John L.
5/5
I didn't want to write a review immediately after purchasing our half beef. I wanted to try the various cuts and products first.
To start, this is the first time I've ever bought bulk beef. My wife's family has done it for years. At first, I'll admit it was a little daunting, you have a big bill staring at you, then there’s a cut sheet where you have a lot of choices and unless you're used to doing a cut sheet, that can be a little bit confusing.
Jacob and Jennifer were happy to help all along the way. They went over options, costs and everything, and there was an affordable up-front deposit. When I made a mistake on my cut sheet, they double checked with me to make sure. They let us know well in advance about the time we could expect our beef to be ready; and when it was ready they were happy to meet us. We took up an invitation to come out to the farm. We showed up and Jacob was happy to show us around, but that day I needed to get back home to a sick toddler, so we declined. I'm sure we'll take them up on the offer next time.
It's surprising how much we got! We filled 2 large coolers, a medium cooler, a soft sided cooler, and we put together an improvised cooler with material they had, so I could get my bones (to make my own stock). The cut sheet allowed me to choose a few different options that you don’t usually see: Osso Bucco shanks, cut stew meat, keeping some bones, retain the liver and heart, fat (I process my own venison) and some other things you don’t see in the grocery store. There is no additional cost to keep and try these “extras”.
Everything was professionally portioned, packaged, clearly labeled with contents and weights, and frozen (all this is a big deal when fishing around in a big chest freezer). You have choices of 1 lb or 2 lb packs of burger. The vacuum sealed packs make the meat look a bit smaller than it is, but the meat is unaffected when you open the packs and it really helps keep things fresh.
So, the beef:
The burger is delicious, well ground, and great for patties but not too fat for stove recipes and meatloaf.
Stew meat is fantastic. Full of flavor, well-trimmed, good portion sizes, and a huge time saver, as it’s ready to be thawed and go in the pot. Definitely recommend.
Bones made fantastic broth.
I found out that heart is surprisingly tender and mild flavored. So happy I tried that.
Liver is liver, most people love it (me) or hate it (most of my friends and my wife).
Steaks are great, well-trimmed, not too gristly and a good beefy flavor.
We got our beef 2 months ago and even though we’ve tried so many things, and had some at least 2 nights each week, we’ve hardly made a dent in our freezer.
Lastly let me say, it’s great to be able to support a local growing family business. But really what stood out to me is how genuinely Jacob and Jennifer wanted to make sure we were happy with what we received. I can head up to a grocery store and buy some beef, maybe even some local beef. But, here I got MY beef. I think there is an intangible, indescribable, quality that comes from knowing where your food comes from. Meeting the family that raises it, having an opportunity to tour the farm, and selecting how you want to receive it, you can’t replicate that and it makes you appreciate the product even more. Thanks Jacob and Jennifer, we’ll be back!
