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Muenster Grass Fed
Do you have questions about ordering bulk grass finished beef directly from your local rancher? Below is a list of the most frequent questions we receive. If you don't see the question you are looking for, please contact us, and someone will reach out to you quickly.
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How your beef looks when you pick it upOur grass finished animals are custom processed by bulk quarter, half, or whole calf packages. Commonly known as "freezer beef," selling in bulk allows us to give our customers the best price possible for high quality meat. Our beef is locally processed at the well-known Fischer's Meat Market located in Muenster, Texas. The frozen meat comes in cardboard packages weighing about 50 lbs each. The meat is shrink wrapped in small packages which ensures meat quality for at least 1 year. We highly recommend that our customers have a deep freezer in order to store their beef. Frostless freezers run a thaw cycle several times a week which will degrade the quality of the meat over several months. 50 lb boxes of frozen beef from Fischer's Meat Market Shrink wrapped packages: Roast, Steaks, Hamburger, Hamburger Patties
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What cuts of beef are included in my package?Below is an example cut order based on the actual yield of a 760 lb carcass. Actual pounds per cut will vary by calf and how the customer wants the meat processed. Custom processing is available for whole and half calf packages. Quarter calf packages follow a similar cut order found below. Bone-in Sirloin Steaks 1" thick Full: 34 lbs Half: 17 lbs ​Quarter: 8.5 lbs T-Bone Steaks 1" thick Full: 32 lbs Half: 16 lbs ​Quarter: 8 lbs Bone-in Rib Eye Steaks 1" thick Full: 31 lbs Half: 15 lbs ​Quarter: 7.5 lbs 1/2" Tenderized Round Steaks Full: 36 lbs Half: 18 lbs ​Quarter: 9 lbs Flank & Skirt Steaks Full: 6 lbs Half: 3 lbs ​Quarter: 1.5 lbs Chuck Roast (3 lbs) Full: 44 lbs Half: 22 lbs ​Quarter: 10.5 lbs Arm Roast (3 lbs) Full: 26 lbs Half: 13 lbs ​Quarter: 3.5 lbs Rump, Pikes Peak, Eye of Round Roasts (3 lbs) Full: 26 lbs Half: 13 lbs ​Quarter: 3.5 lbs ​​ Hamburger (1 lb packages) Full: 200 lbs Half: 100 lbs ​Quarter: 60 lbs Stew Meat (1 lb Packages) Full: 16 lbs Half: 8 lbs ​Quarter: 4 lbs Short Ribs (3 lb) Full: 30 lbs Half: 15 lbs ​Quarter: 7.5 lbs ​Boneless Brisket ​Full: 14 lbs Half: 7 lbs ​Quarter: 3-4 ​Soup Bone (by request) ​​Full: 10 lbs Half: 5 lbs ​Quarter: 2.5 Organ Meat (by request) Full: 10 lbs Half: 5 lbs ​Quarter: 2.5
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Where do I pick up my beef?We will deliver your animal to one of our local processors which you will select when you place your order. Please refer to the order page for details about processor location.
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How do you raise Muenster Grass Fed's beef?We raise our grass finished heifers on open range pasture during their entire lives. The grass and forbs of these pastures provide the vast majority of their protein and energy consumption. We do not feed antibiotics as a preventative measure against disease because it is not needed. Being on open pasture leads to healthy cattle vs. a crowded and dusty feed yard where disease spreads quickly. We take great pride in our grass finishing process. The finishing process is the time in which a fully grown animal is fattened in preparation for slaughter. While feedlots finish beef with diets high in grains and grain byproducts, we finish our animals on high quality cereal grain pastures in the winter and spring months. These dark green fields of wheat, oats, and cereal rye grasses are rich in protein and energy which are key components to optimal weight gain. Often, our animals can exceed weight gains of 2.75-3 lbs/day without any grain supplementation. High weight gains continue on this mixture until late May. At this point, the animals are finished and ready for slaughter. Depending on the age of the animal, they will have a live weight between 1125-1475 lbs. The beef from our animals is not the lean, tough grass fed beef typically found at high end super markets. The beef from these animals is marbled from the finishing processes. This means that the beef has fat running through the muscle of the beef making it delicious and tender.
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What is carcass weight and how is the beef priced?We price our calves based on the hanging weight of the animal after slaughter but before it is processed into cuts of meat. This ensures that you are getting the fairest price for the calf and the meat you will eventually receive from Fischer's Meat Market. If it was priced by live weight, you would be paying for excess grass & water in the calf's rumen, the hide, digestive tract, and head all of which can vary greatly. Additionally, live scales are somewhat inaccurate due to animal movements on the scale.
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How do you calculate the final price/lb of the meat from my calf?The final price per pound of your take home meat is based on the hanging weight (carcass weight) of the animal. Typically a carcass weights around 760-800 lbs but can be smaller or larger (I've had some weight over 1000!). The cost to Muenster Grass Fed is figured by the hanging weight multiplied by the cost/lb hanging weight found in your contract. Processing will be between $1.28-1.68/lb carcass weight depending on the processor you pick. For example, let's say you have a side of beef coming from an animal with an 800 lb total carcass weight that is processed at Fischer's Meat Market. You can expect about a 66% yield of take home meat from the carcass weight. 400 lbs (1/2 carcass weight) x $3.80 (1/2 beef price) = $1520 due to Muenster Grass Fed for the animal 400 lbs x $1.28 (Processing at Fischer's) = $512.50 $1520 + $512.50 = $2032.50 all in for your side of beef 400 lbs (carcass weight) x 66% (yield) = 264 lbs of beef $2032.50/264 = $7.70/lb take home meat
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Do you offer grain-finished beef?We offered pastured, grain-finished beef in 2022 and 2023. The beef was awesome. Unfortunately, it was a lot of extra work for us at a time of year that was already too busy. We decided to stop raising them for the time being. We may start again in future years depending on circumstances on the farm.
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Is Muenster Grass Fed's beef dry aged?Yes. All of the beef that you purchase from Muenster Grass Fed is expertly dry aged by the butchers at one of the processors for at least 14 days. Dry aging is a process in which enzymes naturally found in the beef break down muscle tissues leaving the beef more tender. Additionally, the flavor of our grass fed beef further develops creating a delicious beef your family is sure to enjoy.
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How much does processing cost?Processing expenses change throughout the year. I try to keep an up to date estimate of costs on the order form for customers to refer to when placing an order.
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Do you deliver, ship, or have any store outlets?"Since Muenster Grass Fed is one of several enterprises of our farm, we do not have time to deliver beef. We also do not ship beef on dry ice. We do not currently have any store outlets for our beef.
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Why is the fat darker on Muenster Grass Fed beef vs. corn fed beef?The off-white or even yellowish tint of the fat off our beef comes from various vitamins and minerals consumed by our cattle which are found in our grass. Lush, green grass is high in Vitamin A which imparts the yellowish color. The fat is also higher in Vitamin E and has a healthy balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.
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