Filling Your Own Freezer: From Pasture to Processor

Few things feel better than opening a chest freezer packed with beef you raised yourself, or bought from a rancher you know. It is also easy to get wrong. People wait too long to book a processor, are surprised by the bill, order cuts they do not know how to cook or discover the steer was not finished and the beef is tough. A little planning avoids all of that.

This guide walks through the process of getting a steer from pasture to freezer: choosing and finishing the animal, booking a processor, understanding inspection rules and filling out a cut sheet. Rules and costs vary by state and processor, so call yours early and ask questions. If you want to find processors and local beef producers, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

You can raise your own steer, which gives you control over feed and care but requires pasture, fences, water and time, or buy a quarter, half or whole beef from a rancher, which is less work. If you raise your own, talk with experienced neighbors and your county extension office first. Programs like Nebraska Beef and University of Missouri Extension publish guidance for small-scale beef producers.

Finishing

Finished simply means the animal has enough fat cover to produce tender, flavorful beef. Cattle can be finished on grass, which takes time and good pasture, or on grain, which is faster and generally gives more marbling. Many freezer beef steers are finished on a combination. Age and breed matter too. Angus and other British breeds finish relatively early and marble well. A steer that has not finished may produce lean, less tender beef, so ask an experienced cattleman to look at yours before you load it. See the guidance from the Beef Quality Assurance program for handling and treatment practices.

Book the Processor Early

This is the number one mistake. Many small processors are booked months in advance, and some fill their calendars a year ahead. Call as soon as you know you will have an animal. Ask:

What is the kill fee and the per-pound cutting and wrapping fee?
What inspection do you operate under?
Do you handle hanging, aging and packaging as I want?
How and when do I deliver the animal?
When will the beef be ready, and how will I pick it up?

Inspection: Federal, State and Custom-Exempt

Understanding inspection is essential if you plan to sell any of the beef. Meat processed in a USDA-inspected plant can generally be sold across state lines, and some states have their own inspection programs with limits on where meat can be sold. Custom-exempt processing is a separate category, where meat is processed for the owner of the animal, for personal use by the owner, household and nonpaying guests, and it cannot be sold. If you buy a share of a live animal from a rancher before processing, the arrangement for custom processing should be set up and explained by the processor. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service explains these categories, and the AMS local and regional food page has resources for direct marketers. Check your state's rules.

Hanging Weight, Rail Weight and Take-Home

Processors usually charge by the hanging weight, which is the weight of the carcass after slaughter, with the hide, head, feet and organs removed, before aging and cutting. The meat you take home is less, because bone, fat trim and moisture loss during aging come off. Many extension sources suggest take-home weight is commonly well under the hanging weight, often somewhere around 60 to 70 percent depending on how you cut it, but this varies. Ask your processor for expectations. A boneless cutting order will yield less weight than a bone-in order but takes up less freezer space.

Filling Out the Cut Sheet

The cut sheet is the form telling the butcher how to cut your beef. Decide before you call back:

Steak thickness and cuts. Ribeye, strip, T-bone, filet, sirloin, flat iron, and so on.
Roasts. Chuck, rump and round roasts, and sizes that suit your family.
Ground beef. How much, and in what package size.
Specialty cuts. Short ribs, brisket, stew meat, soup bones, and organ meats if you want them.

Ask for package sizes that match how you cook, so you do not thaw a five-pound roast for a family of two. If you are new to this, ask your processor for suggestions.

Aging

Beef is typically aged hanging in a cooler for a period, which improves tenderness and flavor. Many processors age for about one to two weeks, though practices vary. Longer aging costs more and loses more weight. Talk with your processor about what they do and what you prefer.

Freezer Space and Storage

A rough rule of thumb often given is that you need about a cubic foot of freezer space for each 35 pounds or so of packaged meat, so a half of beef might need around 6 to 8 cubic feet. Check with your processor. Keep the freezer at zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower, label packages with the cut and date, and rotate so older packages are used first. Vacuum-sealed packages keep best.

Do the Math Honestly

Add up all costs: the animal or share, feed, processing and the freezer, and divide by the pounds of take-home meat. Compare that to what you would pay for similar cuts. Freezer beef from a local producer often comes out competitive for the quality, but not always cheaper, and the value also comes from knowing where the beef came from.

Common Mistakes

Waiting to book. Call early.
Not finishing the steer. Lean, tough beef is the result.
Not understanding inspection. You may not be able to sell the meat.
Ordering cuts you will not use. Know your family's cooking.
Not checking freezer space. Plan ahead.

For a bit of humor about food prices, see farm.fm's piece on a restaurant charging 38 dollars for a carrot, and for background on the industry, farm.fm's page on the world of beef cattle.