Custom Butchered Whole Steer
Buying FAQ
We have purchased a whole beef share before from another rancher. We purchased based off hanging weight (or dress / carcass weight) Why do you offer your beef based on actual meat weight?
We have spent the past 5 years listening to customer feedback on the typical whole cow buying process and decided there was a better way. Ordering a whole beef is a major purchase and each customer order is curated on a case by case basis. Most farm to customer direct sales of beef shares are presented for sale based on the hanging weight, also referred to as rail weight, dress, or carcass weight. We do not like to quote based on hanging weight because there is a big gray area as to what exactly the customer is physically putting in their freezer. Yields vary greatly from farm to farm and even steer to steer, and are typically dependent on the customers butchering preference, how long it is dry aged, and even the breed and age of the exact animal....these can greatly affect yields after the hanging weight is quoted. The way we present the beef share is clear....this is what you are actually putting in your freezer based on your exact butchering preferences and our farming practices. We feel with such a large purchase, customers should know exactly what they paid to fill the family freezer with a year’s supply of the most flavorful, nutrient dense chemical free beef available. You get all the cuts, butchered in similar fashion to what you buy from a local butcher. The steaks are trimmed up properly and not left unpresentable in a effort to pack on the actual meat weight. It is clear at the time of delivery what you are getting and how much it cost you pound for pound.
Customers can still dial in exactly what they want down to each individual cut. You still get the suet, heart, tongue, liver etc.
How much meat do I get from a grass fattened pastured steer, and how much does it cost?
Our steers are typically butchered at 36 months with an ‘only butcher when ready’ mentality. It takes 3 years on high protein forage to get proper marbling without grain feeding. Dress weight, also known as hanging weight, or rail weight, is described as the weight of the steer minus the head, the hide, and the guts other than major organs. Our typical 1,600 lb live-weight steer will yield approximately 800-880 lbs of hanging (carcass) weight after processing. After aging, trimming, and cutting, customers can expect approximately 400-450 lbs of packaged, ready to eat beef. Actual yields vary depending on the animal’s size and fat cover, time of year it was processed, our extended aging time, and how the customer wants the beef cut and packaged. On average, dressed weight is 50-55% of live weight, and packaged weight is 50-55% dressed weight. The current price for a half steer or whole steer is $17.50 per pound calculated off actual meat weight.
There is a $2000 deposit for whole steers and a $1000 deposit on half steers, with the balance due once actual meat weight is confirmed. To initiate an order for a beef share, start here: Half & Whole Beef Shares.
How long will it take to get my custom cut beef?
Our steers hang for at least 28 days prior to final packaging and flash freezing. You may notice that most direct to consumer ranches either do not state how long they age their beef or its a standard 2 week aging. We believe there are only 2 reasons for the 2 week number: the processor does not have room to age longer or the animal is on the smaller side. Our steers are butchered when fat and not at a set time. therefore they are quite large, especially for a grain free animal. Dry aging for 4 weeks allows the meat to lose more water and become more tender, and enhances the favorable flavors of the beef. Aging is very important. Because of our longer aging period, custom butchered steers are currently running a lead time from finalized cut list to delivery at 7 weeks. This assumes a timely turnaround for us to get the completed and signed off custom butcher cut list. It is perfectly fine if it takes you longer to complete it, but please understand the clock can’t start until we know exactly what you ordered and how you want it.
How much freezer space will I need for a whole cow?
A whole cow fits comfortably in a 16 cubic foot chest freezer. You can usually squeeze it into a 14 cubic foot but you will not have room to find anything.
Do you offer local delivery?
Yes, we do. We deliver up to 150 mile radius from the farm. Delivery is $150 or $3 per loaded mile based on distance from the farm. Contact us for more information about setting up local delivery.
Do you have a standard cut list or what cuts am I able to get?
One can get every single cut from the animal, or the whole cow can be ground as the most amazing hamburger. We offer total flexibility. We do have a custom butchering cut list which can be found here: Fillable Custom Butcher Cut Sheet.
I want to try your beef first before making a sizable investment, Can I order individual cuts or curated boxes?
Yes, sign up for the Apeiron Farms Food Club for access to our shopping cart for configurable protein boxes and individual cut availability.
What if I want the full monty, including beef custom butchered, suet rendered into tallow, organs converted to freeze dried capsules, and beef bones turned into the most nutrient dense beef bone broth?
Yes, we can offer this! We have a few customers who have asked this question as they saw we have all these items available. Please contact us if this is interesting to you, we will work it out case by case as each animal is a little different.
Do you ship whole cows?
Yes, we do. All over the country. All freight is worked out on a per order basis and provided on our deposit invoice. Contact us for more information on freezer truck deliver. We do not ship beef shares via UPS or FEDEX because they are too unreliable.
Can you pick up and get a tour of the farm?
Yes! This is our preferred option! We love to show our customers what we are up to here. Please do pay us a visit! It is a beautiful drive!