What You Get With 1/4 Beef

Buying in bulk can be daunting but I promise you the benefits outweigh the risks. I am here to walk you thorough the process, explain what comes with 1/4 beef, and how it saves you money.

You will love the convenience and peace of mind that comes along with having your own 1/4 beef in your freezer.

A quarter is not the only bulk beef you can buy though! It comes in eighths, halves and wholes also.

So let me explain the differences:

Quarters:

• A quarter beef is recommended for families with 1-2 adults and small children, as long as you also eat other proteins like chicken, pork, lamb, eggs, otherwise you may need a half.

• Will easily fit into a 5-7 cubic foot chest freezer or would take up a quarter of small upright freezer.

• Includes a variety of steaks, roasts, ground beef, organ meat and bones.

• Customizable with how thick you want your steaks, how many per package and roast package size.

• Hanging weight of a quarter ranges between 125-200 pounds, and packaged weight ranges between 90-150 pounds. If you need clarification on the different weights read this: 3 Types of Weights

• You save about $100 buying a quarter verses buying the individual cuts that would come in a quarter. You end up paying about $9/lb for all the cuts across the board, which is the price of our least expensive cut: ground beef. So you are getting the prime cuts like New York Steaks or Ribeye Steaks, which are normally valued at $23-$25/lb for ground beef price, $9/lb.

Here are the typical cuts that come in a quarter beef:

(4-6) Ribeye Steaks

(1-2) Tenderloin Steaks

(2-4) T-Bone Steaks (or New York Steaks + Tenderloin)

(1-2) Sirloin Tip Steaks

(2-3) Top Sirloin Steaks

(1-2) Cross Rib Roasts

(2-3) Top Round Roasts

(4-5) Chuck Roasts

(1-2) Short Ribs

(1-2) bags of broth bones

(40-50) Ground Beef

(2-3) Osso Bucco (aka Beef Shanks)

(1-2) packages liver

---

Halves:

• Buying a half you save about $200. You end up paying about $9/lb for all the cuts across the board, which is the price of our least expensive cut-ground beef. So you are getting the prime cuts like New York, Tenderloin and Ribeye Steaks, which are normally valued at $23-$30/lb for ground beef price, $9/lb.

• Recommended for families with 2 adults and 2+ middle school or high school age kids. Also great for families who do not eat other meats such as pork, lamb or chicken.

• With a half beef you double all the cuts above plus:

(1-2) Brisket

(1) Flank Steak

(1) Tri Tip Roast

(2) Skirt Steaks

(1-2) Beef Cheeks

(1-2 lbs) Heart

(1-2) Kidney

---

Wholes:

• For large families with 2-4 adults and 2+ teenage kids with big appetites. Great for multigeneration families living together. A lot of families even split up a whole beef when they aren’t living together. The price per pound hanging weight does drop for halves and wholes. And you save about $400 buying a whole beef verses buying individual cuts.

• The only way to get an oxtail is to order a whole beef, sorry friends, there is only one of those per animal!

• Plan on 16-17 cubic feet of freezer space for a whole beef. This would be an entire upright freezer or a medium sized chest freezer.

---

Eighths:

• An eighth is a few steaks, a couple roasts and mostly ground beef. You save about $50 buying this way.

• It’s a great sampling of our meats if you’ve never bought in bulk before. Good for single adults or households with 2 adults, or even one adult and one small child.

• An eighth beef can fit in the top freezer portion of a fridge/freezer combo with room left over. It needs about 3 cubic feet.

• Here’s what comes typically in an eighth:

(1) Sirloin Tip Steak

(1) New York Steak

(1) Tenderloin Steak

(2) Ribeye Steaks

(12-15) Ground Beef

(3-4) Stew Meat

(1) Chuck Roast

(1) Sirloin Tip Roast

(1) Broth Bones

(1-2) Osso Bucco

Hopefully this helps give you an idea of what comes with an eighth, quarter, half or whole beef.

Our premium Grass Fed and Finished Beef will be so nice to have at home in your freezer. Less trips to the grocery store, more peace of mind knowing your stocked up for the year.

When you buy in bulk you save money and time, you’re not picking up a piece here and there but the once a year purchase has you covered.

How it works is you first put down a deposit for the quantity of beef you want. You will be put on our waitlist for the next available butcher date, so the sooner you want your beef, the sooner you should reserve it.

Thanks for supporting our family farm and for valuing your health enough to eat Grass Fed meats!

3 Types of Weights: Live, Hanging and Packaged

Often times when you are getting ready to buy in bulk with a half, quarter or eighth beef the question comes up “what is the hanging weight, and why is it different than what I take home?”

