We recieved a cow who died today- no drugs no illness she was a heifer with calf accidents happen sometimes on farms. Anyhow we have her hanging but would like to know how to cut her up? We have saws and grinders as we do our own venison but Id like to know how to get the best cuts so Im not just stuck with a few roasts and like 200 lbs of hamburger which dont get me wrong wouldnt be all that bad but nothing beats a steak and yes I realize a dairy cow isnt gonna be as good eating as beef, but she was free and shes only about 18 months old. Thank you for any all help you can offer us. L. Slack

-- L. Slack (LSMWA@YAHOO.COM), January 08, 2002

Answers

I believe the old JOY OF COOKING cookbook has a section on how to butcher all kinds of animals -

-- hmm (h.m.metheny@att.net), January 08, 2002.

Check youre library if possible for a book called-Raising a calf for beef,there are instructions in the back of the book or you may be able to find a similar type book.

-- Dave (duckthis1@maqs.net), January 08, 2002.

I would gut and skin it, then take halves or quarters to your local processer for them to chill (age) and cut to your specifications.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

If you have done venison then a cow will not be much different, just larger. I've done and helped on many, usually tried to get some people together and make a three day party out of it. One descrition can be found here:http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/geissal23.html Well see if this picture posts from this site, it is a general diagram about the different cuts. Figure 15. Cuts of meat from a cow

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 09, 2002.

Yeah, listen to Ken. You need to hang the heifer at least 10 days to break down the tissue. Otherwise you will be trying to eat old boot leather. Even if you turn her into hamburger I think. Grandmother & Aunt Helen tell of how Grandmother would CAN an entire cow/steer. If you don't have room to freeze her after she's ready to eat you could always can her. Make sure you PRESSURE CAN. NOT boiling water. I think meat is in excess of 90 minutes at 10# pressure. Good luck and Good eating!!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), January 10, 2002.

Thank you to everyone for their help. The web site was the best help infact we had just found that prior to you telling us about it. Ken that is great advice but then it wouldnt be free anymore and the butchers around here dont do dead beef. It has to be live standing on the hoof or they wont do it. And as she was dead already that was/ is not an option. Dead only by about 30 minutes? Not long at all really but no butcher would have touched her. We have raised plenty of beef to be butchered. I have canned my vennison. And was considering doing some of the tougher cuts. And with the vennison hes not real exact. I get venison leg roasts and a few round steaks, The tenderloin, then a lot of burger Over 100 pounds this year from our 3 deer. Anyhow thank you so much for all your help. L. Slack

-- L.Slack (LSMWA@YAHOO.COM), January 10, 2002.