Brand Loyalty, Why Or Why Not?

[ditcherman]

If your ever in Vegas when we are, I would buy you a unbelievable 2" Porterhouse dinner. Sorry it's a 32 Oz Porter or a 36 Oz Tomahawk.
My brother raises pretty good black Angus beef, but it's nothing like a great aged steak you can get at a great steakhouse.
After eating an aged 150 to 250 dollar steak, you would never do the Meijer steak again. It just doesn't compare.

I do get it, it's a lot of money for a meal.
At times you go, dam that's a lot of money.
Then I get reminded that all but 60 bucks of our dinner for four is comped with her being a good gambler.

Is there a way for the average guy who raises his own cows to send to a butcher, to age his own steak?

 

[Mij]

Is there a way for the average guy who raises his own cows to send to a butcher, to age his own steak?

Where I take my beef, (currently Monon Meats) you can request it to hang as long as you want. But those places have USDA inspectors on site, they inspect daily. At the first sign of anything wrong they order it down and processed. They have the final word, they tend to err on the side of caution.

 

[Bugzilla]

I have some brand loyalty but with all the consolidation etc. it isn’t as strong as it used to be. But I also have brand disloyalty. Haven’t bought Shell gas for about 30 years because of an ahole worker and don’t plan on buying it anytime soon! I will spend more for USA made products but at times the price difference is too great depending on what the item will be used for.

 

[Brian Ski]

Is there a way for the average guy who raises his own cows to send to a butcher, to age his own steak?

You can ask to have it hang longer, but the butchers do not like to let it hang too long. It takes up space and leaves them responsible. They like to process and move it along.

Since you are asking you probably don't raise your own. If you are interested there are a couple things to try. First is to ask around friends, coworkers, FB etc and find a farmer that raises cows and see what kind and have him add an extra in for you. FYI a half beef will be about $1000 (and full double of course.) That is a guessing price. There are several of variables. You also need to be dependable. You can't just say I am broke now and you will pass. Normally it is a once a year every year. Also you will need a pretty good size (and empty) chest freezer.

2nd you can try a GOOD country butcher. They can sell you half or whole (or quarters). Find out what kind of beef they have. That way you can order when you need.

Several other things to know, but this is a starter list. Hope it helps.

 

[ditcherman]

You can ask to have it hang longer, but the butchers do not like to let it hang too long. It takes up space and leaves them responsible. They like to process and move it along.

Since you are asking you probably don't raise your own. If you are interested there are a couple things to try. First is to ask around friends, coworkers, FB etc and find a farmer that raises cows and see what kind and have him add an extra in for you. FYI a half beef will be about $1000 (and full double of course.) That is a guessing price. There are several of variables. You also need to be dependable. You can't just say I am broke now and you will pass. Normally it is a once a year every year. Also you will need a pretty good size (and empty) chest freezer.

2nd you can try a GOOD country butcher. They can sell you half or whole (or quarters). Find out what kind of beef they have. That way you can order when you need.

Several other things to know, but this is a starter list. Hope it helps.

There’s probably a lot of things I should know that I don’t.

I’ve always just done what the butcher shop at Colfax told us they would do.
We’re done with them though, as many others are.

I’ve raised 8 or 10 over the years for family and friends, bought as feeders. Always made enough to cover expenses and then some but just a little side deal.

My son now buys bottle calves in lots of 25 to 125, and raises them to weaning in our renovated 40 crate farrowing barn. He then finishes some at his place, or sells some as fat calves. I’ve tried to talk him into letting me finish a few on our acre and a half pasture but he seems to want to keep them, and another neighbor appreciates the hay.

So definitely eating our own beef, more or less, just never went down the road of aged beef.

We’ve never had a steady customer base like you describe, it’s always a hustle to sell the beef. In fact, he has “a lot” of ground beef he needs to sell from the last ones butchered. In case anyone may be interested…

 

[TheSpookyCat]

For me, it is Rotary automotive lifts.

