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Post by Olga on Oct 25, 2012 9:59:37 GMT -5
The conclusion to Sioux's story is long overdue. A month shy of 20 years old, Sioux's hanging weight was 285 lbs. The meat was then trimmed and ground, and fat from a young grain-fed steer was added. The total weight of packaged hamburger meat was 194 lbs. Our friends who bought it are pleased with the quality and flavor of the meat.
Please, share your summary of aged-animal-butchering here.
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Post by midhilldexters on Oct 25, 2012 10:27:10 GMT -5
I just got back an 11 year old cow, she hung at 574! Big Girl.
Was going to have her just in ground but decided to get the steaks and roasts as an experiment.
The ground is excellent. We have tried 2 steaks and they were just as good as from a 2 year old. They are well marbled.
I wouldn't hesitate at doing an older animal.
Carol K
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Post by cddexter on Oct 25, 2012 16:03:06 GMT -5
Carol...I'll tell Rosegay to keep out of your way ;D ;D Rosegay is now 20 and then some. She has developed a distinct limp, probably from arthritis or a mounting injury. I've kept her away from the bull so she doesn't become totally lame. And after 17 calves in 19 years, she deserves her retirement. I've killed and eaten other aged animals and they were delicious. The butcher started with the tender cuts, and when the knife started to act dull, he switched to hamberger. I had no problem eating all of it, and flavorful it was, too. Rosegay, on the other hand, will join Rose, Scilla, and Oleander in the cow cemetary on the hill under the fir trees. Nice view over the farm they lived out their lives on, and a certain amount of respect for their personas. Eating an old animal is easy, munching on a good friend comes close to cannibalism for me cheers, c. PS: ask John to lend you Three Bags Full if he can find it. It's gone from here to Marion in Ontario, to John in Michigan, I suggested he pass it on to you, but he wanted to reread it first, and then after you finish with it, I figure Barb would like it.
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Post by northstar on Oct 25, 2012 21:59:32 GMT -5
I got some of the burger from my friend, Otto's 17 yo mixed breed milk cow, and even the burger was tough. The flavor was very good, so I just used it in recipes that required more simmering like chili or spaghetti sauce. The meat loaf I made out of it was pretty darn chewy. The fat was yellow, maybe she was part Jersey. Marsha
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dexterlady
member
Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Oct 25, 2012 23:20:54 GMT -5
Olga, are those pictures still on here about someone butchering their cow?....I don't remember where it is, but I sure thought it was interesting to read....I can't even remember whos cow it was either....Do you?...Thanks...Donna
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Post by Olga on Oct 26, 2012 19:19:21 GMT -5
I don't remember seeing that post, sorry... Must've missed it.
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Post by midhilldexters on Jan 29, 2013 14:49:19 GMT -5
We just got around to doing a roast from the 11 year old cow we butchered. I slow roasted at 200 degrees for about 5 hours or until it was about 130 degrees internal temperature. What I got was rare roast beef all the way through, like the stuff you buy from the Deli. I knew if it was tough I could throw it in the crock pot in gravy, BUT, it was melt in your mouth tender. Believe me I am picky when it comes to my beef, if it's tough I wont touch it, this was awesome. Slow cooking at very low temps ensures that the whole of the roast is rare, not just the little piece in the middle. For those that don't like the look of rare, don't look at the picture! So don't be afraid to butcher those older animals and take the good cuts, you don't have to grind everything. Carol K
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Post by midhilldexters on Jan 29, 2013 14:51:27 GMT -5
Just to add if you want medium rare obviously you can cook it longer, just try that low temp. slow cooking some time it really turns out great.
CArol K
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Post by Olga on Jan 29, 2013 15:07:22 GMT -5
Yum, Carol K! That's the way to do a roast!
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Post by ladena on Jan 29, 2013 15:30:01 GMT -5
Where's the horseradish sauce? That is a beautifully done roast
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Post by laughingllama75 on Jan 29, 2013 20:04:41 GMT -5
Nice roast. Um, I will bring the sides....you provide the roast. Call me next time, ok?
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Post by ssrdex on Jan 29, 2013 22:55:39 GMT -5
Hungry for BEEF 😜! We bought 2 dexters, supposed to be daughter & dam. Kept dam because she had reg & sold daughter to my uncle. Neither got pregnant, tried with proven bulls for 18 months. Maple would let him breed her but it never took. They weren't nice cattle @ all, we were told they had been used to train horses in penning or roping. Maple was delicious, all the standard cuts. She hung @ 457#, & the butcher let us take a "tough" cut home to try after 14 days of hanging. Said if it was good, it would ALL be good...it was! She was 9 or 10
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Post by copperhead on Jun 23, 2013 21:44:59 GMT -5
We butchered a 10 or 11 year old cow last year, don't have a weight, because we butchered her at home. We were going to put it all in hamburger, but our neighbor, who has the cutting equipment said the loin looked good, so we cut it into steaks. They were a little bit chewey, but not bad, and great flavor. I'm just now using the last of the ground, and it's been great all along. Not tough just great flavor, I used some of it to make jerky with and it was a big hit, very lean. I think if we had been able to let her hang for a couple of weeks the steaks would have been great too.
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Post by Morning Star Farm on Jun 24, 2013 8:50:51 GMT -5
I'm so glad you shared this information, we just sent an eight year old cow off to the butcher and were trying to decide if we should grind up the whole thing. I think we will talk to the butcher and let him decide on cuts. Can you tell me if your animals were grass fed? thanks, Carole
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Post by bapetteway on Jul 20, 2013 7:48:50 GMT -5
Carol K. So glad to see your roast photo.....That is perfection!
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