“Well, I’m not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 to save a couple bucks, I’ll tell you that!” – Seinfeld
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In the last post, we talked about the ways we’re saving money on groceries and cooking. One of those ways was buying meat in bulk—like hundreds of pounds at a time from a local rancher, then having it processed by a local butcher.
But we had soooo many questions before buying our first cow. Unfortunately, we waited years to enjoy some of the best-tasting meat we’ve ever had… errrr.
So in this post, we’re going to walk through the entire process and (hopefully) answer some of the questions you might have:
- How do I find a local rancher?
- How much meat am I buying?
- What am I getting?
- What is the cost?
- How much freezer space do I need?
- How do I pick it up?
- How do we pay them?
- How do I keep track of everything?
- What do I do with the parts I don’t normally eat (bone marrow, tongue, leaf fat, liver, heart, etc.)? By the way—those pieces are delicious. Well, maybe not the liver, but everything else is really good.
Before we dive too deep into this topic, we just want to say: we know everyone has different dietary preferences and requirements. We respect your beliefs and opinions, and we ask that you do the same for us. If this article doesn’t resonate with you, feel free to skip it. Next month, we’ll be diving into how we cut our car expenses down.
How do I find a local rancher?
This was probably the biggest hurdle for us when it came to buying our first cow. We’ve known about beef shares forever, but back in the day, people had to find their own ranchers, learn how they raised and fed their cows, and—if they didn’t want a whole cow—try to find someone to split it with. I remember those emails going around at work from people looking to share a cow.
It all felt kind of intimidating and like a lot of work. Honestly, it just seemed easier to go to the grocery store or a wholesale club.
But today? The process is so much simpler. You can literally just Google it.
So easy.
Type in something like:
<Your State> quarter/half/full cow beef shares
I stopped counting after I found twenty ranchers that service Colorado.
How do they treat their cows?
Are they pasture-raised?
Are they raised in a feedlot?
Do they use GMOs, hormones, additives, mRNA vaccines, etc.?
How long are the cows raised?
If we’re going to invest in a cow, we want to make sure it’s given the best possible life. For us, that meant making sure the cow was pasture-raised, with no GMOs, hormones, or other additives—and that it was treated well throughout its life.
While a cow can live 15 to 20 years, the average cow destined for the dinner plate lives about 18 to 22 months. That timeline really depends on how quickly the cow puts on weight. Most cows are processed when they reach around 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. If they hit that weight sooner—say, in 14 months—they might be sent to the slaughterhouse earlier.
The rancher we ultimately chose raises their cows for 36 months. That extra time allows the animal to put on more weight and gives the muscles and flavor time to develop. Of course, that also means a higher cost—but for us, it was worth it.
What is their diet?
Cows can have a variety of diets, but the most common are:
- Grain/corn-fed and grain/corn-finished
- Grass-fed and grain/corn-finished
- Grass fed and grass finished
This is a subject I want to tiptoe around, and we encourage you to research what makes the most sense for you.
For Anna and me, based on the research we’ve done, we believe a grass-fed diet provides more nutrition for the cow compared to a grain/corn-fed one. Our hope is that if the cow eats a more nutrient-dense diet, that benefit carries through to the meat we ultimately eat.
We’ve purchased cows that were both grass-fed and grass-finished, as well as grass-fed and grain-finished. We’ll talk about the weight differences between those and the flavor later in this post.
If you are interested in learning more about diets, check the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast. In episode 91, “You are what you eat“, Dr. John Kempf and Dr. Stephan van Vliet dive into different cow diets and how they affect the nutritional makeup of the meat.
Before we move on, I want to quickly explain what “finished” means. Finishing refers to the final 4 to 6 months of a cow’s life before processing. The main goal is to get the cow to an optimal weight (around 1,200 to 1,500 lbs / 544 to 680 kg) and achieve a desirable fat-to-muscle ratio.
A grain/corn-finished diet is typically used to increase marbling—fat within the muscle—which results in a richer, buttery flavor and often more tender meat, since the fat melts during cooking.
