How to utilize meat from a large steer?!

I'd have the butcher reserve the worst chewiest pieces, if your going to can them... it'll turn em into the bestest tenderest pieces.

"Canned hamburger" is good for everything 'but' hamburgers. Unless your hungry, or not too fussy. I'd can roasts, shoulder, neck, or leg meats. Leave rib eyes, t bones, round steak, sirloin in steak, the rest ground up, or blocked for canning.

You might want to ask if the meat will be flash frozen... if so, think whether you want your meat you plan on canning all frozen... it'll mean 'waiting' for it all to thaw. Of course, most butcher shops (least 'round here) lease freezer space, relatively cheap.

I'd throw the vegetables out and put meat in it's place. IMHO, one pound of meat trumps ten of vegetables. A beef steer doesn't come around every few days... usually once a year or so. The freezer rules put a priority on the food with the most calories. There are five freezers here, and only a few packages of fruit and vegetables... Most of the rest is stacked with meat, cheese, and milk.

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Can, can, can! Widemouth quarts are the easiest to pack and each will hold about 2# of meat. First MIL used to think nothing of canning 50-60 jars each time they butchered. When we have venison, it almost automatic to figure 18 or 27 pints. Don't can hamburger since it's a lot of extra work to cook it first and then pack. To get meat suitable for canning, request only the best of the normal cuts of roasts, steaks, etc. be made for general use. Figure how much you'd like to can and ask for that amount in bulk from the lean trimmings for canning. That would normally be packed as stew meat. Wisconsin butchers all know about canning venison so he'll know what you're talking about!

Martin

I do jerky slices about 3/16th inch.It is preserved by the drying,but not sure why that works.So just put in a ziplock bag or a mason jar.Sure,you could freeze em if you wanted,but it will store years in a plastic bag.

Storing isnt a problem,ours is gone fast.

We also have some vacuum packed in storage.Used mylar bags with an oxygen absorber and the counter top vacuum sealer but thats a different subject you dont have to worry about now,you will eat yours fast.

My experience is sliced meat,dont know if storing the ground meat type is different,ie,if it has fat in it,I just dont know,does anybody know who can tell us?

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about 35 lbs per square foot.

Jerky made with a jerky shooter is handled the same way as sliced. When it dries, the meat bonds together almost as if it were sliced. It can have a little fat in it since that can be blotted off during the dehydrating process.

Martin

I think Callie's Lamb means 35 lbs per cubic foot for storing meat. Don't know hte weight, but gueesing 1200 lbs live weight for a 3 yr old steer. Could be a lot less or some more. Packed meat you can expect about 50% of live weight, and you are paying the butcher 25%. So I would guess about 600 lbs of meat total, minus 25 % = 450 lbs of meat, which would take about 13 cubic feet of freezer space. The weight of the meat you get is affected by the breed, and how you have your meat cut (bones included or not). The space chest type vs upright and how tightly you pack it.

My experience but your mileage may vary.

Thanks, guys, you've all been so helpful. Just the info I needed!! Here's another related question:
What are some good ways to keep the freezer organized? We have 15 & 25 cu. ft. I find that I never know what's at the bottom, and tend to lose track of things. Is it just inevitable?

We use milk crates to keep like items together. We have a big chest freezer (not sure the cu. ft. though) I keep berries and other fruit or veggies in one crate. Beef steaks in one, beef roasts in one, pork steaks and roasts in one and bacon and sausage in another. If I recall correctly (DH gets most stuff out of the freezer for me) there is room in ours for 6 milk crates on the bottom and room on top for stuff we use lots of...like chicken for the dogs etc. Before we had the crates, we "organized" it with beef on one side, pork on the other and misc meat (like rabbit and chicken) just thrown in on top LOL

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A large steer will usually dress out at about 60% of live weight, that is with the bones in.De-boning will help.