How to utilize meat from a large steer?!

piccololily · #1 09/27/10, 01:39 PM

We are bartering electrical work for a huge 3yo steer. Farmer raising it says it just got too big and they don't need all the meat. Butcher will take about 1/4 of it for his processing fees...the rest is ours! They hung it almost two weeks, and now will be cutting it tomorrow. So I'm a bit panicked, not really being ready for this!!

We have only two large freezers, both about half-full already (one for meat and one for veggies). Will need to can, etc. a lot of it, as we will also have chickens, ducks, and potentially venison going in too!

We can certainly use all the meat, as we are a family of ten. But I do need ideas for handling this amount all at once! I have canned meat before, but was wondering what cuts should I tell the butcher to reserve for canning? Should I take them fresh, or have them frozen and thaw before canning? Also, does anyone have recipes, such as stew, etc. to share? "Convenience" foods would be very welcome in our busy schedule.

How about jerky recipes? What cuts are usually used, and does anyone have a recipe that does not require chemical preservatives?

What other creative ideas, tips do you have for all the parts? We eat the heart and liver, use soup bones, and have dogs that would appreciate any extra bones, but I'm not sure how this butcher handles all that yet.

Thanks for any and all input! I will have 3 pressure canners available and I am getting ready to GO!

Katey · #2 09/27/10, 01:55 PM

That's a lot of meat! I'd go ahead and buy another freezer right away, and then you can figure out how to deal with it over time.

CarolynRenee · #3 09/27/10, 01:56 PM

If it's too much to handle right now, how about bartering some of it right away before having to process it yourself? Freezer space here is at a premium so I know how it is to want to keep all you can, but sometimes it's just too much at once. Good luck!

7thswan · #4 09/27/10, 02:03 PM

Chunks for canning and burger for canning. 2lbs ground burger fit in a quart jar.There is no need for preservitives for jerky,just use salt and the spices you like. Any cut of meat can be used and ground meat can be used with a "jerky shooter". I ask for the stuff I'm going to cann, to be put in large bags,bulk, telling them it's for canning.

piccololily · #5 09/27/10, 02:16 PM

Well we'd buy the freezer if we had the extra cash, but... The reason so many people are bartering these days is that none of us really has much extra $$. So we can trade for the goods/services that we DO have!

As for us, this is a great blessing. Knowing we will have plenty of food for the winter brings great peace of mind, especially since the last couple winters have been lean, and we have no idea what this winter will bring!

So...we aim to do our best to preserve it all for the winter! It's not actually as much as it seems, when there are several teenage boys in the house! :-)

Windy in Kansas · #6 09/27/10, 02:26 PM

Is there a local locker plant where you can store frozen items?

Callieslamb · #7 09/27/10, 03:12 PM

I'd try to see about 1/2 of it. That would raise some funds for the freezer you are going to need eventually.

greenhorn · #8 09/27/10, 03:39 PM

Do you have any friends that might have extra space in their freezers (elderly/childless couple, single person, etc.) you could "rent" in exchange for a couple steaks or a nice roast?

I'm about to encounter this problem with 2 hogs, but not quite on the same scale as you! My friend with 7 kids has 2 upright freezers and is getting a third. Third one will be plugged in right when they butcher their 50 meat chickens and have all the garden produce to freeze. As the year progresses they consolidate and are down to one freezer by June or July.

Silvercreek Farmer · #9 09/27/10, 04:04 PM

Have the butcher bone everything out, it will save space.

While we are on the subject, how much freezer space does it take to hold a steer's worth of meat? I am putting up a 900-1000 pounder this fall and plan on boning it all out.

CrashTestRanch · #10 09/27/10, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Lindsay

Have the butcher bone everything out, it will save space.

While we are on the subject, how much freezer space does it take to hold a steer's worth of meat? I am putting up a 900-1000 pounder this fall and plan on boning it all out.

I would like to know that as well ...

Ronney · #11 09/27/10, 04:22 PM

How big are your freezers? You will be surprised at how much meat you get back - it won't be as much as you imagined especially if quarter of it is going to the butcher. Most of the bone will not be there unless you keep it for the dogs. The meat will be boned out to get the steaks, rolled roasts, mince, stewing meat, sausages or whatever choices you make for the cutting up. The biggest part of a beast is the frame and stomach cavity.

If it helps, we have a 25cu.ft freezer, a 15cu.ft and a 12cu.ft. The 12 is used for fish bait and dog tucker, the other two hold our pork, mutton, beef and vegetables, bread and odds and sods. We have never filled them to the top even when we had a beast killed and 3 pigs within a week of each other.

Cheers,
Ronnie

CrashTestRanch · #12 09/27/10, 04:26 PM

so about 50 cu/ft of freezer space should take care of 1 which will also handle all the other sources of meat and veggies too?

