1/2 of beef

[nativespuds]

For the first time ever my Wife and I bought a 1/2 of beef from my brother-in-law(it was raised very natural and grain fed for the last month). We got most of it in hamburger, steaks and roasts. The burger and steaks are very good but the roasts are disappointing. They look like oversized steaks and are very fatty. Maybe I have become too domestic but I was hoping for nice round roasts like I have bought at the grocery store. It is the butcher or the cow or ?? Also all of the packages of meat are very bloody when they thaw out is this normal? I figured that if the beef hung for a week it would have drained better, but i am not sure. Thanks for your feedback. Kevin

[AlchemyAcres]

For the first time ever my Wife and I bought a 1/2 of beef from my brother-in-law(it was raised very natural and grain fed for the last month). We got most of it in hamburger, steaks and roasts. The burger and steaks are very good but the roasts are disappointing. They look like oversized steaks and are very fatty. Maybe I have become too domestic but I was hoping for nice round roasts like I have bought at the grocery store. It is the butcher or the cow or ?? Also all of the packages of meat are very bloody when they thaw out is this normal? I figured that if the beef hung for a week it would have drained better, but i am not sure. Thanks for your feedback. Kevin

Did a professional do the butchering?

You should have received from the the butcher what was requested. In other words, you, or whoever set-up the butchering should have requested exactly what you want and that's what you should have got.

A week isn't anywhere near long enough for dry aging, IMHO!
Are you sure it was hung THAT long?

Was this a beef steer? Old dairy cow? What?

How is it packed?

~Martin

[goldengate]

We have learned to rinse the meat in cold, running water until the water runs clear. This makes the meat a little soggy, but...what the hey! It gets out the blood and the blood taste.

[Lynnkay]

We raise our own SimAngus grass-fed organically raised beef and have it
butchered according to our specifications, as alchemy said. We have steers
that we hold back just for this purpose. Our butcher hangs it for around
3-6 weeks (dry aging). There is some blood in the wrapper as it thaws, but
not a huge amount. I used to be a vegetarian until we started raising our own
beef. There's nothing like it.

[TEX]

don't knock the fat in those roasts - they will be more tender than ones without the fat.

[Anon001]

don't knock the fat in those roasts - they will be more tender than ones without the fat.

....and they will have a better flavor because of it.


Paul

[TEX]

....and they will have a better flavor because of it.


Paul

I started to say that myself Paul but some folks think I am weird for thinking that way

[cinok]

Some of the best meals come from the worst looking piece of meat.
To answer the OP sounds like it was partly the butcher and the animal and a little bit of communication on what cuts you wanted.

[Anon001]

I don't know about the area the OP is in, but in this area, when someone buys a beef or 1/2 beef, the seller usually takes it to the locker and gives the buyers names when they check in the animal. It is then the responsibility of the buyer/s to call the locker and tell them how they want their portion to be packaged as to types of cuts and quantity per package.

Anytime I've sold beef or pork, I've charged the market price on the live weight. It is simpler than trying to figure out what to charge on hanging weight or finished weight.

Different breeds will dress out differently as to how lean the meat is. Age of the animal is another factor. However, one of the biggest factors is the diet and the type of environment the animal was in, such as grass fed vs. corn fed and small dry lot compared to pasture. Personally, I prefer a leaner beef breed that is on grass from day one to butcher. I prefer the grass fed beef over corn fed.

You also have to keep in mind that what you buy in the store is not just corn fed. There are numerous ingredients that go into the feeds. People that are not used to having home raised beef, don't realize how much difference can exist. I have seen several people that are disappointed in home raised beef because it wasn't what they were used to.

When I was a kid, I always remember more blood in our beef than in store bought. But, we just let it drain, rinse it and let it drain, pat it dry and cook.

The other thing that will make a difference in what your meat looks like is genetics. Also, the weight of the animal at slaughter vs. the age of the animal. Commercial feedlots sell for slaughter at a target weight and not at a specific age. The same thing applies with stockmen that butcher their own.

I bet when you cook that roast, you'll like it.

Paul