What Is Custom Beef?
An Intro to Custom Beef and Some Fundamental Considerations
Introduction
Custom beef means straight from the producer to the consumer. Also known by ‘pasture to plate’, ‘local beef’, or any other marketing phrase you can imagine.
Custom beef refers to the process of purchasing a portion of, or an entire butcher steer, heifer, cow, or bull directly from a farmer or rancher, which allows the buyer to have a direct say and influence on how their meat is finished, processed, and packaged to meet their needs. This approach has gained popularity among individuals and families who value high-quality, locally sourced meat and want to stock their freezers with cuts tailored to their preferences.
This method of direct sales also revealed the extreme mark-ups created by meat packing companies (the middleman), which has been prevalent for many decades. During the 2020 COVID pandemic preferred meat sources like beef steaks and beef burger became scarce which skyrocketed prices even further. The indirect food shortages caused by logistics and supply chain disruptions uncovered, for most consumers and congress, the impact of meat packing companies on the average American’s grocery bills.
The peoples’ drive within the United States to have a tangible connection to their food and make decisions that impact themselves is a grass-roots movement in the early stages, ready to blossom!
After this article you will know some of the basic facts and considerations regarding custom beef or direct beef sales.
Define: Custom Beef
The purchase of whole, half, or quarter portions of a beef animal directly from a producer.
Direct-to-consumer relationships provide buyers with the opportunity to specify their product requests with details such as the desired cuts, thickness of steaks, size of roasts, and other customizations, to include packaging specifications.
This simultaneously reduces overall costs and allows the middlemen to be removed as much as possible from between the producer and the consumer!
This process contrasts with buying pre-packaged steaks and roasts from a grocery store, where selections are more limited, generic, and customization is not possible.
How Does It Work?
Choose a Farmer or Rancher: Buyers typically start by selecting a trusted local farmer or rancher who offers custom beef.
Select Your Share: Buyers can choose to purchase a whole beef, half, or even a quarter, depending on their needs. freezer space, and producer availability.
Processing Preferences: Once the beef is ready for processing, the buyer talks directly with the processor to specify how they want the meat cut and packaged. This includes choosing steak thickness, roast sizes, and the ground beef tallow ratio (80/20, 85/15, 90/10 are common choices).
Pick Up and Store: After processing, the meat is packaged, frozen, and ready for pickup. Buyers then store it in a freezer for use throughout the year.
Custom Beef Considerations
Several key components affect the overall cost to the consumer purchasing custom beef:
Weight Pricing: The base price is often set per pound of the animal’s weight in various forms. The most common method is using the hanging, or rail, weight.
On-the-Hoof or Live Weight:
This method uses the weight of the animal shortly before or immediately prior to slaughter. This will have the lowest per pound price, but will also include head, hide, entrails, in addition to bone and meat. Live weight is the least predictable measurement of final packaged meat weight.
Hanging or Rail Weight:
This method uses weight after slaughter and is considered the initial butchering step before further processing. This incorporates a hanging carcass with bone and meat only…think of the beef sides Rocky Balboa works out on in the movie Rocky.
Packaged Weight:
This method tends to be the most ‘expensive’ per pound but will only be based on the meat that is packaged after the butcher processes and is grill ready.
Processing Fees: After slaughter, the beef is processed by a butcher. This service typically incurs a fee, which may be charged per pound or at a flat rate or a combination of the two.
Flat fees are often slaughter and disposal fees.
Per pound fees are typically the rail weight per pound cost, cut and wrap, or specialty packaging fees.
Cut and Wrap Charges: Additional costs may be associated with specialty cutting instructions and packaging.
Examples include vacuum sealed wrapping, one steak per package, burger formed into patties, or any other request that deviates from the butcher’s base process.
Transportation Costs: Delivering the beef from the processor to the consumer or a pickup location can add to the total cost. Often you can pick the meat up personally immediately after it is frozen.
Storage Needs: Consumers need sufficient freezer space, possibly leading to a new freezer purchase or rental costs.
Upfront Cost: While cost-effective over time, custom beef can require a significant upfront investment. Occasionally, this also includes a beef commitment deposit to the farmer or rancher.
Processing Time: It may take weeks or months from the time of purchase to when the meat is ready for pickup.
Reserving a spot for processing beef with the butcher can be as much as a year ahead depending on the local demand and external influences such as hunting season. However, your producer likely has a list of trusted butchers from which to choose and has reserved spots in advance.
Benefits of Custom Beef
Quality and Freshness: Custom beef is often attributed to being fresher and of higher quality than store-bought meat.
Cost-Effective: Buying in bulk can be more economical in the long run.
Transparency: Buyers know exactly where their meat comes from and how it was raised.
Customization: Tailor the cuts and packaging to suit your cooking and eating habits.
Custom beef is an excellent option for those who prioritize quality, sustainability, and the value in supporting local producers. By understanding the process and benefits, you can make an informed decision about whether it is the right choice for you.
Disadvantages of Custom Beef
Patience: Oftentimes you will reserve your beef an entire year in advance, so prepare for a long wait before meat arrives at your freezer!
Additional Purchases: From time to time, you may still need to visit the store for special items. For example, Prime Rib roast may be a special in-store buy if you choose to make the roast completely into rib steaks when completing your cut order.
Deposits: Some producers require a deposit to hold a butcher animal and commit to its finishing.
While custom beef is a bulk order, it does not mean it will arrive fast or without additional costs after-the-fact. Make sure you know exactly what you will receive before you commit.
Conclusion
Paying for custom beef is a rewarding experience for many, offering quality, value, and a connection to food sources that retail purchases cannot always provide. However, it comes with unique costs and logistical considerations. Understanding these elements helps consumers make informed decisions, ensuring that the investment in custom beef is both satisfying and cost-effective for their household.
Customers often share that once you start to purchase your beef in this manner, you will not want to do it any other way.