Trisha in WA · #13 09/27/10, 04:29 PM

Congratulations! I like canning stew too. I just make a huge pot (think water bath canner size or bigger) of my normal stew recipe and just warm it all through (if you cook it too much your potatoes will get mushy so just bring it to a boil) then pressure can it in quart jars as per Ball Blue Book. Ball probably has a good stew recipe too if you need one.
I also just can cubed meat for using later in whatever...I will sometimes shred it up and use it in tacos or BBQ beef sandwiches.
I have not yet canned ground beef, but I am sure it can be done.
Enjoy! And I totally understand the peace of mind you get from having lots of food put up for winter. What a blessing!

MO_cows · #14 09/27/10, 05:33 PM

In general, you'll get about 50% of the live weight back as meat. Do you know how much the steer weighed on the hoof?

For canning, I would have them cut a lot of stew meat. I imagine you can can ground beef too but seems like the texture would be pretty mushy (but I've never done it). Small chunks would be ideal, IMO.

Many meat processors also rent cold storage. Maybe you could bring home half the meat and fill up the freezer, then empty the freezer back out by canning and go get the other half? Do this quick enough and there might not be any storage charge.

Patt · #15 09/27/10, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Lindsay

Have the butcher bone everything out, it will save space.

While we are on the subject, how much freezer space does it take to hold a steer's worth of meat? I am putting up a 900-1000 pounder this fall and plan on boning it all out.

Good point ground will take up the absolute least space, makes quick meals and stretches well so I would look at getting a large percentage of the cow back in ground beef.

Mid Tn Mama · #16 09/27/10, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronney

How big are your freezers? You will be surprised at how much meat you get back - it won't be as much as you imagined especially if quarter of it is going to the butcher. Most of the bone will not be there unless you keep it for the dogs. The meat will be boned out to get the steaks, rolled roasts, mince, stewing meat, sausages or whatever choices you make for the cutting up. The biggest part of a beast is the frame and stomach cavity.

If it helps, we have a 25cu.ft freezer, a 15cu.ft and a 12cu.ft. The 12 is used for fish bait and dog tucker, the other two hold our pork, mutton, beef and vegetables, bread and odds and sods. We have never filled them to the top even when we had a beast killed and 3 pigs within a week of each other.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Agreed. You might fill half the freezer. That meat may be tough since it's not a calf. I'd have it ground up mostly or in chunks that could be pressure canned.

mightybooboo · #17 09/27/10, 08:28 PM

For jerky you use the leanest meats and cut out all the sinew or else its like chewing fishing line.NO FAT,that equals rancid.All that you trim you run thru your grinder for the best safest burger you will ever eat.Get 1/3 trim,2/3rd for jerky usually from a round roast.

21 lbs of London Broil yields 4.5 lbs jerky from 14 lbs trimmed meat,and 7.5 lbs. of hamburger.Your dehydrator temp will determine drying time.

Here is my jerky thread with pics....
http://eastcherokee.proboards.com/in...ay&thread=1800

Many recipes on web,all are good,never met a jerky I didnt like,LOL!

jconde · #18 09/27/10, 08:40 PM

I've canned lots of beef from all sorts of cuts. Never lucky enough to have a steer butchered, though. All from sale bins at the local grocery store. Canned beef is very versatile. It always comes out tender no matter what the cut is.

I've also canned ground beef. Our favorite way is browning the ground beef and adding garden tomatoes or a big (3 lb) can of tomatoes for future meals of chili, spaghetti sauce, pizza, etc. Saves time and it's delicious.

piccololily · #19 09/27/10, 09:03 PM

Now you're talking! Thanks for the input. I love the idea of doing spaghetti meat sauce and stew; nice meals for cold winters, especially when we're in a hurry! We homeschool so our days get really hectic! My only problem may be running out of jars, since I still have several bushels of apples to do yet. I see that some jars are on sale here though...

Booboo, thanks for posting the jerky thread. How thick do you slice your meat? Do you freeze it afterward, since there are no preservatives used?

Wendy · #20 09/27/10, 11:01 PM

Quote:

In general, you'll get about 50% of the live weight back as meat.

At 3 years old it should make more than that. We just picked one up that wasn't even 2 & it dressed out about 65%.
I can the beef stew recipe in the ball blue book. It is really good. I save the chuck roasts for raosting. I cube up the rump roasts & shoulder roasts & can those. I have canned meatballs in spaghetti sauce. Make the meatballs & brown them in your oven under the broiler. Put them in jars & cover with hot spaghetti sauce.
I have a 25 cubic ft freezer, a 13 cubic ft, & a 10 cubic ft. We got half of a beef that weighed 1150 lbs., 30 plus rabbits, 60 chickens, fish, corn, blackberries, zucchini, plus odds & ends from the grocery store & will be getting a pig in a few weeks. We have room for the pig. If you organize, you can easily fit a beef in a large freezer with room to spare.