We recently did a facebook poll and the number one question we got was “What is a cutting order? How do I do a cutting order?”
In a standard beef cutting order for a quarter, you’ll generally get:
T-Bone steaks - 6 to 8 @ 1 inch thick
Ribeye steaks - 6 to 8 @ 1 inch thick
Sirloin steaks - 5 to 6 @ 1 inch thick
Round steak - 7 to 8 pounds
Chuck roasts - 3 to 4 @ 3 pounds each
Arm roast - 3 to 4 @ 3 pounds each
Sirloin tip/ Rolled rump - 1 each @ 3.5 pounds each
Ground beef - approximately 50-70 pounds
What else can you do? NOTE: You may be charged more for extra processing on some of these**
Steaks
You can split your t-bones into NY strips and tenderloins (AKA filet mignon)
You can do thinner steaks like ½ or ¾ inch
You can cube your sirloin steaks for kabob meat
You can tenderize your round steaks for salisbury steak or chicken fried steak
Roasts
Cube your round roasts for stew meat
Ground beef
You can get 1 pound, 1.5 pound or 2 pound rolls. Depending on your family and if you like leftovers, consider larger rolls of ground beef. You could also have hamburger patties made.
Other cuts
Short ribs - You can ask for the short ribs. Usually they are turned into ground beef. They are fattier than pork ribs, but are great with BBQ in the crock pot.
Brisket - you can ask for ¼ of the this item, though it’s more typical to get this with a half.
Shank - this is called a soup bone in our area.
Seasoned specialties - our meat market does a great job on other seasoned items, like all-beef franks, summer sausage and beef jerky. These require a 25 lb minimum (and can be pricey).
Fat - you can get the fat to render into tallow!
The following are items that would require a minimum purchase of ½ an animal.
Tri tip - This is one of our favorites. It’s common in California and western states, but its popularity is moving across the U.S. More information about this cut can be found here.
Flank, skirt and hanger steak - these are thinner steaks, cooked hot and fast, they are great for fajitas and salads.