1/2 a beef questions

[Jokerswild!]

Buying half a beef this spring. Wondering as a smoker..how do I have my cuts done to not screw op some good smoking cuts? Ill request the tri tip if my butcher in the midwest knows what it even is. Save the Brisket. Ribs.. I kow nothing of beef ribs. Chuck roasts for barabaco, the cheeks as well. Other thoughts?

 

[indaswamp]

navel for pastrami....

 

[indaswamp]

shanks for osso bucco...

 

[schlotz]

Chuck Plate Ribs - 4 bones to smoke up some great Dino Bones. You also want the picanha also known as the sirloin cap or culotte. That one take a good knowledgable butcher. Another cut many bypass is what most call a Denver steak.

 

[BigW.]

Look for a cut sheet, that is what you use to make your choices. I'd add ox tail and tongue as other options to get. Decide how thick you want your steaks, roast size etc. Would you rather have t-bones or separate new york strips/filets? Rib-eyes or Prime Rib? Most butchers will do short ribs instead of plate ribs as mentioned above unless you request it. I'd do plate for sure.

 

[chopsaw]

Look for a cut sheet, that is what you use to make your choices.

Yup . That's where you start . Keep in mind that some of the cuts cross over into others .
So you'll get one or the other from a half .
Like the underblade gets cut into Denver steaks or Denver roasts .

 

[Ishi]

Hanger steaks, flank, skirt, bavette, like you said if they know how to get the tri tip out. Another one is beef back ribs which I really enjoy! Could also get flat iron steaks.

 

[DougE]

The processor will do a cut sheet with you. If they are good and you are a first timer, they will walk you through the process and maybe make suggestions you haven't thought of as you go.

 

[DougE]

Last beef I had processed, I did boneless ribeyes,1 in thick, NY strips, also 1 in. thick, Filet Mignon. Kept the chucks, brisket, and tri-tip, but had the rest ground.

Oh, also kept some of the trim as stew meat. Asked for a rack of beef ribs (like dinos) but our wires got crossed and I got packs of short ribs back, but they will still cook up fine

 

[Jokerswild!]

Buying half a beef this spring. Wondering as a smoker..how do I have my cuts done to not screw op some good smoking cuts? Ill request the tri tip if my butcher in the midwest knows what it even is. Save the Brisket. Ribs.. I kow nothing of beef ribs. Chuck roasts for barabaco, the cheeks as well. Other thoughts?

Great Posts guys. Never heard of bavette before

 

[DougE]

Great Posts guys. Never heard of bavette before

The processor may not have, either lol. One I use is hip on the latest cuts such as tri-tip, etc. The others are more old school.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Alot of great answers here, but I'm going in another direction... bones. Either treats for dogs if you have any... or can be roasted for stock and what not. Some other things that some might turn their nose up at... tongue, heart, liver, ox tail, beef fat for making tallow.

Ryan

 

[Fueling Around]

How is the beef arriving to the butcher?
If they do the kill you can negotiate for heart, tongue, liver, tail, caul fat, and the cheeks.
If they buy it hanging half you're screwed out of everything I listed.
Good luck on getting the cuts you want.

Typing too slow and Ryan Brokenhandle beat me to my next suggestion either kill or hanging is to keep all the leg bones. Spine bone is not worth keeping.

I'm not a fan of beef ribs so make sure you want to keep them

 

[DougE]

Alot of great answers here, but I'm going in another direction... bones. Either treats for dogs if you have any... or can be roasted for stock and what not. Some other things that some might turn their nose up at... tongue, heart, liver, ox tail, beef fat for making tallow.

Ryan

No argument from me, but there are just some parts I don't care for and some I can't bring myself to try. I give those to people who will eat them, so nothing goes to waste.

 

[DougE]

Either treats for dogs if you have any...

Guaranteed fight with maybe blood drawn if I were to give my dogs real bones. Did that once and they liked to have killed each other before I managed to take the bones away from them.

Each thought the bone the other had was better and commenced to fighting over them lol.

 

[Jokerswild!]

How is the beef arriving to the butcher?
If they do the kill you can negotiate for heart, tongue, liver, tail, caul fat, and the cheeks.
If they buy it hanging half you're screwed out of everything I listed.
Good luck on getting the cuts you want.

Typing too slow and Ryan Brokenhandle beat me to my next suggestion either kill or hanging is to keep all the leg bones. Spine bone is not worth keeping.

I'm not a fan of beef ribs so make sure you want to keep them

I believe the butcher is doing the kill. My buddy is a pro dog trainer with acres where he raises hay for his field trial horses and grain for his bird hunt grounds. So he raises a few beef each year as a side benefit. Im part owner so I have dibs if I want one. Weve done hogs and those I butcher on my own. I cow is a bit much! So this year Im in on a half a beef. They will go from our property right to the butcher. The butcher raises livestock on site, and butchers for their store. So I didnt ask, but Im assuming they are the kill plant/butcher plant.

Good thoughts. I work with deer heart. Liver, its been awhile since I've monkied with that. Maybe some Braunschweiger. CAUL FAT! I forgot about that. Good call( no pun intended!) Cheeks for barabacoa. I assumed that was included regardless. But probably not if a shop is having halves delivered? Tongue. I havent worked with that since I was a kid.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I believe the butcher is doing the kill. My buddy is a pro dog trainer with acres where he raises hay for his field trial horses and grain for his bird hunt grounds. So he raises a few beef each year as a side benefit. Im part owner so I have dibs if I want one. Weve done hogs and those I butcher on my own. I cow is a bit much! So this year Im in on a half a beef. They will go from our property right to the butcher. The butcher raises livestock on site, and butchers for their store. So I didnt ask, but Im assuming they are the kill plant/butcher plant.

Good thoughts. I work with deer heart. Liver, its been awhile since I've monkied with that. Maybe some Braunschweiger. CAUL FAT! I forgot about that. Good call( no pun intended!) Cheeks for barabacoa. I assumed that was included regardless. But probably not if a shop is having halves delivered? Tongue. I havent worked with that since I was a kid.

Good questions to talk to butcher about, and go through a cut sheet as mentioned earlier. I wouldn't assume anything... as in the beef cheeks... for most it probably goes into the grind for burger.

Ryan

 

[Fueling Around]

hanging halves are throat down due to concern with transmitting mad cow disease from the brain matter and spinal column.

 

[Jokerswild!]

hanging halves are throat down due to concern with transmitting mad cow disease from the brain matter and spinal column.

good info

 

[edmonds]

I love beef ribs. You can get a slab of back ribs if you opt for boneless ribeye steaks. Or you could get a standing rib roast (maybe 2- or 3-bone size) and have the rest cut into ribeye steaks.
I suggest whole plate ribs (dino bones), which can be in either 2- or 3-bone sections (or up to 7-bone if you want to look impressive). However, navel (good for beef bacon) comes from the same area and you have to choose.
Ask for 3-bone sections of short ribs from chuck/brisket. Or have them cut Flanken style if you prefer.
Get 3/4" sirloin steaks and top round steaks. For roasts you have chuck and arm roasts.
Shanks can be cross-cut into steaks (osso buco or stock). Or you could get one leg cross-cut and the other whole for smoking.
If they are willing to share or cut ion half, oxtail and neck (soup) bones make excellent stock.
You should be able to get one each of flank steak, tri tip, brisket, outside skirt steak (maybe inside also but not as tender).
You probably won't be able to get the hanger steak.
Ask them to hang 10-14 days if they will.