What is dry-aging?
Dry-aging is an intensive and extensive way to age beef, and is the aging choice of most high end restaurants who serve beef. We choose this method in order to provide you with very tender, extremely flavourful beef. For a more detailed explanation of dry-aging click here.What is the "dressed" or "hanging" weight?
The first thing I think of when I hear about a cow's "dressed weight" is a picture of cows wearing sweaters and hats, but sadly, that is not the case. Dressed weight (sometimes called hanging weight), refers to the weight of the animal after it is harvested (rid of the majority of fat, organs, bones, and inedible pieces), but before the butcher trims it into individual cuts.Is the dressed weight used for pricing all of your beef?
No. The industrial standard is to use the dressed weight for purchasing beef in bulk only (i.e. quarters and sides). In contrast, when you buy individual cuts, the industrial standard is to use the cut-weight (i.e. the price of the final individual cut). Now here's where it gets tricky: sometimes beef is priced at a fixed rate. For example, a small combination of individual cuts (i.e. a 30lb variety box), is calculated at a fixed rate.Why do we use the dressed weight in calculating Bulk Beef prices?
It's the industry standard. Truth be told I don't get it (at all – it just doesn’t seem logical to me, but I am sure that whoever decided that it had to be this way did so for a reason).What I do know is that if we didn’t price our beef in bulk using the industry standard you would not have an accurate way to compare prices between us and other beef producers.How much loss does the dress weight account for when you purchase a quarter or side?
When the butcher is doing his thing – which includes cutting out more fat and bones, there is approximately a 20% difference between the dressed (hanging) weight, and the actual weight you take home.Does dry-aging else factor into the weight or cost of the Bulk Beef?
Dry-aging effects the weight of the final product you bring home. When beef is dry-aged there is an additional loss of 10-15% in water weight while it is hanging. What this means is that instead of moisture being lost during the cooking process as is the case with most retail beef, when you dry-age that moisture loss is accounted for before you cook it. You'll notice that when you cook our beef it doesn't really shrink, and that's the difference. The concept is similar to that of purchasing dried fruit; whether you buy a grape or a raisin, you still have to pay for the entire piece of fruit.Where do we process or beef?
We use a local, and very skilled, government inspected butcher. We tried a several different butchers before ultimately choosing Homestyle Meats for butchering. They are a cut above the rest for sure (yes, I can hear you groaning and I'm still keeping the pun)!
Do we deliver?
At this time we do not offer delivery. Once you've placed your order, we'll send you all the particulars, and arrange a time that works for pick-up.Can I get my beef shipped to another city?
For those purchasing a quarter or side in Ontario, we are happy to arrange to have our local refrigerated trucking company, Erb Transport, deliver your beef to you house or to one of their many depots in Ontario. We don't charge fees for this service, but you will be responsible for the cost of the trucking.Do you sell organ meats?
When you purchase a quarter or a side, you can choose to have some of the organ meats as well, at no cost. We are happy to offer you some liver, tongue, and/or heart with your quarter or side. Supply is limited though (there's only one heart in one cow after all!).Do you have to take the organ meats? No, not at all. On the other hand, if you'd like organ meats from others who choose not to accept them who share the same harvest, you are welcome to have some of the rest as well.
Paper, plastic, or Vacuseal?
Much like Christmas, we've discovered that some people are particularly particular about wrapping, and that's just fine for us. For the record, we use paper for everything but ground beef, which comes in plastic bags. However, if you would like your beef to be Vacusealed, the butcher will do this for us at an additional cost. Contact us if you'd like a quote for this type of packaging.Will my beef already be frozen when I pick it up?
Yes. It is frozen immediately after butchering to ensure its freshness, as well as your safety.Important: If you've just purchased a freezer don't forget to pre-chill it. Turn it as low as it will go, and let it chill for 12-24hours before using it.
How much freezer space will you need for your beef?
Well, the good news is that our butcher is very efficient when it comes to packaging well. We've included the breakdown of the space you'll need in your freezer based on the size of the boxesBurger Boxes are approximately 4" x 15" x 11" in size
Summer Sausage (by the stick), is approximately 10" x 3" in size
30lb Variety Box is a total of one box, approximate 15" x 14" x 9" in size
Quarters and Sides - each box is approximately 15"x14"x9" in size, and you will get 3 jam packed boxes for a quarter (occasionally a fourth box depending on the size of the steer), and 6 boxes for a side.
Do we have a guarantee?
Please contact us should you have any concerns about your beef. We want to make sure you have great tasting beef, and a great experience with our products and services.When do I know that my beef is cooked to perfection?
As you know some people like their beef done, well-done, and other hybrids of done-ness. Whatever your preference, the best and safest way to know when your beef is cooked to perfection is to use a cooking thermometer.To ensure you are taking the temperature correctly, the thermometer should be inserted all the way to the center at the thickest part of the beef without touching the bone.
Medium-rare 145°F (63°C)
Medium 160°F (71°C)
Well-Done 170°F (77°C)
How do I carve a roast?
We recognize that carving a roast can be intimidating for some, understandably. If you want the most tender roast possible, there are a few simple rules that will serve you well with the carving process.1) Rest it.
Let the roast rest for 10 minutes. It's easy to rush this progress when your nose is doing its best to convince you that it is time to eat this delectable meal - but don't skip it! Letting the roast sit for 10 minutes allows the moisture to be reabsorbed into the roast following the cooking process.2) Choose the best orientation before cutting (aka cut across the grain).
You'll want to cut the beef across the grain to ensure its tenderness is maximized. When you cut against the grain, you're letting the knife do the chewing of the muscle bundles rather than your teeth. If your roast is tied with butcher string, cut in the same direction as the string. For a more in-depth look at this website does a great job of the "why's" and "how-to's" for cutting against the grain. Note: his writing can be a little unorthodox, but we do like and agree with the beef related content.3) The thinner the better.
In order to maintain an optimal amount of tenderness, the beef should stay as moist as possible. Cutting the slices thinner allows for more reabsorption of its juices.If you prefer a video format, "Love Canadian Beef" has released some great videos, one of which is The Backstory: Cross Rib Pot Roast.
How soon after ordering can I pick up my quarter or side?
As we continue to grow our farm business, we are able to introduce more harvests every year, which means that now more than ever, there are more opportunities for you to purchase beef when you are ready to do so. However, there are a few factors that determine when your beef will be ready for pick-up:1) Maturity.
We do our best to predict exactly when our cattle will be ready for harvesting, but it is a bit more of an art than science. Since we don't use growth hormones, sometimes cattle need a little extra time to get to the perfect size to ensure the quality of the beef your are purchasing.2) Harvesting.
The readiness of the cattle has to coincide with the availability of the butcher, and we neither do we ever want to compromise on freshness.3) Customization.
We cannot customize your quarter or side after the butcher has completed his work.How soon after ordering can I pick up my 30lb variety boxes?
As we continue to grow our farm business, we are able to introduce more harvests every year, which means that now more than ever, there are more opportunities for you to purchase beef when you are ready to do so. We do our best to keep variety boxes on hand, but we also refuse to compromise on freshness, so we never overstock. We hope you'll agree that there is worth in waiting for the great things in life.If our beef is of such great quality, why doesn't it cost more than beef at the grocery store?
Well, the top 4 factors that allow us to keep our prices down are:1. With very few exceptions, we breed and raise our own beef
2. Our primary source of feed for our cattle is grown by us at our farm
3. By selling to you directly from the farm (and without staff or a storefront) we are able to cut out the proverbial middleman
4. We don't sell individual cuts, except on occasion when we have a surplus of ground beef, which keeps the butcher's fee and packaging costs down