A grass-finished diet means the cow continues to forage for its food. This process takes longer, as it’s harder for the cow to put on weight. The meat tends to be leaner (less fat), with a more earthy flavor profile—and potentially more nutrients.
We’ve had both types, and both were outstanding. Our grass-finished cow had noticeably less marbling and weighed quite a bit less compared to the grain-finished one.
Depending on the rancher, the finishing process may happen right on the farm (on-farm finishing), or the cow might be sent to a feedlot that specializes in finishing.
The ranchers we buy from do on-farm finishing and grain-finish their cows. The grains—barley, flaxseed, oats, alfalfa, and hay—are all grown on their own land.
How much meat am I buying?
It depends on a number of factors—whether you’re buying a whole, half, or quarter cow, the cow’s diet (grain-fed or grass-fed), its age, the butcher, and other variables—but we’ll do our best to give you a general idea of the packaged weight.
Packaged weight is the amount of meat, in actual packages, that you’ll be putting into your freezer. We’ll also cover something called hanging weight when we get to the costs section.
| Grain Fed/Grain Finished | Grass Fed/Grain Finished | Grass Fed/Grass Finished | |
| Whole | 470-510 lbs/213-231 kg | 430-500 lbs/195-226 kg | 330-450 lbs/149-204 kg |
| Half | 235-255 lbs/106-115 kg | 215-260 lbs/ 97-117 kg | 165-225 lbs/75-102 kg |
| Quarter | 115-130 lbs/52-59 kg | 110-130 lbs/49-58 kg | 85-115 lbs/38-52 kg |
What am I getting?
This will depend on the size of the cow, the amount of fat, and the butcher, but in general, the breakdown of how the meat is cut up looks something like this:
- 25% steaks
- 35% roasts, ribs, stew meat, along with other items (heart, liver, tallow, etc.)
- 40% ground meat
In our most recent beef share—a half cow that was grass-fed, grain-finished, and raised for 36 months (as opposed to the typical 18)—we ended up with 327 lbs / 148 kg of packaged meat. It was way more than we were expecting and gave us quite the panic moment when we tried to fit it all into the freezer. (We’ll share freezer recommendations a little later.)
Here’s how it broke down:
- Steaks – 63 lbs / 28.5 kg (19.3%) — 36 steaks
- Roasts – 136 lbs / 61.7 kg (41.6%) — 45 roasts and assorted cuts
- Ground meat – 128 lbs / 50 kg (39.1%)
Our first cow—a quarter cow that was grass-fed and grass-finished—gave us about 90 lbs of packaged meat. That included 38 lbs (42%) of ground meat. We also received 17 steaks and 20 roasts/other cuts, though we didn’t record the exact weights for those. We’ll share how we catalog our meat a little later in the post.
What is the Cost?
To talk about cost, we have to talk about hanging weight. That’s the weight of the carcass after the blood has been drained and the head, hide, feet, and organs have been removed.
The hanging weight is typically about 40% less than the live weight. For example, if a cow weighed 1,200 lbs (544 kg) while alive, the hanging weight would be roughly 720 lbs (326 kg)—that’s 60% of the live weight.
When ranchers give you a price, they’ll usually say something like $6 per pound (hanging weight).
So, if you were buying a whole cow with a hanging weight of 720 lbs (326 kg), the final price would be $4,320.
The cow would then go to the butcher, and the breakouts would be packaged into the final cuts we discussed earlier.
Part of what you’re paying goes to the butcher—typically between $1 and $1.50 per pound (hanging weight).
Using the numbers from earlier, around $4.50 per pound would go to the rancher and about $1.50 per pound to the butcher, totaling $6 per pound hanging weight.
The share size you buy also impacts the price. Buying a quarter or half cow is usually more expensive per pound because the rancher has to find other customers to purchase the remaining shares. There can also be a delay in when your meat is ready for pickup. For example, when we bought our last half beef share at the end of October, it wasn’t ready until the end of November. Some ranchers only sell beef shares a few times a year, batching customer orders before sending the cows off to be slaughtered. That is how it worked when we bought our first quarter cow. We had to wait a few months before it was ready.
