Factors Affecting Quality of Beef
Steer Genetics - The breed of cattle determines both leanness and tenderness of beef. Angus influenced cattle are proven to provide some of the best quality of beef produced. Our steers have strong Angus genetics.
Maturity - Our steers are 20 months or younger at the time they are processed.
Diet - Our steers run on pasture all of their lives, never in small pens. They are fed a special formulated ration, provided free choice hay and clean water. No animal byproducts, growth hormones, steroids, or antibiotics are involved in our feeding program. Also, we do not use any preservatives in the processing of the beef. We do not use any hormonal implants to make the steer grow faster and bigger.
Dry Aged – Our beef is dry aged from 14 to 21 days. Dry aging produces a more tender and flavorful cut of beef. Most fine steakhouses insist on dry aged beef.
Humane Treatment - Cattle that are provided clean water, free choice hay or grass, undergo less stress and therefore produce a higher quality of meat. It is also the right thing to do.
Dry Aged Beef
Forty years ago, most of our beef was dry aged. Today only about 2% of the beef processed in the US is Dry Aged. In the early 1960's the process of vacuum packing beef became the norm for most processors. The advantage of this process was that they could "wet age" the beef in the bag and not lose any of the weight of the beef but it will not have the characteristic dry aged flavor. Wet aging was much more cost effective for the processors so a weaning of the consumers' taste buds began to occur. Slowly, the consumer forgot the real taste of steak.
Dry Aged beef is aged for 14 to 21 days in a refrigerated cooler with the temperature between 36 and 38 degrees and a specific humidity. When beef is dry aged two things happen. First, moisture evaporates from the muscle creating a greater concentration of beefy flavor and taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the fibrous, connective tissue in the muscle, tenderizing it. The dry aging process takes special care. It is very time consuming and expensive, requiring extra effort, storage and high-quality beef.
Up to 30% of the original weight of the beef is lost during the dry aging process. Most of this weight loss is water. This is why dry aged steak is offered only in gourmet restaurants, upscale grocery stores and fine steakhouses. Though rare in today's mass corporate produced and profit driven markets, the art of producing dry aged beef is still in demand for gourmet customers who know its unsurpassed quality.
In today’s modern processing plants, the carcass is broken down and vacuum-sealed in plastic bags within 24 hours. Much of this beef will show up in grocery store meat case within 2 to 4 days after processing.
We Dry Age the Whole
Steer for a minimum of 14 days.
Methods of Raising Steers
Grass Fed - The meat from Grass fed steers is usually very healthy. Because of their diet, there is very little marbling; therefore, the steaks tend to be less tender and less flavorful. At one of the grass fed farm websites they offer a “Meat Tenderizing” tool for the modest price of $49.95.
Feedlot - The feedlot is the “Industrialization” of raising beef. The objective of the feedlot is to produce the most amount of beef for the least possible cost in the least possible time. Most beef bought in the grocery store comes from feedlots. Steers are placed in small pens and are fed a ration that almost always includes steroids, antibiotics and hormones. Most will receive a hormonal implant that speeds their growth.
What we do - We buy weaning steers from a network of select producers in the Beebe area. While the steers are still with their mama’s they are introduced to a special calf ration in a calf feeder. After our steers are weaned, we move them to our pasture where they can graze. Also, they are fed a special formulated diet. This feeding schedule last, for about 180 days. Some steers “finish” a little earlier and some a little later. When the steers are finished they are taken to the butcher for processing. We raise our beef “Naturally”. We do not use steroids, antibiotics or hormones in our feeding program. We do not use implants or other growth additives to make the steers grow faster and larger.
Steaks & Kabobs
Filet Mignon
(French for "exquisite or dainty fillet") is a steak cut from the tenderloin of the steer. The filet is considered to be the most tender cut of beef, and the most expensive. The average steer provides no more than 4-6 pounds of filet. Because the muscle is non-weight bearing, it receives very little exercise, which makes it tender. Our filets weigh about 8 oz.
Texas Rib-eye
A truly great steak for grilling. We cut our steaks approximately one and a quarter inches. Chefs tell us this is the preferred thickness if you want a rare or medium rare steak. We leave the bone in. By leaving the bone in there is extra moisture and fat alongside the bone that will enhance the flavor. My grandmother always said, “The closer to the bone the sweeter the meat”. The steak will weigh around 1 ¼ lbs.