I have three of them made over the span of 25 years, all made in Indiana, all the same model, each one better than the last.

All three are still in daily use with only new hoses and piston seals needed on the oldest one (from 1997).

 

[Creedmoor]

Is there a way for the average guy who raises his own cows to send to a butcher, to age his own steak?

I dont know? My brother has talked about it before, but hes never really looked into it. I do know he sneaks out of the county once or twice a year and goes and gets a big steak and a lobster at The Palm in DC. He goes by himself.

It really would be interesting to see whats needed other than a cooler or walk in.
I wounder if you just need a small fridge like a glass front one at the grocery store near the checkouts.

Maybe we should start a Thread with it?

 

[Creedmoor]

You can ask to have it hang longer, but the butchers do not like to let it hang too long. It takes up space and leaves them responsible. They like to process and move it along.

Since you are asking you probably don't raise your own. If you are interested there are a couple things to try. First is to ask around friends, coworkers, FB etc and find a farmer that raises cows and see what kind and have him add an extra in for you. FYI a half beef will be about $1000 (and full double of course.) That is a guessing price. There are several of variables. You also need to be dependable. You can't just say I am broke now and you will pass. Normally it is a once a year every year. Also you will need a pretty good size (and empty) chest freezer.

2nd you can try a GOOD country butcher. They can sell you half or whole (or quarters). Find out what kind of beef they have. That way you can order when you need.

Several other things to know, but this is a starter list. Hope it helps.

I did a Prime Rib this past spring, what I read was to open it up, and salt and pepper it and leave it open in the bottom of the fridge for a day or two.
It ended up being three days and as nervous as I was with a $125.00 chunk of meat, I used a digital therm and it turned out F'ing spectacular.
What was left I sliced on the Hobart and it was breakfast meat, subs and sammi's for the week for two of us.
I will do another one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

 

[Brian Ski]

We’ve never had a steady customer base like you describe, it’s always a hustle to sell the beef.

My guy is pretty much a prepaid thing. He sets up a contract and the normal is to pay like $50 a month and balance when it is turned in. By the time it is turned in your balance is low enough he does not usually get a "oh man I am broke". He also has more long term clients. I just cut him a check when he sends the contract and were good for quite a while.

BTW he drops off the cow at the butcher and it is up to us what kind of cuts and square with the butcher. Butcher will let it hang for a while, but does not want to waste space for too long.

 

[ditcherman]

My guy is pretty much a prepaid thing. He sets up a contract and the normal is to pay like $50 a month and balance when it is turned in. By the time it is turned in your balance is low enough he does not usually get a "oh man I am broke". He also has more long term clients. I just cut him a check when he sends the contract and were good for quite a while.

We’fe just always done cash upon delivery but I can see how the payment plan thing would be beneficial for many.

BTW he drops off the cow at the butcher and it is up to us what kind of cuts and square with the butcher. Butcher will let it hang for a while, but does not want to waste space for too long.

That’s how we’ve done it and our butcher is too, hence the question concerning aging.

 

[Brian Ski]

It ended up being three days and as nervous as I was with a $125.00 chunk of meat,

I am curious about what they call aging. Is it days, weeks, or months?? Butcher ages mine about a week or so. They get to balk a little if much longer than that.

$125 wow. I pass through the grocery stores and glance over the meat case. $20 or more a Lb for meat. Ouch!!

 

[ditcherman]

I did a Prime Rib this past spring, what I read was to open it up, and salt and pepper it and leave it open in the bottom of the fridge for a day or two.
It ended up being three days and as nervous as I was with a $125.00 chunk of meat, I used a digital therm and it turned out F'ing spectacular.
What was left I sliced on the Hobart and it was breakfast meat, subs and sammi's for the week for two of us.
I will do another one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Sounds good, let us all know where and when.