BUT—it’s roughly a dollar cheaper per pound (hanging weight) when buying a full share compared to a quarter or half. Of course, that’s a lot of meat just for some savings. If you’ve got a buddy, it might make sense for one of you to buy a full share and split it later.
Prices vary based on share size, feed, and timing, but generally range from around $4.50 to $12 per pound (hanging weight).
When we bought our first quarter cow back in 2021 (grass-fed and grass-finished), we paid $7.50 per pound hanging weight. The cow’s hanging weight was about 130 lbs (59 kg), and we paid roughly $975. I just looked up the same rancher and he’s now charging $11.11 per pound.
When we bought our second half cow—also grass-fed, but grass-finished—we paid $5.12 per pound (hanging weight) for 533.5 lbs (242 kg), which came out to $2,731.52. Side note: we paid with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card and earned 3.1x points because it was categorized as online groceries. That same rancher is now charging $5.30 per pound.
If you’re wondering how that compares to grocery store prices, we paid $2,731.52 for 327.63 lbs (148.61 kg) of packaged meat. That works out to $8.34 per pound. Keep in mind the breakouts we talked about earlier—ground beef might be higher, but for cuts like filet mignon, brisket, ribs, and other steaks, that’s quite the bargain.
How much freezer space do I need?
More than you think.
It’s a scary moment when you start putting the meat away and realize there’s a chance it might not all fit.
That’s exactly what happened to us with our last cow. We have a 17.4 cubic foot (492-liter) freezer in our garage. We had completely cleared out two full shelves, half of a third one, and part of the door.
It still wasn’t enough for our 327 lbs (148.61 kg) of beef.
We ended up scrambling—figuring out what we could pull out and eat that week, and what could survive in the fridge for a few days.
As a general rule, you need about 1 cubic foot (28 liters) of freezer space for every 30 lbs (13.6 kg) of meat.
| Meat Weight | Freezer Size |
| 100 lbs/45 kg | 3.3 cu ft/94 liters |
| 150 lbs/68 kg | 5 cu ft/141 liters |
| 200 lbs/90 kg | 6.6 cu ft/188 liters |
| 250 lbs/113 kg | 8.3 cu ft/236 liters |
| 300 lbs/135 kg | 10 cu ft/283 liters |
| 350 lbs/158 kg | 11.6 cu ft/330 liters |
| 400 lbs/181 kg | 13.3 cu ft/378 liters |
| 450 lbs/204 kg | 15 cu ft/424 liters |
| 500 lbs/226 kg | 16.6 cu ft/472 liters |
How do we pay them?
There’s the deposit, and then there’s the final amount.
The deposit is typically 10% of the estimated final price and is usually paid online if you’re ordering through the rancher’s website. From our experience, there isn’t a credit card processing fee for the deposit.
The final amount is based on the hanging weight and is paid at pickup. From our experience, most ranchers prefer checks—it helps them avoid credit card processing fees. One rancher even gave us a 1% discount for paying by check. Another added a 2.9% processing fee for credit card payments. With that second rancher, we chose to pay the fee because we earned 3.1x points with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card since it counted as an online grocery transaction.
Deposit: $250
Final price: $2481.52
Credit card processing fee on the final price: $71.96 = ($2481.52 x 2.9%)
($250 + $2481.52 + $71.96) x 3.1 = 8,690 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR)
Chase UR are valued between 1 to 2 cents per point when used for airlines, hotels, etc. meaning we earned between $86.90 to $173.81 worth of value. So for us, it made sense to pay the processing fee.
How do I keep track of everything?
Spreadsheets are your best friend. Anna and I share a Google Sheet called “Meat Inventory.”
At the top, we’ve got categories like ground meat, steaks, roasts, and misc. Under each, we track the type, quantity, shelf location, and weight.
