Click Here to Download Custom Side of Beef Cut Sheet (pdf)
Our cattle at Boorcrest Farm are raised in a very loving & humane manner employing sustainable agricultural practices on our nearly 400 acre former dairy farm. We currently keep a closed herd, and are growing the business slowly through artificial insemination of our base group of female brood cows. Our bloodlines are crosses of Angus, Hereferd, & Simmental. We utilize rotational pastures & water systems during the summer months, and feed quality haylage and corn silage from December thru April from our upright silos. We grow some row crops for resale , and harvest small square bales of hay which are sold locally. Highly erodible land is currently being taken out of row crops and converted to either additional pasture or hay for the beef.
When you purchase beef from Boorcrest Farm, we will walk you through the process and make it easy! You will be choosing between: a quarter, a side (half), or both sides of a market-ready steer/heifer. We do not have quantities of choice cuts for re-sale from the freezer. The price that you pay Boorcrest will be based on the hanging weight of your order. Boorcrest will pay the basic processing costs, and coordinate the pick-up date. Specialty orders, such as corned beef or smoked meat, can be provided for an additional cost that you negotiate with the butcher. The meat is to be picked up at the butcher’s the day it is cut and wrapped. Our butcher encourages buyers to come to the shop early and ask questions!
The order page lists the approximate dates when a particular animal will be market-ready. As soon as deposits are placed, they will be removed from availability from the list. There is a price break for purchasing a full side vs. a quarter to encourage buyers to go in together. If purchasing just a quarter, our butcher will split the choice cuts from both the front and back quarters with equal pounds of meat for each quarter customer. If a quarter is still too much meat, encourage a friend to go in with you!
EXAMPLE:
Let’s assume your purchased side of beef has a hanging weight of 350 lbs. Your take-home yield after trimming and boning would be less. How much less will depend on the amount of boneless cuts and ground beef you choose.
Angus steer (18 – 24 Mos of age, 1100 – 1200 lbs live weight)
Hanging weight: 700 to 800 lbs.*
½ or side: 350 to 400 lbs.*
¼: 175 to 200 lbs *
purchase ½ : 350 lbs x $4.25 = $1487*
purchase ¼ : 175 lbs x $4.40 = $770 *
*estimates only to illustrate the example
YOUR “SIDE OF BEEF” PURCHASE (The Decisions)
It is important to keep in mind that even if you select the maximum number of roasts and steaks on the cut sheet, you will still end up with 60 lbs (or more) of ground beef. If you want a larger portion of hamburger or stew meat, you can make choices that will add to your total. On average over a third of your take home will be ground beef.
CHUCK – A large front section of meat and bones. Chuck is often ground into hamburger, but you can also get 4 or 5 chuck and shoulder roasts. All remaining trim meat is ground. You may opt to keep a few lbs. of short ribs on the bone, or have that meat ground.
RIB – The rib yields about about 15 lbs. (bone-in), or 10 lbs. (boneless) of high quality steaks or roasts. You get about 10 steaks @ 1 ¼ inch thickness. If you opt for roasts, you can have up to three, depending on how large you want them cut. Two roasts would be medium in size, and just one would be huge.
SHORT LOIN – Here you find the very best meat cuts. Depending on whether you want the bone (T-bone & Porterhouse), or without bone (tenderloin & strip). You will get about 10 steaks to a side cut to 1 in. thickness.
SIRLOIN – The sirloin accounts for about 16 lbs. of a side of beef. Choosing steaks will give you a variety of boneless and bone-in steaks. Grinding the sirloin adds flavor to your ground beef. Choose whether to separate/ save the small “tri-tip roast.”
ROUND – A large section of approximately 30-40 lbs. The “Eye of the Round”is a desirable cut often left as a whole roast. The Bottom Round is often ground, but can be cut into roasts and cube steaks. The Top Round can be ground or cut into roasts. The Top Round roasts can be cut into London Broil steaks. The Rump can be tied in a Rump Roast, or ground, and/or cut into cube steaks.
BRISKET – The breast. Usually tough, and needs to be tenderized and cooked slowly. Often used in corned beef.
FLANK – Below the loin, has no bones, and tends to be lean. Cut into flank steak or ground.
PLATE – Located below the ribs. Can be a source of short ribs. It is fattier and more flavorful than flank. Can be cut into whole skirt steak or ground.
SHANK – Leg portion of steer or heifer. Tends to be tough due to constant use of the muscle. Usually ground or left on bone for stewing.
STEW MEAT – Specify amounts. The leaner portions of the odds and ends which otherwise would be ground into hamburger.