Sharing our experience with purchasing a side of beef and an inventory of what we received.
We recently teamed up with another family to buy half a cow from a local rancher and had it processed to stock our freezer. Going through the process made me realize many people wonder how much usable meat you actually get from half a cow. Below is a clear, concise summary of what we received and what we learned.
Freezer Inventory from Side of Beef
From our half of a cow we ended up with roughly 250 pounds of beef.
- 7 chuck roasts
- 6 New York strip steaks
- 4 beef sirloins
- 9 ribeyes
- 1 pack fajita meat
- 15 round steaks
- 5 Denver steaks
- 6 pounds stew meat
- 5 filets
- 8 beef bones
- 1 oxtail
- 1 brisket
- 95 pounds hamburger meat
We were also offered organ meats and the tongue as optional add-ons.
For reference: live weight was about 1,340 lbs and hanging weight was approximately 800 lbs.
Making selections at the processor
Overall, buying directly and processing our own beef proved to be more economical per pound and delivered higher quality than many grocery options. At the processor you can choose how meat is prepared: ground into hamburger, made into sausage, formed into patties, or cut and tenderized into specific steaks and roasts. These choices can change processing fees and the final count of individual pieces.
Another key decision is steak thickness. Our processor cut steaks at 1.75 inches, a bit thicker than standard, which reduced the total number of steaks but provided larger portions per steak.
How much freezer space is needed for half of a cow?
We packed about 250 pounds of meat into our chest freezer and it completely filled a 13.0 cubic foot unit. From this experience, plan on at least a 13 cubic foot freezer or slightly larger to comfortably store half a cow.
Thermometer for freezer
If you invest significant money in beef, I strongly recommend installing a Wi‑Fi or remote-monitoring thermometer for your freezer. There are several models available that send alerts if temperatures fluctuate or if power is interrupted.
We filled our freezer in December and a storm around Christmas tripped the breaker while we were out of town. Because we had a temperature monitor that alerted us, we were able to act quickly and salvage the majority of the meat. Many people we spoke with had similar stories, which is why monitoring adds an important layer of protection.
Many options available
Some ranchers sell beef directly to consumers, and local meat lockers often work with ranchers if you want to buy half a cow. We purchased a Wagyu–Angus cross directly from a ranch, and the price was not substantially higher than other local cattle at the time. If there’s interest, I can share recommended ranchers and meat lockers in Texas and update a FAQ as questions come up.
I hope this inventory and these tips help you decide whether buying half a cow is the right choice for your family.
Alaine
Beef recipes you may enjoy:
- Crock-Pot Carne Guisada
- Classic Sloppy Joes
- Cheesy Taco Soup