What cuts come in a side of beef?
If you’re about to buy your first side of beef then you’ve probably got some questions about exactly you’re going to get!
One of the challenges when starting to buy meat this way, is understanding the lingo!
You might hear the following from your farmer or butcher.
- Side of Beef
- Half A Cow
- Half A Steer
- Half an Animal
These terms basically mean the same thing. Half of the cow carcass (split down the middle) and prepared for consumption by an abbatoir and butcher.
Different parts of the cow, result in different steaks!
As you can see by the diagram, different parts of the cow result in different meat cuts.
The main parts of a side of beef include.
- chuck
- rib
- tenderloin
- short Loin
- shank
- short Plate
- brisket
- flank
- round
- rump
- sirloin (top/bottom)
- oxtail
The exact cuts you’ll end up with in your freezer are determined by the choices you make on your online cut sheet, and the preferences of the butcher.
How much meat is there in a side of beef?
That depends a lot on how big your cow is!
Cows are living creatures, and they have different genetics, feeds and living conditions, so they all come out at different weights.
When a cow is listed on our platform, the farmer will estimate what is known as “dressed weight“. This is the weight of the cow, after slaughtering, before being prepared by the butcher.
Dressed weight does include some bones, which are great for soup, stock and our canine friends.
The below is a rough guide based on average estimated quantites.
Please remember that when buying a side of beef, you will get prime cuts, secondary cuts, as well as bones for the dogs!
| Approximately How much beef should I get? | |||||
| Based on a dressed weight of 220 – 240kg | Quarter (kg) | Half (kg) | Whole (kg) | Percentage | |
| Approximate Weight | 50kg – 60kg | 100kg – 120kg | 200kg – 240kg | ||
| Chuck | Roasts and Mince | 18.25 | 36.5 | 73 | 31.13% |
| Rib | Rib Roast, Ribs and Mince | 6.5 | 13 | 26 | 11.09% |
| Loin | Porterhouse Steak, Sirloin Steak and Ribs | 10.5 | 21 | 42 | 17.91% |
| Brisket | Brisket 🙂 | 1.375 | 2.75 | 5.5 | 2.35% |
| Skirt | Stewing Steak, Short Ribs | 5.5 | 11 | 22 | 9.38% |
| Round | Rump Steak, Stew Steak, Roasts, Mince and dog bones | 11.75 | 23.5 | 47 | 20.04% |
| Shank | Beef Shanks, dog bones | 2.5 | 5 | 10 | 4.26% |
| Flank | Flank Steak, Mince, dog bones | 2.25 | 4.5 | 9 | 3.84% |
| 58.625kg | 117.25kg | 234.5kg | 100.00% | ||
View Detailed Breakdown
We recently teamed up with our local butcher, to do a complete breakdown with comparison weights and prices so you can see exactly what you’ll get in a side of beef!