 

[ditcherman]

I am curious about what they call aging. Is it days, weeks, or months?? Butcher ages mine about a week or so. They get to balk a little if much longer than that.

$125 wow. I pass through the grocery stores and glance over the meat case. $20 or more a Lb for meat. Ouch!!

Well it’s not days, I think we’re already determined that.
Both of our butchers age for a week, I think we said.

 

[ditcherman]

I did a Prime Rib this past spring, what I read was to open it up, and salt and pepper it and leave it open in the bottom of the fridge for a day or two.
It ended up being three days and as nervous as I was with a $125.00 chunk of meat, I used a digital therm and it turned out F'ing spectacular.
What was left I sliced on the Hobart and it was breakfast meat, subs and sammi's for the week for two of us.
I will do another one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I am curious about what they call aging. Is it days, weeks, or months?? Butcher ages mine about a week or so. They get to balk a little if much longer than that.

$125 wow. I pass through the grocery stores and glance over the meat case. $20 or more a Lb for meat. Ouch!!

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15 to 28 days, maybe?
Lots of google results for how to age beef. Of course, this INGO and we could try to reinvent the wheel.

ETA; read further, and saw up to 60 days. Better have your humidity right though.

 

[Leadeye]

I did a Prime Rib this past spring, what I read was to open it up, and salt and pepper it and leave it open in the bottom of the fridge for a day or two.
It ended up being three days and as nervous as I was with a $125.00 chunk of meat, I used a digital therm and it turned out F'ing spectacular.
What was left I sliced on the Hobart and it was breakfast meat, subs and sammi's for the week for two of us.
I will do another one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

We used to be able to buy a complete top loin at Costco, like you said a big expensive hunk of meat. I would cut it all into NY strips and grill it when my sons were home. They called it the Big Meat.

 

[Creedmoor]

I am curious about what they call aging. Is it days, weeks, or months?? Butcher ages mine about a week or so. They get to balk a little if much longer than that.

$125 wow. I pass through the grocery stores and glance over the meat case. $20 or more a Lb for meat. Ouch!!

LOL, Its easy for me, to have a $400.00 dinner comped at a casino and it's no big deal. But to spend $125.00 on a chunk of beef it tough to take.
Like buying a brisket, the thought of F'ing up a $75 to $150.00 piece of meat is disturbing.
My kid just said he thought it averaged 20-30 days with meat like Prime Rib.

 

[Creedmoor]

We used to be able to buy a complete top loin at Costco, like you said a big expensive hunk of meat. I would cut it all into NY strips and grill it when my sons were home. They called it the Big Meat.

Yep, Gordons sells them that way.
One of the managers at Gordon's in Anderson has treated me well for awhile now. He knows I do jerkey and send it to my sons when they are out of town.
If hes there he will take me into the meat storage room where all the cuts are in vacuum wrap and the big waxed cardboard boxes, and I can pick what I want.
He tosses what I pick on a scale to price it and away I go.
Its darn nice to pick what Beef Knuckles I want going through 20 of them verses 2-6 on the floor meat shelf.

 

[KJQ6945]

Brand loyalty…. ? Hmmm

As others have said, I always wore Levi’s until they hated us. Then went to wranglers.
Same with Nike shoes. Now wear whatever the wife brings home.
Hand tools are mostly craftsman or snap-on, power tools are mostly Dewalt.

Tractors have always been orange. First was a ‘48 Case VAC. Just bought my fourth and probably last Kubota.

Vehicles, I’ve had about everything American. Last two new ones were Chevy, the two before, were Ford 7.3 powerstokes. Back to high school days, it was mainly big block Mopars.

Coors Light and Marlboro Lights have been a staple forever.
Diet beer, and diet cigarettes.

 

[KJQ6945]

Food, it’s just something to eat. Going out, it will always be a filet, at home it’s probably Oscar Meyer bologna.

 

[KJQ6945]

Guns, it’s mostly Colt, HK, Winchester, CZ, and Glock