Question for SoCal beef lovers...
 

When I was young my family would always buy "half a cow" or a "side of a cow" every year. Basically a farmer with an extra cow needs to have it butchered and you can buy part of it. Its great because you get all of this great meat for a really good price and for the most part you really don't need to buy any steak or roasts for a year or so. Of course you need a deep freezer to store all the meat in, but thats really no problem.

Have any of you in SoCal heard about this before? I know it may sound really strange to you all, but I'm dead serious. I want to buy part of a cow!

I have only heard of ONE butcher in South OC let alone someone that sells half a cow. On that note, anyone know of a place here that sells fresh moose or sockeye salmon?

mmm..i could go for some cow right now

here in nebraska you can easily do that :) easily do it with pork also.

contact a meat cutting plant in downtown LA

Yes I know, I'm from Iowa.

Hey find a real butcher shop (there should be plenty).
They will have a wide assortment of "family packs" which are basicly what your speaking of. So many roasts, ribs, steaks, ground beef, ect or as you call it part of a cow.

I had heard of a place YEARS ago that would do that for you in the OC somewhere. My family got half a cow once, but we ended up tossy some of it...we tend to eat more lamb...

Try contacting local farmers, they might advertise in the classifieds. We got some freerange chickens a few years ago, we placed the order and got the birds cleaned 6 or 8 months later.

I've seen ads for a 'side of beef' here in MN too.

there was a great show about butchers last night on the History Channel, heheh.

yuppers, call a local butcher. many times they have people lined up to go in on whole cows together. let me know what you find out, i have some friends in your area that would be interested in this info as well. :)

Problem is I don't know if there are any cows in SoCal? I think they're all up North. I'll try what FAC said, that guy knows his food!

Can you get cheese on your half cow?

I heard on tv we have only 'happy cows' in Ca.

It is a very simple process and you will end up with a very nice assortment of beef at a very reduced price. The butchers love it since they are basicly doing a volume move of product all at one time, so its simple fast cash for them.

Just a heads up though since I also buy beef and pork this way. Bring along several ice chests unless the butcher shop is less than 15 minutes away from you.

I don't doubt that. We have "happy everybody" in CA.

Over here we call it a "side of beef" basically enough meat for a year for like 300 bux. you still have to pay a butcher to cut it up for ya though unless you want to do it yourself.

Tons of cows in the 951 & 909

I stand corrected.

Sweet. Now I just need to buy the freezer I've been wanting for 6 months!

Find a good butcher and s/he should be able to put you in touch with someone who will sell it like that.

My grandfather owned a cattle ranch so we alway got our cows by the whole or half. We had 3 full sized freezers. I remember when our power went out during an ice storm one year and everything spoiled. The insurance company was a little suspicious of our claim until my parents sent them pictures :)

Yeah you go to a local fair with the 4H or FFF(i think) kids that raise animals(pigs/cows/sheeps/lambs/rabbits) and they auction them off at the end of the fair. You get the whole animal not just part, some of the butchers will even store the meat for you after they cut it up so you can just pickup what you need every few months.

Often not a wise choice regarding the whole 4h/FFA deal. Very often the kids cows, pigs, lambs, and sheep go for well above market price per pound. It is all part of that encouragement and civic duty factor in supporting both organizations.

Seriously, skip the farms, skip the fairs, forget buying a cow or pig and having it butchered, and just go for the butcher themselves. They already can get it to you at a better price than a farm would (after you add in slaughter, cleaning, butchering, transport, and flash freezing costs).