It’s easy to get confused about the difference between hanging weight and packaged weight, so I thought I would clear that up.

When we sell in bulk the measurement we use to calculate cost is hanging weight, but there are actually 3 types of weights to be aware of: live weight, hanging weight and packaged weight.

---

Live Weight is how much the cow, pig or lamb weighs when it’s alive, on the hoof. Similar to how we weight ourselves, it’s pretty straight forward.

Hanging Weight is a weight the butcher gives us after the animal has been killed, blood drained, head, hide, feet, entrails & organs removed. The hanging weight is usually about 60% of the live weight. So if a cow weighs 1000 lbs live weight its hanging weight will be 600 lbs. A half share would be 300 lbs, a quarter would be 150 lbs and an eighth would be 75 lbs (approximately). This is also the weight the butcher uses to charge us for cutting/wrapping fees. When you buy in bulk we cover all the standard butchering fees in the you pay us. The hanging weight is the most consistent way to measure the carcass before getting into customizing the cuts.

Packaged Weight or sometimes referred to as Final Weight or Take Home Weight is how much you, the customer, take home after it has been packaged. This is usually 60-65% of the hanging weight. The loss comes from 2 places: `water loss and bone loss. Water loss occurs during the dry aging process where the beef is allowed to hang for 10-14 days to tenderize. The second place you might loose weight is from cutting the meat off the bones. So the more boneless cuts the customer requests the less the packaged weight will be. It’s important to point out that lower weight doesn’t mean you are receiving less meat, but rather than you are receiving fewer bones. If you request marrow or knuckle bones for making broth you retain some of this weight.

This is a guide to go by, but always an approximation. The weights vary between individual animals and butchering style. While we try to use the same butcher to stay consistent, we occasionally use other butchers who offer a variety of cuts and more timely butchering appointments.

Hopefully this information was helpful if you’re considering buying a beef share. As always, reach out if you have any questions!

Simple Tuscan Soup

This recipe comes together quickly for a homemade weeknight meal that you don’t have to spend hours making.

It uses Nourished With Nature Pastured Pork + homemade chicken broth and a few other fresh ingredients that make it hardy, warm, nutrient dense and customizable to your diet preferences.

Serves 4, double it for lunch leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Nourished With Nature Italian or Fresh Ground Pork Sausage

• 1 Tbsp Nourished With Nature Pork Lard

• 1 large onion (or 3 small if they are homegrown)

• 1 head of garlic (or 8 cloves) pressed or diced

• 2 Tbsp dried Italian Herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary)

• 4 medium size russet potatoes (can substitute cauliflower), peeled and diced into 1” chunks

• 2 Quarts Chicken Broth made from Nourished With Nature pastured chickens (about 8 cups)

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach (kale or chard also work), washed and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Over medium to high heat cook pork sausage with lard in large stock pot, browning then crumbling until it’s cooked all the way through.

2. Add in onion and cook 1-2 minutes until translucent

3. Add in garlic and dried herbs and cook until you can smell the garlic becoming fragrant

4. Add in diced potatoes

5. Add in broth and simmer until potatoes are cooked through (about 10 min)

6. Turn off heat and add in chopped spinach, allowing to wilt

7. Serve up into bowls and enjoy!

Cook pork sausage in a large stock pot over medium high heat, browning and crumbling

Dice up onion, garlic and herbs and add into sausage.

Cook onions and garlic with sausage until translucent and fragrant.

Add in your diced potatoes.

Add in chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Turn off heat, add in spinach.

Enjoy with a slice of crusty artisan bread or a side salad!

What substitutions are you going to make?

Are you eating Paleo, following the Carnivore diet or eating gluten free?

Cider Brined Pork Chops with Maple-Bacon Chutney

Sweet Maple Bacon on top a moist Pork Chop…why not?!

This recipe combines two of my favorite cuts of pork and is fancy enough for a 5-star restaurant.

Perfect for a Valentine’s Dinner for 2 at home!

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Nourished With Nature Pork Chops

For the cider brine:

• 3 quarts cold water

• 1 quart apple cider

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 1/4 cup salt (I like Redmond Sea Salt)

• 3/4 cup Agave (can substitute honey or sugar)

For the maple-bacon chutney:

• 1 lb Nourished With Nature Bacon ends, diced

• 1 small onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup maple syrup

• 1 Tbsp black pepper, coarsely ground

• 1 Tbsp mustard powder

• 2 cups apple cider

• 1 bay leaf

• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all the ingredients for the brine together.

2. Add the pork chops to the brine in a 9x13 glass dish with a lid or plastic bag, and let brine in the fridge for 12-18 hours.

3. In a medium saucepan sauté the bacon until half cooked. Drain off the rendered fat, add the onions, garlic and sauté until translucent.

4. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick and syrupy. Remove bay leaf and salt to taste.

5. Drain pork chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry before grilling.

6. Place pork chops on medium to high heat, flip after 5-7 minutes when nice brown crispy bits begin to form. Internal temp should be at 160 deg F.

7. Top with warm maple-bacon chutney.

8. Enjoy!

Order your bacon and pork chops online then swing by the farm store to pick up at your convenience.

You can also choose to pick up at the farmer’s markets each week, just check our website for when and where.

Recipe adapted from Food Republic and Chef Rick Gresh

13 Things That Make Our Pork Different

Hello! Welcome to our blog!

Today I’m going to share a few facts about our farming practices that are a little different than what we usually write about (recipes and how to’s) but equally important to understand.

Knowledge allows you to make a more educated decision about what you eat, where you get it from and how you vote with your food dollar.

Here are 13 Things That Make Our Pork Different from others. I am going to refer to “others” in general to cover everything from industrialized large scale farms to possibly your neighbor down the road who raised an extra hog this year. It could be the meat you find in grocery stores or in home delivery boxes too.

This comparison may sound like I’m harping or trash talking others, please know that is not my intention at all. I’m not trying to be condescending, but at the same time I know it’s hard for you-the meat eater-to know what is going on behind the scenes.

And if I don’t talk about it, and you don’t plan on becoming a farmer — how will you know???

I want you to be informed so you can make your own choices about how you eat and how you feed your family.

So here we go… 13 Things That Make Our Pork Different

---

1. Our pigs take on the flavor of the seasons. They forage for acorns in the fall, they share our overproduction of garden goods and fallen fruit in the summer.
Others can be light pink in color, limp, tasteless, uniform, but every package is the same size!

2. Our sows are from time-tested, proven, heritage breeds. They retain their instincts, their smarts & their careful mothering skills.
Others genetics may be more fragile, they aren't as robust or resilient, often needing more chemical de-wormers and human intervention during farrowing time.

3. Our pigs are bred as they cycle naturally, when the sow's body dictates.
Other pigs are given hormones to bring sows into heat on a schedule that is most profitable, and convenient for the farmer, even if it’s artificial.

4. Our sows are free to labor and deliver, move about and build a nest unconfined.
Most other sows live in a crowded gestation pen before giving birth and a farrowing crate for 6 weeks after birth, only able to stand up and lay down in place.

5. Our piglets live with their mother and weaning is delayed until 6-8 weeks old.
Other piglets get weaned at 17-21 days old.

6. Our pigs are raised outdoors, in the dirt, mud, pastures and sunshine which builds stronger immune systems and negates the need for regular antibiotics.
Other pigs are raised on concrete floors inside buildings under artificial light.

7. Our pigs are raised with 10's of thousands of square feet to roam, forage and explore.
Other pigs raised in confinement are allowed 7.5 square feet as an industry requirement.

8. Our pigs are able to soak in the sunshine living on pasture, making their lard one of the richest sources of dietary Vitamin D available.
Other pigs may just see artificial fluorescent lights, which also tend to have an effect on their sanity. No gradual sunrise or sunset, just a flip of the switch from dark to light.

9. Our pigs are allowed to grow naturally, accumulating healthy body fat.
Other pigs are fed artificial muscle growth promoter and allowed very little movement throughout their lives. Their feet never touch the ground, they live suspended over metal slats or on concrete floors so that their pens can be washed more efficiently.

10. Our pigs grow slow but their bones are mineral rich, which makes great nutrient dense broth.
Other pigs are given growth hormones to speed up the turnover time, resulting in an empty, limp and bland meat. You end up with extra synthetic hormones in your body too.

11. Our pigs are raised in small groups with their litter mates.
Other pigs are raised in warehouses containing a few thousand pigs. They often have displaced behaviors like chewing on their wire pens, repetitive motions, excessive calling.

12. Our pigs are fed non GMO corn and soy-free feed. Eliminating soy in their diet and ours helps keep the endocrine systems functioning best.
Other pigs are fed the cheapest ingredients with the highest yield-often corn and soy. These two feed ingredients are two of the heaviest sprayed and Round Up ready crops. Two of the "dirty dozen".

13. Our pigs are raised with regeneration in mind. Happier, slower, better, healthier and adding fertility back into the soil each day.
Other farmer’s process is all about faster, bigger, cheaper. Our health and the environment suffer under this mindset of cutting corners.

Now you have more knowledge to make a decision about where you source your pork.

You can feel good about what you are feeding your family.

We have bulk buying options if you are interested in a half or whole hog.

You can always check what is in stock right now by visiting our online web shop.