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Beef

Sometimes. There’s only so much you can do to a chewy steak. The issue some people have told me they’ve had with WalMart meat at times was an off flavor.

My grandkids have eaten almost exclusively my own home raised hamburger and won’t eat Costco hamburger. 🤷‍♂️
You are not doing smashburgers are you? You could use gerbil meat and if you smash them, it would be the best thing they ever had.
 
Sometimes. There’s only so much you can do to a chewy steak. The issue some people have told me they’ve had with WalMart meat at times was an off flavor.

My grandkids have eaten almost exclusively my own home raised hamburger and won’t eat Costco hamburger. 🤷‍♂️
I buy hamburger from a local butcher shop because it’s only about $1 more per pound than the supermarket and way, way, way better. But supermarkets have to move large volumes of beef at certain price points, so I wouldn’t expect their meat case to replicate the quality of the butcher shop.

I know Costco carries high-end briskets and some other higher-quality cuts, but I don’t anything about their ground beef.
 
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I enjoy making vegans (to a lesser degree vegetarians, depends on the person) watch me eat a steak. When we go out to dinner, whether it’s for work, family or friends, if I find out there’s a vegan/vegetarian in the group I order huge steak every time. I could’ve been in the mood for a nice spring salad or pasta dish, but the second I hear some twat say “I’m a vegan” it’s ribeye time baby! It’s the little things in life really… 🙂
If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat ...
 
Sometimes. There’s only so much you can do to a chewy steak. The issue some people have told me they’ve had with WalMart meat at times was an off flavor.

My grandkids have eaten almost exclusively my own home raised hamburger and won’t eat Costco hamburger. 🤷‍♂️
I bought a Walmart steak once when I was 19 and haven’t purchased meat from there since. Growing up, we had a full size freezer in the basement with our own cows in it.
 
I think this is probably the most fair stament.

95% would not know.

Like...mixing Barton's with Sprite and Mixing Tito's with Sprite...you are not gonna notice...most of us.
Oh gawd. I remember buying handles of Barton’s in my youth for $8.99 🤮
 
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I would like to get an idea of what most of you all are paying for the average per pound. I got a half and hanging weight was 440 (not sure what % is lost after processing). Waiting to hear what my cost will be, but am curious what others are averaging.
 
I would like to get an idea of what most of you all are paying for the average per pound. I got a half and hanging weight was 440 (not sure what % is lost after processing). Waiting to hear what my cost will be, but am curious what others are averaging.
On a good animal hanging should be 62% of live weight and 62% of hanging weight after processing. Says my Amish butcher.
 
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Your enthusiasm for quality meat is infectious! I totally get where you’re coming from. I remember the first time I bought directly from a ranch—it was a game-changer. I stumbled upon this quaint family-run place in the heart of Nebraska. The experience was so personal; they even gave me a tour of the farm. The meat was unbelievably fresh, and knowing exactly where it came from gave me a newfound appreciation for every bite. Speaking of quality, have you ever tried making Healo Broth with your grass-raised, grain-finished beef bones? It takes homemade soup to a whole new level of nourishment and flavor.
 
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Also get a temperature alarm for that deep freeze if you're putting a bunch of meat in there.

Cheap insurance.

Won't tell you how I know.
 
I remember getting some grass fed beef from my then BIL farmer. At first the steaks were so aromatic & richly flavored I feared the meat was bad. After several bites my palate adjusted and I realized I was eating pure excellence.

I quit buying a side or quarter of meat from lockers & such many years ago. After one bad experience of totally bland meat I never wanted to end up with that much meat in my freezer ever again.

If God had intended us to be vegan he wouldn't have created grass fed beef.
 
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It’s one thing to be an annoying Vegan snob….i prefer being a meat snob, and being very selective where my meat is sourced.

Anybody ever bought direct from ranch?

I nerd out on this sort of thing, have a deep freeze, etc. the cost per quality pound is a true life hack as opposed to buying meat from grocery stores (****ing gross).

What are some good ranches in Nebraska? Imagine Western NE has some real gems.

I just ordered a 1/4 grass raised/grain finished cow from what is known as a top ranch in Phoenix metro. They also dry hang and age for 21 days the carcass before they do the cuts, which makes it impossible the meat is infected, and pulls out the extra water weight from your meat, and puts a massive win in the taste per bite category.

On a level from 1-10, I’m an 11 for getting this stuff on my freezer and putting on my BGE.
Look up Smith Farms out of Cozad Nebraska. Great meat.
 
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Sometimes. There’s only so much you can do to a chewy steak. The issue some people have told me they’ve had with WalMart meat at times was an off flavor.

My grandkids have eaten almost exclusively my own home raised hamburger and won’t eat Costco hamburger. 🤷‍♂️
Which is bizarre because if they knew where that hamburger came from, they would gladly eat it.

I’m literally standing at the counter mulling over some prime 7 bone rib loins Trying to decide which one I wanted when from out of know where one of the meat cutters comes out and gathers every thing in the counter in front of me and starts hauling it to the cut room.... I screamed HEY!!!

He exclaims, not to worry, I’m bringing fresh out now. Well, what are you doing with that then? This will be ground up for our hamburger. I truly think I died that day.
Watched with my own two eyes as they slit the bags open and dumped them into the grinder, along with tenderloins and strip loins. All of which were prime cuts. 😳
 
I enjoy making vegans (to a lesser degree vegetarians, depends on the person) watch me eat a steak. When we go out to dinner, whether it’s for work, family or friends, if I find out there’s a vegan/vegetarian in the group I order huge steak every time. I could’ve been in the mood for a nice spring salad or pasta dish, but the second I hear some twat say “I’m a vegan” it’s ribeye time baby! It’s the little things in life really… 🙂
Question: If steaks on the grill makes a beef lover's mouth drool, does mowing my yard make a vegan salivate?
 