For the next cow, we’re planning to record the weight of each individual piece instead of lumping all the weight together. That way, if a recipe calls for a 2-pound roast, we can easily check which piece we have that fits. It’ll also help us keep better track of what’s actually left.
Some of the weights in the example below reflect the original weight, while others show the current amount remaining, hence why we are changing our weighing strategy on the next one.
What do we do with those random parts?
When you buy a beef share, you get all the parts that come with it. That includes bones (marrow and soup), heart, tongue, tallow, and liver.
Bones
We use them to make broth.
For marrow bones, we roast them in the oven at 450°F (230°C) for about 20 minutes to deepen the flavor. Then we transfer them to a crock pot, cover them with water, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of apple cider vinegar. We let it cook for about eight hours. The longer it cooks, the more intense the flavor—but you end up with less broth. You can add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic for extra flavor, but we usually don’t. Instead, we scoop out the roasted marrow and give it to our dog. She goes absolutely wild for it—I’ve never seen her that excited over anything else.
For soup bones (often from the neck, but not always), we roast them in a pan and follow the same broth method in the crock pot. The cool part? After making broth, you’re left with all that meat. We toss it back into the crock pot, spice it up, and turn it into dinner. We just double down on the seasoning to bring back some of the lost flavor.
Heart
If I served you heart, you probably wouldn’t even know—it tastes like regular beef.
You do need to clean it a bit first. Use a really sharp knife to trim off any remaining lining—a silvery film that’s easy to spot. We usually cube it, cook it lightly in a pan or on the grill, and serve it as bites with chimichurri sauce.
Before I was born, my mom used to buy whole hearts and stuff the cavities with peppers, mushrooms, breadcrumbs—you name it—and bake it. Since we’re only buying a half or quarter share, we just get part of the heart.
Tongue
Tacos.
We’ve had some of the best tacos ever made from tongue. If I could eat a dozen, I would—but I’m usually full after the third or fourth one.
Tallow
We love tallow! Anywhere you’d use butter or oil, you can usually swap in tallow instead.
It starts off as leaf fat—the visceral fat surrounding the kidneys. It’s rich in nutrients like B6, B12, iron, riboflavin, and potassium. Once it’s rendered (melted down and separated from the meaty bits), what you’re left with is pure tallow.
Here’s how we render it:
- Cube the leaf fat
- Toss a few handfuls into the food processor and blend it down to a popcorn-like texture.
- Transfer it all into a crock pot.
- Stir about every 30 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
- After 4–5 hours, it’s usually done. Keep a close eye toward the end—if it burns, the tallow will pick up that flavor.
- Strain it using cheesecloth to separate the solids from the liquid fat.
- Pour the liquid tallow into a wax paper-lined 9×9 glass baking dish.
- Freeze it for a couple of hours until solid.
- Pull it out and cube it (we’ve never made it look pretty, but it works).
And the solids? OMG—they’re amazing. I eat them warm, straight from the strainer. Once I’ve had my fill, we toss what’s left into our egg hash for breakfast each morning.
Liver
Yeah…
We’ve tried. We once made it with a peach and onion compote and just… powered through. The best method we’ve landed on is mixing it with ground beef.
Every morning we make an egg hash with potatoes, mushrooms, ground beef, and eggs. About twice a month, we cook up 4 lbs (1.8 kg) of ground beef.
We also have a meat grinder, and we’ll grind up the liver one pound (0.45 kg) at a time. Then, we mix about 2 oz (60 ml) of liver into the 4 lbs of ground beef. At that ratio—and with a good mix—you can’t taste it at all.
If you have a good liver recipe, we’d love to hear it.
Wrap up
We hope this article helped if you’re thinking about buying beef shares. Honestly, it’s been the best meat we’ve ever had—it’s kind of ruined us. It’s the only meat we want to eat now. There’s also a huge sense of freedom in being able to walk out to the garage and grab something for dinner, no last-minute grocery runs needed.
Next month, we’ll dive into how we’re saving money when it comes to our cars.
Talk to you then.
