not be a slave waiting to be thrown this week's slop.
You will have learned a real skill. A skill that is a step towards being a more independent person.
You will actually have helped the Earth. You and the Farmer work together for mutual benefit. And all of the "Middle Men" are starved. HOORAY.
Excellent!
Good knives are essential. I struggle with keeping a fine edge, but it takes a lot of practice.
I’m fortunate that I know a person who grew up butchering with his father. Last year we had a Memorial Day hog butcher party and he brought all the big boy equipment. Several families filled their freezers that day. God bless rural America.
Your point about heritage hogs is spot on. Dirt raised heritage hogs are 100x better eating than concrete raised.
I raise grass beef finished with corn for marbling, free range flock of chickens, hunt deer, vegetable garden and can it, and buddy down the road grows dirt raised hogs. I’m a very fortunate person in these aspects.
My son in law is rancher. I just put 250 lbs of beef in my freezer Nd inTe that much at least last year. So 10 percent of that is 25 lbs of meat a year. Joe assumes we only eat 40 lbs of beef a year.
How much does it end up costing per pound of edible meat when you buy a half or quarter cow?
As stated there are a lot of variables. Last one I sold it ended up being in the $4.25/lb neighbor hood for the customer after buying the steer from me and after their butcher fees. Pricey for burger and dirt cheap for steaks!
I haven’t bought meat in a store for 15 years or better. These clowns can make whatever “rules” they want. I’m not playing. Beef, deer, and pork all in my freezer and all done myself. Beef gets packaged by a butcher, everything else I do at home.
THIS.
Get good knives and buy the "primals" (primal cuts). Very good knives for not a lot of money is the Victorinox Fibrox line. I am also very partial to the "Wenger Swibo" knifes. You will need a "Curved Rigid Blade" and a "Boning Knife", for starters.
Learn to sharpen your own knives. A "Work Sharp" is a good start.
Get a freezer. Get butcher paper and/or a vacuum sealer.
Learn Charcuterie/Salumi practices to make your meat go even further.
Shoot for grass fed grass finished as the ideal, for beef. For pork, shoot for "heritage" breeds that were not fed soy and were allowed to walk around in the dirt. For poultry, look for "pastured". You want chickens that scratched the dirt and ate bugs.
And learn to shoot a rifle and a shotgun, and get a hunting license and go get the meat yourself.
The reward of these activities are:
Excellent! Good knives are essential. I struggle with keeping a fine edge, but it takes a lot of practice. I’m fortunate that I know a person who grew up butchering with his father. Last year we had a Memorial Day hog butcher party and he brought all the big boy equipment. Several families filled their freezers that day. God bless rural America. Your point about heritage hogs is spot on. Dirt raised heritage hogs are 100x better eating than concrete raised. I raise grass beef finished with corn for marbling, free range flock of chickens, hunt deer, vegetable garden and can it, and buddy down the road grows dirt raised hogs. I’m a very fortunate person in these aspects.
Yes, chef!
Lots of variables.
Use www.eatwild.com to find a local farmer and ask them.
Best of success on your journey. Having a direct connection to your food supply is moving from "wise" to "essential" right now.