Morningwoodacres Ranch % Lowline Cattle - % Dorper Sheep

Unless you already own a "deep freeze", (or even if you do), here's some useful information.

Our GE freezer (22 cu. ft) has a chart printed right on the lid with a recommended storage guide for the contents. Of particular interest to me was "Steaks". Stored at 0 degrees F, they are listed with a useful life of about six months. So, why should you care what I keep in my freezer or how long it will last?

Well, my freezer is much like your freezer. But, let's talk about storing beef in bulk quantities. How much beef do you plan to eat in a year? Folks that keep a deep chest freezer generally buy their meat in bulk. But how much meat do you get from a steer if you buy the whole animal?

It depends on the steer. An average "full sized" steer can weigh around 1000 lbs to 1300 lbs standing in the field eating grass. (By the time you get him properly "fattened"). No! You don't have to plan to put THIS much meat in your freezer. By the time you do all the preparation, about 1/3 of this will end up wrapped in your freezer as "meat", all the various cuts contained in one whole steer. From experience, this is about 2/3 "cut" meat and 1/3 "ground" meat (hamburger, but of a very high quality).

So, our 1000 pound steer has just ended up as roughly 240 lbs of "cuts" and 90 lbs of great hamburger. Still quite a bit to eat in six months, yes?

Many folks solve this problem by splitting a "beef" with a friend or neighbor. This works okay for some people, but we have the better solution: Smaller steers!

There are several advantages to purchasing our smaller steers to prepare for your table:

You can have the animal "finished" to your liking, instead of compromising with your co-buyer. i.e. some grain, no grain. (folks tell me it changes the flavor or the meat). Steers fed some beet pulp taste a bit different too, I hear.

You start with a critter that tips the scales between 700-800 lbs at harvest time. Applying our "rule-of-thumb", you should end up with about 250 lbs of meat and the percentage of hamburger in this amount is proportionate. About 27% or 68 lbs.

Now, this is starting to sound closer to what you can eat in six months time (right?). If you can't eat that much beef, you can still arrange to split this with a friend or neighbor to ensure a perfect supply for your freezer without losing it to freezer burn or excessive storage time.

The smaller animals produce smaller "Cuts" on the average. That 12 oz steak that you just can't finish, becomes a moderate 8 oz steak that looks just like the "big steak", except much, much better for your diet. If you can eat more, cook two of these. Yikes!

Even if you have never before considered buying your beef anywhere but the local supermarket, now is the time to start. A simple internet search should convince you that the practices of the beef industry as a whole might not be what you want for YOUR table.

Let's talk about helping you make the change today to tasty, tender beef with a history you can verify. Give us a call or drop us an email. Available only in California at this time.
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Animals raised for the table at MWA Ranch are not fed or injected with any hormones, or antibiotics (except as necessary for injury recovery and we will disclose the history of any animal so treated).

All figures used in this article are based on our own practical experiences in raising and preparing beef for the freezer. We do not guarantee these yield amounts for any purchased animals, as they are intended for guidelines only.

Animals purchased at MWA Ranch are sold live "on the hoof". It is understood that the buyer will make their own arrangements for finishing and butchering. We can supply buyers with the names of local Butte County companies who do custom, licensed butchering and are USDA inspected.