Beef


What Cobblestone Valley grass fed beef originates from our organic dairy. The bull calves are raised on certified organic whole milk until they are weaned at about 12 weeks of age. At that time they are fed a small amount of certified organic grain to help them through the stress of weaning. After that, depending on the season they are either pastured or fed grass hay. Occasionally in the winter their diet is supplemented with corn silage. Our goal is to supply high quality, humane, healthy, and affordable beef. Please note that our beef is not certified organic. The steers are raised organically as already noted. However, they are sometimes grazed in the 50 foot buffer area of our farm that separates us from our conventional neighbors. This buffer area is a good thing, and is required by the National Organic Program to preserve organic integrity. The amount of pasture acreage that the buffer area requires is substantial enough that we cannot let it go to waste. For this reason we cannot certify our beef.
	Aging Beef for Flavor Aging beef by keeping it unwrapped under refrigeration for extended periods of time increases it’s tenderness because natural enzymes are released that help soften the connective tissue in the muscles. Not only is dry-aged beef tender, but also a great deal of moisture evaporates (there may be as much as a 20% weight loss), concentrating the flavor. The meat mellows, and the rich, beefy taste is accentuated. There was a time in the not-so-distant past when all good butchers aged their beef, sometime for as much as six weeks. Today most butchers no longer have the room or the wherewithal to provide dry-aged beef for their customers. True, dry-aged beef is rare, but it is worth knowing about. Since there is a lot of shrinkage and trimming in this process, significant weight is lost. This makes dry-aging beef expensive, which is another reason the practice has largely died out. From The Complete Meat Cookbook Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelley, page 90	Between 18 and 28 months of age, the beef is processed at a small USDA processing facility. It is aged for 2 weeks, then cut, wrapped in cryovac packaging, and frozen. Please be aware that grass-fed beef is a naturally lean product. If you prefer your beef to be cooked until it is well done, then grass-fed beef may not be a product for you. Some excellent resources for cooking grass-fed beef follow. Please consider them a sound investment in your culinary experience! The Grassfed Gourmet and the new The Farmer and the Grill, by Shannon Hayes These books are especially relevant as cooking grassfed meats are a little different than the grain-fed, supermarket meats that we have become accustomed to. If there is enough interest, I would order a case of these to get a better price. The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelley This book just makes you want to eat meat! Also very good for identifying different cuts, where they come from, and what they are good for. It’s a great reference, as well as cookbook.
When and Where Frozen beef is available year round at the farm as the following: Whole, half, split half (which is one quarter with cuts from both front and hind) or individual retail cuts. For first-time customers, simply contact us via email or phone (607-749-4032) so that we can set up a visit to show you around and so you can see how things work. After that you can come at your convenience and shop on a self-service basis. You are welcome to either browse through the freezer or call ahead with a specific order to have ready when you arrive. Click here for directions Prices Wholesale prices for whole, half, or split half is $3.00 per pound, hanging weight, plus processing. "Hanging weight" is the weight of a side of beef as it hangs on the rail in a meat cooler. All beef sold hanging weight will lose some of its weight in the cutting and trimming process no matter how lean the side of beef is. The amount of fat and bone that must be trimmed (cutting loss) from a side thus has an influence on the price per pound of meat that is finally wrapped and frozen for you. Beef Carcass Breakdown With an average marked (live or on hoof) weight of 1,150 lbs. and the average yield of 62.2%, the typical steer will produce a 600-700 lb. hanging weight carcass. The hanging weight will wield approximately 569 lbs. of red meat and trim (take home meat—which includes the average of 27 lbs. of variety meat: liver, heart, tongue, etc.) and 146 lbs of fat and bone. This is roughly a yield of 80% from the dressed or hanging weight. Processing is generally around $.45 per pound. Animal weights vary, but are usually in the 600-750 pound range hanging weight. Wholesale prices include some bones, suet, and organ meats. Beef combo packages Many people have conveyed to us that wholesale beef is the way they’d like to go, but up-front cost and freezer space are some obstacles that need to be addressed. With this in mind we came up with the idea of mini-wholesale packages of beef. The package of 25 pounds of beef would sell for $125.00 and include the following: 5 pounds of a combination of T-bone, porterhouse, or delmonico steak 5 pounds of sirloin steak 5 pounds of ground beef 5 pounds of chuck or round roast/steak or 1 package of 1/4 # hamburger patties 5 pounds of stew meat As a cooking aid, there is an inexpensive tool that is absolutely essential for proper preparation of meat. An instant read thermometer, digital or otherwise, takes all the guesswork out of cooking. I highly recommend one for your cooking adventures. l Retail Prices, Per Pound* Ground Beef 1 pound tubes $4.50 or $4.00 per pound for 10 or more pounds Hamburgers 1/4 pound package, 10 burgers $15 ($1.50 per burger) Hamburgers 1/3 pound, package, 6 burgers $12 ($2.00 per burger) Steaks Boneless Sirloin $6.50 Delmonico $9.50 London Broil $4.75 Sirloin Steak $6.00 T-bone $7.00 Porterhouse $8.00 Shaved Steak $6.50 Roasts Round Roast $4.75 Rump Roast $4.50 Sirloin Tip $4.75 Chuck $4.00 Miscellaneous Stew $4.75 Short Ribs $4.00 Tongue $3.00 Liver $2.00 Heart $3.00 Dog Bones $1.00 * Prices subject to change without notice