Working with your Processor Josh Elmore, PAS Advisor III, Natural Resource Program Objectives Working with your processor Understanding what your animal will yield Basic Cutting Specifications Owner Human Resource Manager Accountant Meat Cutter QC Manager Sanitation Manager Food Safety Coordinator Public Relations Manager Meat Processor 1
Livestock delivery Quality Control Point Subject to Inspection Humane Handling minimize excitement when handling livestock Does the processor know you are delivering animals? What time does the processor receive livestock? Are there any documents that need to be signed? Does the animal have access to water? Does the animal have room to lay down if held overnight? Yield Live Weight Hot Carcass Weight Cold Carcass Weight Cutout Weight Yield Grade Quality Grade 2
Live Weight many factors, most likely before taken to processor Hot Carcass Weight (HCW) weight of live animal minus the hide, head, intestinal tract, and internal organs. Cold Carcass Weight (CCW) weight of the carcass after it chilled and prior to fabrication. Cutout Weight 3
Y G 2 Yield Grades Y G 5 Adopted from: R.E. Taylor. Scientific Farm Animal Production. 4 th Ed. 1992. Quality Grades Yield and Quality Grading 4
Cutting Specifications Know the variety of cuts available: T bones vs. Strip Loin & Tenderloin Steaks Know the possible quantity of available cuts Flank Steak vs. Tri tip Tenderloin New York Strip Carcass Breakdown information 5
Make the determination you and processor What cuts do you want? What cuts do they cut? If selling, what specific cuts do you want? How Much Do I Get? Meat from a typical half beef (from a 1,000 1,200 lb. live animal) consists of approximately: 14 T bone steaks (3/4 thick) 14 rib steaks (3/4 ) 8 sirloin steaks (3/4 ) 8 round steaks (3/4 ) 2 sirloin tip roasts (3lbs.) 6 chuck roasts (4 lbs.) 4 arm roasts (3lbs.) 2 rump roasts (3lbs.) 8 packages of stew beef (1lb.) 4 packages of short ribs (1.5lbs.) 4 packages of soup bones (1.5lbs.) 80 100 lbs. ground beef (variety meats, if desired, such as heart, liver, tongue, and oxtail) How Much Do I Get? Meat from a typical half hog ( from a 250 270 lb. live animal) consists of approximately: 12 14 lbs. pork chops 6 10 lbs. ground pork and/or ground sausage 2 packages of spare ribs (1.5lbs.) 1 ham (15 18 lbs.; can be cut smaller) 3 shoulder roasts (4lbs.) 8 10 lbs. bacon 2 smoked hocks (0.75lbs.) (variety meats, if desired, such as heart, liver, tongue, and fat/lard) 6
Documentation Documentation is the best method to ensure you and your meat processor are on the same page! Meatprocessors advice Get every cut that is available Figure out what cuts you /customers want Refine selection Determine price Yield Collect it.. Don t assume processor will collect it for you. Know what the processor will collect HCW Know what you must collect Live animal weight Cutting Yield Packaging What is available? How many cuts/ package? How may lbs/ package? 7
Not every option is listed below All cuts below come from the same piece of meat. Average amount from 350 lb side of beef Amount Rib Steak This is the ribeye with bones attached 12 to 14 steaks @ 3/4" Rib Loin Rib eye Steak Rib Steak with bones removed 12 to 14 steaks @ 3/4" Prime Rib Boneless Roast 10 to 14 lbs left whole or cut into 1/2 or 1/3 Standing Rib Roast Prime Rib Roast with bones 12 to 16 lbs left whole or cut into 1/2 or 1/3 Short Ribs Roasting Meat 6 to 8 lbs average Boneless Stew 1" cubes of boneless lean meat 4 to 6 lbs average Plate Soup Bones 4 to 6 count average Brisket Roasting Meat, Stew or Ground 5 to 7 lbs whole Roasts Chuck, Arm 8 to 10 @ 3 to 4 lbs each Chuck Steaks Blade, Flat Iron, Denver Steaks 6 to 8 lbs whole Round Cube Steaks Round Steak through mechanical tenderizer 12 to 14 steaks @ 3/4" T Bone Steaks 12 to 14 steaks @ 3/4" T Bone Loin New York Strip 12 to 14 steaks @ 3/4" Tenderloin Not available if T bone Chosen Steaks 1 Sirloin can serve 2 3 People 7 to 9 @ 3/4" Sirloin Tri Tip Roast Outside muscle taken from Sirloin 1 to 2 lb roast Bulk Regular ground 80 to 90% lean Ground Patties 4 to 5 oz patties 60 to 100 lbs depending on cuts used above Skirt Used for fajita meat or ground 3/4 to 1 1/2 lbs Other Flank Steak Used for fajita meat or ground 3/4 to 1 1/2 lbs All steaks will be 3/4" thick unless specified. Thicker cuts mean fewer steaks. Steaks will be packaged 2 per package unless specified. Roasts will be packaged 1 per package unless specified. Roasts will be packaged 1 per 4 to 6 lbs per package unless specified. Ground Beef will be packaged 2 lbs per package unless specified. References AMSA. 2001. Meat Evaluation Handbook. Savoy, Ill. Boggs, D.L., Merkel, R.A. 1993. Live Animal Carcass Evaluation and Selection Manual 4 th Edition Burson, D.E. 2002. CDE Meats Evaluation and Identification Contest. Available: http://animalscience.unl.edu/meats/cde2002/cde2002meatsweb_files/frame.htm. Accessed May 3, 2005. Lawrence, T.E., J.D. Whatley, T.H. Montgomery, L.J. Perino. 2001. A comparison of the USDA ossification based maturity system to a system based on dentition. McKenna, D.R., D.L. Roeber, P.K. Bates, T.B. Schmidt, D.S. Hale, D.B. Griffin, J.W. Savell, J.C. Brooks, J.B. Morgan, T.H. Montgomery, K.E. Belk, G.C. Smith. 2002. National Beef Quality Audit 2000: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. TAMU. 2005. Available at: http://meat.tamu.edu/producer.html. Accessed December 8, 2005. Price, M.A. 1980. Can Judges judge what hides hide? University of Alberta, Department of Animal Science, Agriculture and Forestry Bulletin, 3:9 12. University of Nebraska Lincoln. 2002. Available at: http://citnews.unl.edu/assuringquality/product.html. Accessed November 30, 2005. Wenther, J.B. NMPAN. 2009. Understanding the Meat Processors Language. Accessed Novemeber 12, 2010. Available at: http://www.extension.org/mediawiki/files/c/c7/wenther_webinar_slides_handout_9 15 09.pdf 8