I remember getting some grass fed beef from my then BIL farmer. At first the steaks were so aromatic & richly flavored I feared the meat was bad. After several bites my palate adjusted and I realized I was eating pure excellence.

I quit buying a side or quarter of meat from lockers & such many years ago. After one bad experience of totally bland meat I never wanted to end up with that much meat in my freezer ever again.

If God had intended us to be vegan he wouldn't have created grass fed beef.
You know how you can tell when a steak goes bad?


It is carrying a switchblade and has a ski mask on.
 
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Den's in Table Rock, Pelican in Johnson. Not sure if Jack's in Falls City is still open. He died a couple years ago and don't know if anyone took over.
 
Which is bizarre because if they knew where that hamburger came from, they would gladly eat it.

I’m literally standing at the counter mulling over some prime 7 bone rib loins Trying to decide which one I wanted when from out of know where one of the meat cutters comes out and gathers every thing in the counter in front of me and starts hauling it to the cut room.... I screamed HEY!!!

He exclaims, not to worry, I’m bringing fresh out now. Well, what are you doing with that then? This will be ground up for our hamburger. I truly think I died that day.
Watched with my own two eyes as they slit the bags open and dumped them into the grinder, along with tenderloins and strip loins. All of which were prime cuts. 😳
As long as you were ready to cook them within a couple of days, you should have asked him to sell you some at a discount. A little wet-aging would have made them even better.
 
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As long as you were ready to cook them within a couple of days, you should have asked him to sell you some at a discount. A little wet-aging would have made them even better.
True. Unless they were really needing ground beef, they would have been a lot better to have split the difference rather than grind
 
Which is bizarre because if they knew where that hamburger came from, they would gladly eat it.

I’m literally standing at the counter mulling over some prime 7 bone rib loins Trying to decide which one I wanted when from out of know where one of the meat cutters comes out and gathers every thing in the counter in front of me and starts hauling it to the cut room.... I screamed HEY!!!

He exclaims, not to worry, I’m bringing fresh out now. Well, what are you doing with that then? This will be ground up for our hamburger. I truly think I died that day.
Watched with my own two eyes as they slit the bags open and dumped them into the grinder, along with tenderloins and strip loins. All of which were prime cuts. 😳
And those steaks would have likely been a little more tender because of a few more days in the case…,.
 
As long as you were ready to cook them within a couple of days, you should have asked him to sell you some at a discount. A little wet-aging would have made them even better.
Our family owned a meat locker in Pickerel for 30+years. I’m well aware how tasty the green (counter) meat can be.😂 the discoloration in the meat is just the enzymes breaking the proteins down, thus making it more tender and tasty. The butchers secret..

But it’s impossible to convince people otherwise. Growing up, that’s all we got.

If the vacuum seal isn’t broken, I always go at minimum 45 up to 60 days wet aged in the fridge.
 
True! When my dad was in Korea, he was invited to eat with a local family. He didn’t know until later that dog was served. He said it wasn’t bad but wouldn’t have tried it if he would have known that it was dog.
A friend was having supper with a Lakota neighbor back in the 60s. They were having stew. When the man of the house dished up his own stew he said “Dig deep. Puppy in bottom”. 😳
 
It’s one thing to be an annoying Vegan snob….i prefer being a meat snob, and being very selective where my meat is sourced.

Anybody ever bought direct from ranch?

I nerd out on this sort of thing, have a deep freeze, etc. the cost per quality pound is a true life hack as opposed to buying meat from grocery stores (****ing gross).

What are some good ranches in Nebraska? Imagine Western NE has some real gems.

I just ordered a 1/4 grass raised/grain finished cow from what is known as a top ranch in Phoenix metro. They also dry hang and age for 21 days the carcass before they do the cuts, which makes it impossible the meat is infected, and pulls out the extra water weight from your meat, and puts a massive win in the taste per bite category.

On a level from 1-10, I’m an 11 for getting this stuff on my freezer and putting on my BGE.
I don't get grass fed beef. Its just not that good. A fad I guess like everything else.
 
Our family owned a meat locker in Pickerel for 30+years. I’m well aware how tasty the green (counter) meat can be.😂 the discoloration in the meat is just the enzymes breaking the proteins down, thus making it more tender and tasty. The butchers secret..

But it’s impossible to convince people otherwise. Growing up, that’s all we got.

If the vacuum seal isn’t broken, I always go at minimum 45 up to 60 days wet aged in the fridge.
I suggest you watch some Guga on YouTube. Dude dry ages and more steaks in the craziest ways imaginable.
 
Always grass fed ours and finished in the lot. Always tasted great to me but I'm also not a guy who orders a steak when out. Hard to pay a restaurant for a steak when you have a freezer full of Nebraska steaks.
 
This^^^^

Personally I would look for a smaller family cattle feeding operation that has a great track record of producing highly graded cattle. The Choice grade by itself doesn't really tell you that much, because it covers everything from just-barely-graded-Choice to almost-but-not-quite-Prime. But if a feedlot is selling fed steers to some of the good branded programs, it's producing upper-half or upper-1/3 Choice. That beef will be a big upgrade from what's in most grocery stores.
I always buy the upper 2/3 angus. Turn some friends on to it and they will buy nothing else. You are right about choice, changed the grading so now a large range from near select to higher.
 
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