One of the best parts to buying wholesale local beef, other than having a full freezer, is placing your beef cut sheet instructions! When you purchase a quarter, half or whole beef from your local cattle farmer, you get to customize how you want your beef cut and packaged. While placing your beef sheet instructions with the processor is one of the best benefits to ordering wholesale beef, it can be a little overwhelming the first time. To break it all down, here are 9 beginner’s best tips on placing your beef cut sheet instructions.
Placing Your Beef Cut Sheet Instructions
When you purchase wholesale beef by the quarter, half or whole, you give the butcher instructions on how you want your portions of beef cut. There are many things to consider. Here are 9 questions to ask yourself before talking with your beef processor. Then you will be better informed on what to tell the butcher!
1. What Are the Best Cuts of Beef For Your Family?
First thing to think about before filling out a beef cut order form is what is your family’s eating habits. Do you all eat a ton of ground beef? Do you have a big family or extended family and will need bigger portions or packages? Or are you empty nesters and typically just eat for two?
Ground beef is typically packaged in one pound tubes. But if you know that your family eats at least two pounds of beef every time you have ground beef, then you may request two pound packages.
One question that people ask is if they will have enough ground beef. You can order any beef cut ground into ground beef. But remember, you will receive plenty of ground beef with any quarter, half or whole. So don’t turn too many delicious steaks into ground beef.
Here is an example of all the beef we received in a quarter.
If you have lots of Sunday extended family dinners where you like to serve a nice cut of beef, then you would want to ask that your roasts and briskets be bigger. Some times, depending on how much beef you ordered, you can request your brisket be kept whole or cut into smaller portions.
2. How Lean Do You Want Your Hamburger Meat?
You can ask the butcher to add in a little more fat or keep your ground beef leaner if you prefer.
Most wholesale beef is very lean. It is much leaner than the typical grocery beef. Our Angus beef is around 93% lean. Because of this some of my customers actually prefer to request a little fat be added back into the ground beef for making hamburger patties.
While other customers love the leanness of the beef and prefer the beef be as lean as possible. Again, it is just a little tip to keep in mind as you order your beef cut package.
3. Do You Want Your Steaks Cut to Standard Thickness?
Standard thickness of steaks is around 3/4 inch thickness. If you want your steaks cut thicker you can ask the processor to cut your steaks thicker.
For instance, recently, we purchased a hog. And I requested the butcher to cut my pork chops 1 1/2 inch thick since I like to cook them in the air fryer. And the pork chops do better in the air fryer if they are thicker.
We cook a lot of beef steaks, and we do the standard thickness. And they grill up perfectly on the grill!
4. How Many Steaks Do Your Want in a Package?
You can ask for your steaks to be individually packaged or two in a package. If everyone likes a different type of steak, you may want your steaks individually wrapped so you can reach into the freezer and grab one of each kind. If you have a bigger family and all splits steaks then you will want your steaks two to a package to be easier.
There is no real right or wrong way to fill out your beef cut order form. Packaging multiple steaks in a package is just a preference.
5. What Kind of Cuts of Beef Do You Get or Want?
With most wholesale local beef, the possibilities are limitless on how your beef is cut. Some beef farmers sell beef cut boxes and the cuts of beef are all chosen for you. Typically, though, when you buy a quarter, half or whole beef you choose which cuts you want. But don’t worry, your processor will have a basic cut sheet for you to follow along for your order. You can request other cuts, but the beef cut order form can be a helpful guide for basic beef cut recommendations.
When you order the first time, it is a good idea to try a variety of cuts so you know the next time, what your favorite beef cuts are. Here are some examples:
What Cuts of Beef You Get With A Quarter or Half Beef
(and what you can do with them!):
Round or Cube Steak: steak sandwiches, stir fry, fajitas, beef tacos, beef stroganoff, and chicken fried steak.
Chuck Roast: pot roast, steak sandwiches, and more (very versatile!).
Rump Roast: pot roast
Sirloin Steak Tip: steak salad or carne asada.
Flank Steak: Stir-fry dishes, stews, fajitas, beef skewers, or any dish where you want thinly sliced steak.
Stew Meat: Beef stew, beef tips, or shish kabobs.
Brisket: smoked brisket in the smoker for sandwiches or cooked in the oven.
Steaks: Grilled steak, steak salad, steak quesadillas, beef stew, and fajitas.
6. Do You Want a Porterhouse or NY Strips Steaks and Filets?
There are some beef cut choices that one MUST make when ordering a quarter, half or whole beef. One of them pertains to the Porterhouse Steaks. If you order a Porterhouse steak then you can’t get a NY strip and filet as the NY strip and filet are cut from the same steak.
And if you want a T-Bone steak then you in essence want a smaller version of the Porterhouse steak. But the T-bone will still have the identifiable t-shaped bone in the steak.
Most customers prefer the NY strip steaks and filets as the Porterhouse steaks are huge. But a true steak lover would probably go for the Porterhouse!
7. Do You Know the Beef Cut Names You Want?
We have been selling freezer beef for years, but I am still learning all the variety of cuts of beef. And some cuts are called different names depending on where you live!
A New York strip is also called a strip loin steak, club steak, Kansas City strip, ambassador steak or the Omaha Strip.
A ribeye steak is also called a Delmonico steak, bone-in ribeye or a boneless ribeye.
So if you don’t see the cut of beef you want, simply ask the butcher as they can recommend the name of the cut you wish.
8. What Beef Cut Upgrades Do You Prefer?
Your freezer beef seller should make you aware of the basics included in your beef order. For example, the processor we use for our customers includes all vacuum sealing for steaks and roasts. When you are talking with your processor or beef farmer you can double check on what is included as part of your basic processing fees and what is an upgrade.
Some butchers use butcher paper to wrap all the cuts of beef and vacuum sealing is an upcharge. While others use vacuum sealing on steaks and roasts as included in the processing fee price.
One upgrade we LOVE to order are the pre-made beef patties. Pre-made beef patties is where the butcher will make some of your ground beef into pre-made hamburger patties. They are SO convenient for throwing on the grill. If you would like some of them, you can request them for an upcharge. Also check to see how many pounds of beef you have to order to be made into pre-patties as most butchers have a minimum.
You can also request that your ground hamburger beef be vacuum packed. We have had our ground beef vacuum sealed once, by accident (oops!). Personally, for our family, we go through hamburger meat so quickly that vacuum sealing doesn’t seem necessary. But if you have a smaller family or don’t cook beef as often, you may consider having your ground beef vacuum sealed.
9. Would You Like Any Specialty Beef Cut Items?
Another perk to ordering wholesale local beef is that you can request specialty items. Some of the specialty cut items include the tongue or heart. Naturally, there is only one tongue or heart per cow, so if you are ordering a quarter or half they may not be available if someone already requested them. But as these requests are rare most of the time the processor can fulfill these items.
Other specialty items include liver, soup bones or dog bones. If you order dog bones, make sure to store in the freezer until your dog is ready for them as they will spoil otherwise. Soup bones are great for making soup or bone broth which is very healthy.
How to Have a Side of Beef Cut Up
Though is can be a little intimidating to buy wholesale beef by the quarter, half or whole, you will quickly get the hang of it. Your beef seller and the processor are there to answer all your questions. And with this handy post as a reference, you will be customizing your half or quarter a cow like a pro!
If you have any questions, you can comment below!
And if you live in the Cincinnati or Dayton, Ohio area or Northern Kentucky, we would love to provide beef for your family! Visit us on Facebook at Hickory Hollow Farm Freezer Beef or on Instagram at Hickory Hollow Farm Girl.