New York Strip
The New York Strip steak is one of the highest quality beef steaks on the market. It is also known as striploin, shell steak,Delmonico or Kansas City strip steak. Cut from the strip loin part of the sirloin, the strip steak consists of a muscle that does little work, and so it is particularly tender. Our strips will weigh between .75 and 1 lb.
Sirloin Steak
The Sirloin is a steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs, continuing off the tenderloin from which the filet mignon is cut. Of the steaks typically considered to be premium steaks, the sirloin is the cheapest, because the muscles still do quite a bit of work. The steak will weigh between 1.5 and 2 lbs
Sirloin Shish Kabob
We cut some of our Sirloin Steak into kabob size pieces. You can marinate the meat if you want to, but it is tender without it. A really fun way to cook on the grill. We supply the meat, you supply the vegetables. It is also great for “Stir-Fry”. The package will weigh around 1.5 lbs.
Minute Steak
This is Round steak that has been tenderized. It makes great “Chicken Fried” steak or cut into strips, battered and fried to make steak tenders. The package will weigh around 1.5 lbs.
Roasts and Brisket
Roast
From an average steer we get a few pounds of Sirloin Tip roast and Pikes Peak roast. The Pikes Peak is a premium rump roast. These roasts do not have a bone. They are great for the “Crock-pot”. We sometimes run short on the Sirloin and Pikes Peak roast.
We get several pounds of Arm and Chuck roast. Both of these roasts have a bone and a little more fat. These are my favorite roast. They are excellent for a roasting pan in the oven but can be cooked in your crock-pot. The roast will weigh from 2 to 3.5 pounds.
Brisket
This is one of the less tender cuts of meat on a steer, but it makes great barbeque. It needs to be marinated and slow cooked for several hours. A team from Canada, using our brisket, recently placed 21st out of 129 competitors at the Little Rock Barbeque Competition. You can also make your own “Corned Beef or Pastrami”.
The briskets weigh around 4 pounds.
Beef Kabobs
We cut some of our roast into kabob size pieces. You will probably want to marinate the kabobs. Using this cut is an inexpensive way to have meat on the grill. I also use these to make soups and stews. The package will weigh around 1.5 lbs.
Ground Beef
Our Ground Beef is about 85% lean. Because of the “Dry Aging”, you will have very little liquid to pour out of your skillet after cooking. It is great for hamburgers on the grill or hamburger steak with mushroom gravy. It comes in a tube weighing a little over a pound.
Ground Beef Patties
Same as our Ground Beef but we make it easy for you. Six one-third lb patties are in a package weighing about 2 lbs.
Ground Chuck
Our Ground Chuck is about 95% lean. It is great for any of your casserole dishes. It also makes great tacos, spaghetti and lasagna. It comes in a tube weighing a little over a pound.
Whole or Half
When you order a “Whole or a Half” a beef you have several options: how thick do you the steaks cut, do you want the whole tenderloin or filet mignon, do you want roast, do you want more ground chuck, plus some other option.
It usually takes about three weeks to deliver a “Whole or a Half” a beef after we take your order. This depends on how many steers we have at the butcher and how far along they are in the processing. We will deliver to you home (within 40 mile radius of Little Rock) at no charge.
The average steer will weigh more than 1,000 lbs on the hoof, but this is the weight I will use for an example. A dressed steer will weigh about 60% of its beginning weight. So we are down to 600 lbs. During the “Dry Aging” process the hanging carcass will lose about 30% of its weigh (mostly water). Now we have a weight of about 420 pounds for a “Whole Beef”. A “Half a Beef” would be about 210 pounds. If you want to split an order with someone we will do that for you.
A deposit is required for these orders
Quarter of a Beef
You can also order a “Quarter of a Beef”, about 105 pounds. You do not have cutting options, but we will try to meet your individual request. You would receive representative cuts of a whole beef. A deposit is required.
Special Orders
We take special orders for special cuts. One of our customers wants her New York Strip Steaks cut three-fourths of an inch. Around Thanksgiving we get orders for “Standing Rib Roast”. Some orders we can handle quickly, others take a little longer, depending on the number of steers we have being processed. A deposit is usually required.