The Cut & Wrap
This information will take you through the whole process of having your beef cut & wrapped before you tell the butcher. You will know what you have available & how you want it prepared.
HOW TO TELL THE BUTCHER WHAT TO CUT
The Meating Place in Hillsboro, OR is where we get our meat processed. Once Tide Creek Farms has been paid in full you’ll be given a link to go online and set up your cutting instructions to the butcher.
They will walk you through the process. If at any time you get overwhelmed or confused you can call them directly or contact me and I will help you.
BUTCHER FEE’S
The estimated total for ¼ beef is $201.25
$0.85 per pound to cut and wrap the meat (estimate $150 per 1/4)
$180 for mobile slaughter ($45 per 1/4)
$25 disposal fee ($6.25 per quarter)
(As of April 2023 prices can change make sure to check out the website prices before filling out your cutting instructions)
CUTTING THE BEEF
There are 4 sections to each whole beef. 2 front sections and 2 rear sections.
When you order ½ beef you will get one whole side (a front and a rear).
When you order a ¼ the butcher will mix the front and back quarters so everyone gets the same option for cuts.
STEAKS
T bone, New York, Rib Eye, Top Sirloin, and Tenderloin.
You can have them cut to a specific thickness of ¾, 1, or 1 ¼ inch.
You also can have them packaged 2, 3, or 4 per package. If they have 1 extra steak they automatically will you give a 3 pack.
These steaks come from the loin area and are very tender.
They are great for cooking on the grill and over a hot flame.
The way the Meating Place has its questions can be confusing. The only option is to mark T bones OR New York. Rib Eye Steaks OR a Rib Roast. If you get a 1/2 or a whole beef you can have both. You will have to tell the butcher in the “notes” at the very end. “I would like both a rib roast and rib-eye steaks.”
FLANK STEAK or TRITIP ROAST
Option for both if you get a ½ or whole
The option for 1 or the other if you ordered a ¼
There is no guarantee. First come, first cut.
Considered the poor man's steak for years you can make a variety of different dishes with these two cuts
SHOULDER ROASTS
Both 7 Bone Pot Roasts and Cross Rib Pot Roasts
These come in 2, 3, 4, or 5 pounds your choice
You can also turn them into awesome stew meat and ground beef
½ beef will have 10 post roasts
¼ beef will have 5 pot roasts
There is the choice of getting all available or the best 3,4, or 5 roasts and turning the rest into stew meat or burger
Slow-cook these roasts and make excellent shredded beef.
STEW MEAT
1/4 Beef will yield approximately 6 lbs. of Stew Meat, without losing Steaks or Roasts.
1/2 Beef will yield approximately 12 lbs. of Stew meat, without losing Steaks or Roasts.
It can also be turned into burger
There is a choice of 1.5 or 2 pounds per package
If you choose more than 6 or 12 lbs. of stew meat they will take some roasts and steaks to make up the remaining amount.
BRISKET
1/4 Beef only has half a Brisket, weighing approximately 4 lbs.
1/2 Beef has a full Brisket, weighing approximately 8 lbs.
It can be used in ground beef or stew meat
Smoke it or make corned beef with it.
BEEF SHANKS
Keep and use for braising or turn into burger.
There is a good amount of meat on this cut and it’s more economical to keep it with the bone and not turned into burger
SKIRT STEAKS
These make great fajita or stir fry meat. There is one skirt steak per ½ so it’s 1st come 1st served
SHORT RIBS
They can be cut two ways: THIN Flanken-Style or THICK Braising-Style.
THIN Flanken-Style Ribs are a good choice for marinating and grilling.
THICK Braising-Style Ribs are ideal for slow-braising.
When you cook ribs it’s all about low temperatures for long periods of time. Especially with homestead beef the ribs can get a little chewy if not cooked long enough.
TOP ROUND
Top Round (also known as London Broil) is the most tender of the Round Steaks.
It makes great steaks, but it can also be a good rump roast, tenderized cubed steaks (think chicken fried steak), or even stew meat.
BOTTOM ROUND
A tough cut of meat.
It makes a great rump roast or it can be cut into steaks and tenderized.
Stew meat and ground beef are also options.
If you leave it in the rump roast form you can make homemade jerky with it.
SIRLOIN TIP
Not to be confused with the Top Sirloin.
It makes a fair steak, good for marinating.
This is also good as a Roast or tenderized steaks.
You can always turn this into stew meat or burger too.
GROUND BEEF
A whole carcass, animal averages 80-85% lean-to-fat ratio.
Beef fat can vary greatly between animals. Not every beef is the same and when you buy part of 1 cow it is going to be different than when you buy 1 pound from 100’s of cows
You can choose between 1, 11/2, or 2-pound packages. I think it’s better to go on the smaller side with the burger. You can always open 2 packages if you want more. It’s also easier to pack into the freezer. Maybe you don’t have a lot of extra space, you can put the little 1-pound packages in the door and in small open areas a lot easier than 2 pounds.
There is also the option of Beef Patties (20-pound min) They charge an extra $2 per pound for this service. You can tell them if you want 4, 6, or 8 in the vacuum pack package.
OFFAL
Offal refers to internal organs, including the heart, liver, oxtail, and tongue.
When you order a ¼ you might only get a small portion.
Organ meats are very good for us and they have lots of vitamins and minerals in them.
If you don’t know how to cook them that’s ok. There are plenty of different styles of recipes from many different cultures you can learn to cook very easily.
BONES
Beef Bones make great soup stock and are greatly appreciated by some dogs!
If you’re a carnivore you can score on the marrow in these bones for a delicious snack.
ANYTHING ELSE TO TELL THE BUTCHER
You will have the chance to give specific instructions to the butcher.
This is where you can THANK YOUR BUTCHER! That is very important.
If you would like more offal & bones you can let them know if the other customers don’t want there's you’ll take it
If you are getting a ½ or whole beef you can ask the butcher to make steaks and roasts in this area. Their cutting instructions let you choose one or the other but if you get a whole or ½ you’ll need to instruct the butcher that you want to have both. I’m still working with them to figure this out so it’s easier to understand.
You can also request any loner steaks be put in their own package instead of making a 3 pack
SUMMARY
There are lots of options and lots of ways to prepare your beef.
You can plan ahead and get a good idea of what you like and don’t like before you have to give the information to the butcher.
If you get confused, overwhelmed, or have any questions please reach out and I can help you.
