Ordering a Quarter of Beef - help with cut sheet

[nstewart]

I am looking for some advice on this forum for the second time in two days!  I am very thankful for all the helpful mamas here!

So, I am ordering a quarter of grassfed beef and need to fill out the cut sheet and know very little about such things.

I want some roasts, some steaks, some cubes for stews and soups, and some ground beef. I know my FIL usually gets a lot of hamburger because he'd rather have good hamburger than bad roasts.  But I don't mind a slow cooked pot roast, but then again, ground beef is very versitile!

I don't know what parts are best for what!  Any experts out there??  Also, I was going to ask for the bones to make broth.  But what about the heart, tongue, liver and oxtail?  We eat whole foods but aren't a primal or traditional foods family and I know DH would NOT go for me serving tongue (at least not if that's what it looked like...)  Can I use these for broth or something?  I have cats and give them the gizzard at Thanksgiving for a treat, but I know that too much organ meat is not good for them so don't think it would be good for cat food. I don't want them to go to waste...

Thanks so much for your wisdom!!

CHUCK: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     Stew     Hamburger     Steak

(You can select one or two choices)

CROSS RIB: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     Hamburger     Stew

(You can select one or two choices)

PRIME RIB: (Circle only one)

Prime Rib Roast    

Prime Rib Steak   

½ Prime Rib Roast  and  ½ Prime Rib Steak

BRISKET: (Circle Only One)

Whole     Hamburger       

SHORT RIBS: (Circle Only One)

3” Ribs     6” Ribs     Hamburger

Soup Bones     Heart     Liver     Tongue     Oxtail

(Circle any of the above choices that you would like with your order)

SIRLOIN: (Circle Only One)

Steak       Roast

SHORTLOIN: (Circle Only One)

T-Bone            New York  and  Filet

SIRLOIN TIP: (Circle Choices)

Roast         Steak

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

RUMP: (Circle Choices)

Roast     Hamburger

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

ROUND: (Circle Choices)

Roast    Steak     Tenderized Minute Steak    Stir Fry

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

(This can also be made into Beef Jerky at a cost of $3.50 per lbs)

FLANK: (Circle Only One)

Hamburger    Whole    

 

 

[mary3mama]

ooooh, great post! 

I need to subscribe so that I can read the answers! I am hoping to do this soon. 

[JudiAU]

I would choose the following which maximizes quick cooking steaks and good stewing cuts. But note, if you like less of those they make ground beef much tastier and this minimizes the ground beef.

CHUCK: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     Hamburger    

(You can select one or two choices)

CROSS RIB: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     - good either as braise or in the ground meat mix

(You can select one or two choices)

PRIME RIB: (Circle only one)

 Prime Rib Steak   

BRISKET: (Circle Only One)

Whole   - wonderful braise     

SHORT RIBS: (Circle Only One)

3” Ribs     - great braise

Soup Bones  and oxtail - yes for braise

Heart     Liver     Tongue     - only if you like offal or know someone who is into "traditional foods"

(Circle any of the above choices that you would like with your order)

SIRLOIN: (Circle Only One)

Steak    

SHORTLOIN: (Circle Only One)

New York  and  Filet

SIRLOIN TIP: (Circle Choices)

Steak

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

RUMP: (Circle Choices)

Roast    

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

ROUND: (Circle Choices)

Roast    Stir Fry

FLANK: (Circle Only One)

Whole    

[JollyGG]

Here is what I would go for.

Originally Posted by nstewart 

CHUCK: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     Stew     Hamburger     Steak

A nice slow cooked roast

(You can select one or two choices)

CROSS RIB: (Circle Choices)

Pot Roast     Hamburger     Stew

(You can select one or two choices)

PRIME RIB: (Circle only one)

Prime Rib Roast    

but only if you know how to cook one. If not go with the prime rib steak.

Prime Rib Steak   

½ Prime Rib Roast  and  ½ Prime Rib Steak

BRISKET: (Circle Only One)

Whole     Hamburger       

SHORT RIBS: (Circle Only One)

3” Ribs     6” Ribs     Hamburger

I personally find short ribs greasy and never end up using them for much but stew.

Soup Bones     Heart     Liver     Tongue     Oxtail

(Circle any of the above choices that you would like with your order)

SIRLOIN: (Circle Only One)

Steak       Roast

SHORTLOIN: (Circle Only One)

T-Bone            New York  and  Filet

SIRLOIN TIP: (Circle Choices)

Roast         Steak

when I get sirloin tip steak it ens up being odd pieces that I never know what to do with.

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

RUMP: (Circle Choices)

Roast     Hamburger

Another nice slow cooking roast.

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

ROUND: (Circle Choices)

Roast    Steak     Tenderized Minute Steak    Stir Fry

(This cut can be divided into more than one choice)

(This can also be made into Beef Jerky at a cost of $3.50 per lbs)

FLANK: (Circle Only One)

Hamburger    Whole 

either - this just depends on if you like a nice marinated steak and want to use it for things like fajitas. It is a tough steak and might be better as hamberger if you don't want to deal with it.

[nstewart]

Thanks!  I just put in my order!

[Caneel]

I am late to this thread but in case anyone is looking for additional info on buying beef by the half, a few things I have learned from buying this way over the past couple of years -

1. approximately half usually gets processed as ground beef
2. chuck roasts are great for the slow cooker but some are super fatty and full of large bones.  Not a problem but I learned that what feels like a nice big heavy roast out of the freezer might not feed as many people as I thought it would!
3. I enjoy brisket, a lot of people don't and the butcher tries to talk me out of brisket every year.
4. I agree with JollyGG, short ribs are super greasy.  They also take a ton of time to cook.  After my 3rd failed attempt, my BFFs mother (3rd generation beef cattle farming and professional butchering family) said they always considered short ribs junk meat. (and this is frugal family so that says a lot when the farmer's wife won't bother with them)
5. I like sirloin tips for beef and noodles
6. Flank steak!  I wish there was more of this per animal.