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Freezer Beef: What Cuts Are Available?

Sep 01, 2026

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By Christina Bakker

Your beef steer is ready to harvest and the date to bring him to the butcher is set. It feels like the hard work should be done. Then, the butcher hands you a cutting instruction sheet and you feel like you’re back in high school again being handed an exam. What is a cubed steak? How big of a roast should you order? If you’ve never filled out cutting instructions before, it can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. This article will cover things to consider before buying beef in bulk as well as provide some explanations and tips for making your cutting instruction decisions.

Common Questions

How much freezer space do I need?

Before committing to buying meat in bulk, it is important that you make sure you have adequate storage for what you are bringing home. Unless specified otherwise, freezer beef generally is delivered frozen. A 5 cubic foot freezer will hold a quarter of a beef carcass with room to access most of the contents. It is also helpful to come up with a plan for your freezer layout before loading the freezer up for ease of locating packages in the future.

What is a quarter of beef?

Unless a different arrangement is made, a quarter of beef is ¼ of the meat that comes from a beef carcass. It does not refer to the front quarter or hind quarter, so you will receive cuts from both.

What options do I have?

The options you have for cutting instructions may differ depending on your butcher’s policies, but this article will cover some of the more common ones.

Source : sdstate.edu

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