The thought of buying a quarter, or side, of beef, pork or lamb, can seem like a daunting experience. It is actually the most cost economical way, especially for the whole family, to eat Farm to Table. Don’t be intimidated. It all comes down to knowing the lingo and asking the right questions. Here is an introduction to what you need to know.
A Hanging Half
When livestock is processed, it is typically hung on a rail and split into two equal halves, simply because it is easier to cut and handle that way. Let’s take a “hanging half” of beef for example. Pretty much all beef is sold based upon the weight of a hanging half.
“Hot Hanging” or “Rail” Weight
Hot hanging weight, or rail weight, is how much that side of beef weighs right after processing and is still warm hanging on the rail. This method ensures the ranchers get paid for the entire animal before it naturally shrinks and other parts are cut away during the overall process.
Dry Aging
Now there is a difference between “wet aging” and “dry aging” which was discussed in our previous article on beef processing. For this article, we’re going to focus on dry aging because this is the way most regenerative farmers process meat for consumers.
After the half is weighed, it is hung in a carefully environment controlled cooler for anywhere between 7 to 21 days or even more. This relaxes the beef through a natural aging process that adds tenderness and flavour. After this, the butcher will cut the meat based upon the rancher’s or your instructions depending upon what has been agreed to.
Choosing Your Cuts
This is where things can get a little more complicated. We all know that different parts of an animal yield different quality (cost) of cuts. And if you want to become a bulk beef expert, you will probably want to do some research online about what cuts come from which parts of the animal.
Our advice however, is to simply ask your farmer or butcher for some guidance. But the main consideration should be the number of people that will determine the number of portions of each cut. For example, if you are feeding a family of six, you might want to get smaller cuts versus what you would want feeding a couple. Since everything will come wrapped, boxed and frozen, this just makes everything more convenient when it comes time for meal planning and cooking.
Expectations by the Numbers
Ok, it’s time for some math. The fact is, you are not going to eat the whole animal. There are bones, gristle and fat which are considered “waste,” unless you plan to use it all in creative ways (a lot of people do). All that stuff you don’t eat makes up about 35% of a standard side of beef.
So let’s say you start with a 400 pound half which is the hot hanging weight. You would typically lose around 8% from dry aging (or more depending on the total time). Then add 35% waste which reduces that 400 pounds by 43%. So by the time that side of beef hits your freezer, all nicely cut and packaged, you have 57% (100% less 43%) of the total hot hanging weight to eat, which in this case is 228 lbs. This is called the “lean meat yield.” (There might be slight variations of this total if you ordered cuts with bones like T-bones, standing roasts or you love ribs, but not by much.)
By this time, you might be thinking that a 43% loss seems pretty steep and whether or not there is really any value to buying bulk. You have to remember that all meat, including the individual cuts you buy at the supermarket, is priced and sold this way. And yes, the cost of items like ground beef per pound seem substantially less then what you pay per pound in hot hanging weight. But if you average the cost across every cut, like your sirloin, ribs, tenderloin, and so on, buying bulk, even with the loss of 43%, is still far more economical than buying individual cuts each time you hit the grocery.
Just remember, there is a major price difference depending upon the quality of your meat. For example, grain-finished and grass-finished are two completely different products, despite the fact they are both made of protein. You need to compare apples to apples so to speak. Even the difference between wet aged and dry aged makes a major price difference (again, read our article on this here).
Processing Costs
This brings us to the next important factor. Just so there are no surprises, you should understand all the costs to buying bulk. Beyond the hot hanging weight of your purchase, there are also processing fees, which is also calculated per pound of the hot hanging weight. Different abbatoirs (slaughterhouses) charge slightly different processing rates. Then there can be delivery fees as well. But some ranchers simply combine everything together into a flat rate per pound. This is why you’ll need to pay attention to the financial details and can’t be by shy about questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the “all-in” price. We are taught to do that when buying a new car, so why not bulk meat?
There you have it. This should give you enough confidence to give bulk meat a whirl. The last piece of advice we have is to think about storage. For a side of beef, you will need at least a 15 cubic foot freezer, which will allow you to properly store your meat and everything else you’re storing to enjoy eating Farm to Table.
We’ll let the appliance experts help you if you need advice on that freezer.
Questions? Leave a comment below!