Spent some time with the butcher

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schlotz

Master of the Pit
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Jan 13, 2015
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Coatesville, IN
As some of you know our daughter and her husband raise pureblood & fullblood wagyu cattle and sell their meat at some higher end weekend markets around the area along with some shipping of orders off their website. They recently struck a deal with a local butcher which will make their business more profitable in that they no longer have to travel far distances or pay to have processed meat shipped back. Today they asked her to come down, watch and provide input on specific speciality cuts she requires on top of the usual ones. Lucky for me I got to tag along and watch the whole process from carcass to finished product. Cold room as suspected but the artistry involved to take apart a carcass in the proper order to maximize each of the necessary cuts was simply amazing. Here are a few photos:

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Want to point out the skirt steak prep. This work is being done by a 14 (?) year old apprentice who's knife skills & dexterity is nothing short of amazing. It's really nice to see someone coming up in the trade, which has actually been dwindling in recent years. The steer was graded out to be A4 which has to do with how they view a specific section of the ribeye. Needless to say this is very special meat that comes with a price befitting the effort put into raising the 31 month old steer.

Once cut and prepped, each piece is individually vacuum packed weight and labeled. Nothing goes to waste. Scrap bones and pieces are moved to another table where the meat is painstakingly removed and used with other parts for hamburger. Even the fat is saved and bagged. They have buyers wanting it to mix with deer meat for sausages etc. A number of the organs are also harvested and sold.

The business of raising cattle, selling beef and making a profit with it is a tough & demanding way of life. These kids watch their expenses to the penny and after (4-5 years) getting the herd to a sustainable size are now starting to generate a profit for their continued hard work. Just an FYI, we don't take any advantage of their business. We pay the same as all the other customers because we don't believe in taking money away from what's needed to support their family. After all of the morning's activities I got to spend a nice time at lunch with the daughter. Now that's what matters 😉.
 
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Nice. If I ever win the Powerball and get to quit my job I'd go into butchery, I've always wanted to shadow one just for a day, that's awesome you got to do that.

The butcher clearly knows his stuff and from my screen, the stuff your kids are raising is A5 (haha little Wagyu humor there).

I can only imagine how tough that industry is right now, and glad to hear they're taking profits. You clearly did something right! Good on them.
 
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WOW , great story and that would be a lot of cool ( cold ) fun to watch. Congrats to your kids on making it work, and I know it is a lot of work.

That is a great picture of the marbled beef. I was gifted some great Wagyu beef and hoping to do some in the next few weeks.

And like you said spending the day with your daughter and seeing the inside finishing track of her business , just great.

David
 
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Nice. If I ever win the Powerball and get to quit my job I'd go into butchery, I've always wanted to shadow one just for a day, that's awesome you got to do that.

The butcher clearly knows his stuff and from my screen, the stuff your kids are raising is A5 (haha little Wagyu humor there).

I can only imagine how tough that industry is right now, and glad to hear they're taking profits. You clearly did something right! Good on them.

Yes, we are very proud of them. They choose this life and are making it work. Appreciate the kind words, thanks!
Thanks for sharing the experience and photos. The beef looks gorgeous!

Dave

This steer was sired by their bull Kato (they have three right now), and he's responsible (well the mom's have an equal part) in producing such great meat. Thanks for dropping by Dave!

WOW , great story and that would be a lot of cool ( cold ) fun to watch. Congrats to your kids on making it work, and I know it is a lot of work.

That is a great picture of the marbled beef. I was gifted some great Wagyu beef and hoping to do some in the next few weeks.

And like you said spending the day with your daughter and seeing the inside finishing track of her business , just great.

David

Thanks Dave, really appreciate the comment!

What a great experience that must've been.

Definitely worth the 1 1/2 hr trip and was a lot of fun. That crew down there is a hoot, they're always cracking each other up but that keeps things lively given all the hard work they do. Turned out she needed the photos in a square format to use on their hosted website. After editing the photos I have a better understanding of what to do for the next go if she still needs some specific photos.

Just Wow!

Thanks Brian!


Outstanding, an awesome path to success. I don't know what or how they ship, could you post their website so I can check it out.

Thanks! Believe their last shipment actually went to a fellow Ranger out west. PM me and I'll get you their info.
 
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Matt , I really enjoy seeing these threads . Keep them coming , or updated please .
Great looking product as well .
I break down my fare share of beef primals . I watch some processing videos to see what cuts come from where . I also take note of how these guys hold their knives and how they mostly use just the tip , and their hands to separate the different sections .
the artistry involved to take apart a carcass in the proper order to maximize each of the necessary cuts was simply amazing.
It's impressive . The uniform size and weight of the cuts . All calculated to control waste as you mentioned .

Congrats to your Daughter and Son in law for doing what they love .
 
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Matt , I really enjoy seeing these threads . Keep them coming , or updated please .
Great looking product as well .
I break down my fare share of beef primals . I watch some processing videos to see what cuts come from where . I also take note of how these guys hold their knives and how they mostly use just the tip , and their hands to separate the different sections .

It's impressive . The uniform size and weight of the cuts . All calculated to control waste as you mentioned .

Congrats to your Daughter and Son in law for doing what they love .

Much appreciated Rich! It was an impressive trip and well spent time with our daughter. The best part was seeing that small young boy doing the trimming out of the skirt steaks. Kind of seeing the future as it unfolds.
 
Great thread, thanks for taking us along!
And it's great to see someone from the younger generation coming up in this business. Within 30 miles of us we have 3 new facilities with a 4th one being bought from a retiring couple... all since covid. Talked to one of them a couple days ago at a farm show, he said they could butcher an animal next week if needed... much better than being over a year out.

Ryan
 
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Man what a great trip and learning experience. And the close up showing the marbling is gorgeous! And DM me the website also....I'd like to check it out.

Jim
 
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Great thread, thanks for taking us along!
And it's great to see someone from the younger generation coming up in this business. Within 30 miles of us we have 3 new facilities with a 4th one being bought from a retiring couple... all since covid. Talked to one of them a couple days ago at a farm show, he said they could butcher an animal next week if needed... much better than being over a year out.

Ryan
Thanks Ryan! Wow, that certainly is different having multiple processing businesses in proximity so to speak. Not like that out here. Just over a year ago getting on someones calendar to process was a challenge. So much so they had to go out of state. It has improved since then. This processor is somewhat new to the area although has plenty of experience. The kids have forged a good working relationship with them and as you might expect that can go along way when it comes to getting in line.

Man what a great trip and learning experience. And the close up showing the marbling is gorgeous! And DM me the website also....I'd like to check it out.

Jim

Sent you a PM Jim

S, Wow,those steaks look incredible and quite edible :) !
We do partake on occasion some of those incredible cuts. The flavor is beyond compare.
Thanks for stopping by!
 
Epic thread for sure! Thanks a million for sharing the experience and great photos.
 
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