Who’s bought a half cow?

[MetalMan2004]

All the steak talk around here got me to thinking again. I’ve looked a couple of times into buying a half cow but never managed to find what i wanted at a decent price.

I’d like grass fed and finished. I have a friend in California that told me he gets it by the half cow for around $5.50/ lb including butchering. Best I can find around Houston is over $5 pkus another $2-3 per lb for butchering. At $8/ lb I’m not sure I’m saving that much buying in bulk.

So who’s done it before? What’d you pay? Who has a go-to source in the Houston area?

[brokeno]

Wiatreks meat market in poth Texas sells half, front quarters or hind quarters. You can't beat their meat!

[dustoffer]

Did it once--never again. Ended up spending a lot of $$ on cuts we don't use, and there is a lot of bone in a half-beef.

[Bowhuntamistad]

Did it once--never again. Ended up spending a lot of $$ on cuts we don't use, and there is a lot of bone in a half-beef.

This....unless you butcher yourself and use up every last piece and utilize the bones/marrow.

[brains]

You can use money better by stocking up on the cuts you use on supermarket sales and sams in my opinion. We use lots of ground beef and ribeye. I’ll go to sams and buy a whole beef rib and have it cut into 1 1/4” steaks and it usually makes about 14 of them. I can buy lots of ribeyes and ground beef with the occasional roast and brisket for what a side of beef costs.

[MetalMan2004]

Did it once--never again. Ended up spending a lot of $$ on cuts we don't use, and there is a lot of bone in a half-beef.

That is good to know. I am a pretty adventurous cook and somewhat enjoy finding recipes for cuts that I haven’t cooked with before. I took advantage of the black friday deal with butcher box last year and did some of that. Cancelled the butcher box just because I live in the best city in the US for buying good beef and it just wasn’t worth it to have it shipped to me.

[IowaHunter]

Just wait for one of those pickup trucks to venture into your neighborhood with “extra” meat available.

[rut-ro]

We buy. Whole steer at auction every year. We send it to Fishers Meat Market in Spring Texas And have it cut up the way we want. you pay more for it, but I will never buy supermarket beef again, the flavor is that much better.

A whole steer Takes all the Beef needs for 4 families for a year.

[justintyme8303]

You can use money better by stocking up on the cuts you use on supermarket sales and sams in my opinion. We use lots of ground beef and ribeye. I’ll go to sams and buy a whole beef rib and have it cut into 1 1/4” steaks and it usually makes about 14 of them. I can buy lots of ribeyes and ground beef with the occasional roast and brisket for what a side of beef costs.

Ive never seen the grass fed/finished beef on sale. Dont even think Sam's carries it.

[bowhuntermac]

I’ve never bought half a cow but I did have a cow take half my stuff.

[Low Fence]

We sell/have sold dozens of them. We get paid on hanging weight and butcher gets their fee. We have a pretty loyal client base

Full feed all they can eat min 90 days, but the waiting list is 4.5-5 months out at least

[Low Fence]

Ive never seen the grass fed/finished beef on sale. Dont even think Sam's carries it.

Cause you can’t finish one on grass is my opinion. If someone likes it that’s great...but really it sucks ( )

[shark79]

I raise cattle and buy all my beef at HEB.

[Mudslinger]

I have done it many times in the 70's and 80's, but I just bought a half beef from Stieler Farms in Comfort for $5.00 per pound hanging weight. Grass fed Angus/Wagyu cross and that is cut, packaged and ready to put in your freezer. This is unbelievable beef. We bought a 1/4 before the first of the year and it was melt in your mouth awesome. Did not notice bones except in the parts for soups or stews or to cook and feed to your dogs and the T Bones! They will cut it however you tell them to. Unfortunately they will not have any more cattle ready to butcher for sides until after the first of the year. We got in on the last butchering and will pick it up at the end of May.

[Darton]

Grass fed beef has a big premium��! Look at the color it will tell the tell!