Side of beef

Have you ever bought beef in bulk? I mean really in bulk, not a family pack of hamburger. This is my sister's upright freezer crammed full of 415 lbs of beef. Given the economy, this is the way to go if you have a family. Seriously. You can either buy a whole cow, a side or a quarter. This is a side. She bought it from a local farmer. It was fed grass and alfalfa on pasture and grained once a day with ground corn, oats, alfalfa pellets and wet molasses. It was not pumped full of hormones or antibiotics and is as close to organic grass-fed as you could hope for. The cow was not the ubiquitous Black Angus, but a Simmental.

I asked her to give me a cost break-down so you could see how economical it is:
1400 lbs live weight divided by 2 = 700lbs X $.80 per =$560.00. (Remember she only bought a side. This check goes to the farmer dude)
Hanging weight 415lbs $.45 per lbs processing =$223.00 -- extra for the chop meat and extra for patties. (Another check to the meat processor butcher dude.)
Total is $560.00 + $223.00= $783.00 divided by 415lbs = $1.89 per pound.

The meat processor flash freezes it, so all you do is pick it up and stuff it into your newly cleaned and defrosted freezer.

She got Filet Mignon, New York strip, steaks, roasts, ribs, bulk and pattied burger, etc. All for $1.89 a pound.

Next time you are at the grocery store check out the price of beef and think about her $1.89 a pound beef. I know I will.