Picking your cow portion is a matter of taste. Weighing your cooking and eating preferences against the cuts at hand is a great way to decide. Let’s begin with the front quarter, a particularly great choice for grilling.
While the least expensive part of the animal, the front quarter is full of delicious cuts. There are four main sections here: the rib primal, the plate primal, the brisket, and the chuck.
With Source Farms beef, the carcass is always separated between the lowest two ribs. In other words, the rear quarter contains one rib and the front quarter contains the rest. One of the most coveted cuts, the ribeye, comes from the front. This muscle does very little work and is therefor very tender and often well-marbled. This cut can be called ribeye or Delmonico when it doesn’t have any bones. The name comes from a famous steakhouse in New York.
You can also get ribeyes with the bones still in them. These have rib cap muscle, which many people think is the tastiest part of the whole animal. That’s up for debate, but we do know that cooking with bone-in steaks tends to be more flavorful.
It can also be cut into three different types of roasts: a standing rib roast, a cross-cut rib roast, or a prime rib roast. Front quarters yield about 15-20 points of premium rib meat which can be cut as steaks or roasts.
If you want to make your beef look really good, you can French them, cut them into Tomahawk steaks, or serve them as a standing rib roast. This part of the cow can also produce flanken, short ribs, and spare ribs.
We can cut steaks to any thickness desired, boneless or bone-in. Let us know your preferred thickness and how many you’d like and we’ll make it happen.
Otherwise known as the shoulder, this section yields about 40 pounds of meat. Chuck roasts, under blade steaks, mock tender roasts, mock tender steaks, top blade steaks, and shoulder center cut roasts or steaks are all common cuts. This part of the animal can be turned into roasts, steaks (chuck, Denver, and flat-iron), stew meat, ground meat, or any mix of those.
The loose muscle flap under the neck, the brisket is the décolletage of the cow. It’s made up of hard-working pectoral muscles, meaning the consistency is fairly tough. This meat is ideal for slow cooking or slow smoking. Brisket is traditionally cured and smoked and made into corned beef. You can have it made into roasts, stew meat, or ground meat.
Most shares are made up of about 35% ground beef. These are the useful scraps that come from well-trimmed steaks and roasts. Source Farms standard 1/8 shares target 80% lean for ground beef.
This is the belly and the smallest of the front-quarter primal sections. It’s usually tough and fatty, but you can cure and smoke it as bacon or make skirt steak or fajita strips out of it. It’s also a good choice for ground beef and stew cubes.
All Source Farms front-quarter packages are a great deal for the cuts included. Consider the following when selecting an option:
Hung weight for a front-quarter is usually 170 pounds, but it can be anywhere from 120 pounds to 220 pounds. The quarter is custom cut to your specifications and generally yields 120 pounds of finished beef. The total, on average, is $1150, or $6. 75/pound.
Beef lovers have strong opinions about which cut of steak is the most succulent and flavorsome But when it comes to front quarter vs hindquarter beef, the differences go beyond individual steaks So should you choose the front or the hind when purchasing a side of beef? This comprehensive guide examines everything you need to know to decide which is better for your needs and budget.
An Overview of Beef Quarters
Cattle are slaughtered and butchered into two halves, which are further divided into quarters. The front quarter contains the chuck, brisket, rib and shank. Meanwhile, the hindquarter contains the loin, sirloin, round and flank.
There are notable differences in the characteristics of these primal cuts that impact cooking methods and pricing. Generally, the front quarter features more connective tissue and marbling This makes it well suited for pot roasting, braising and grinding into hamburger The hindquarter tends to be more tender with less fat, lending itself to quick-cooking methods like grilling or pan frying.
Comparing Cost: Front Quarter vs Hindquarter
The hindquarter commands a higher market value and costs more per pound than the front. There are a few reasons for this:
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The hindquarter contains lucrative cuts like the tenderloin, New York strip and ribeye that can be sold individually at a premium
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Muscles in the hindquarter get less exercise than the front, resulting in more tender meat.
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There is higher yield from the hindquarter after trimming away fat and bone.
According to Colorado State University, hindquarters yield about 7-10 more pounds of usable meat than fronts of the same carcass weight.
That being said, the front quarter offers an economical way to purchase large quantities of meat. Families looking to stock up on roasts, steaks and ground beef get more bang for their buck purchasing a whole front quarter.
Flavor and Tenderness
Tenderness and flavor go hand in hand. The more tender cuts of meat let the pure beefy flavors shine through. The slightly tougher front quarter benefits from long, slow cooking to break down connective tissues. This renders out gelatin and collagen, leaving meat fork-tender and full of flavor.
Cuts from the loin and sirloin in the hindquarter are naturally tender. They have a milder flavor best complemented by quick, hot cooking methods that brown and caramelize the exterior while keeping the interior moist. Extended cooking would cause these cuts to dry out.
Well-marbled cuts from the rib and chuck have a beefier taste and tender, succulent texture. They can also be cooked quickly like other hindquarter cuts. Brisket has a deep beef flavor that needs slow-cooking to achieve tenderness.
Usage for Roasts, Steaks and Ground Beef
Certain quarters lend themselves better to specific uses:
Roasts: Chuck roasts and pot roasts excel when braised for hours until fall-apart tender. Rib roasts, sirloin tip and round roasts are best roasted uncovered or wrapped at high heat.
Steaks: The ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon and sirloin are prized as thick steaks cooked hot and fast. Shoulder steak, chuck eye and cubed steak benefit from marinades and moist cooking methods.
Ground beef: Front shoulder clods, brisket and chuck create the most flavorful ground meat. The round’s leanness makes it ideal for burgers that won’t shrink while cooking.
Nutritional Value
There are some small variances in nutritional content between the quarters:
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The front quarter has slightly more marbling, so it contains a bit more fat and cholesterol. This translates to extra juiciness and flavor.
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Leaner cuts from the hindquarter are lower in calories by weight with a higher percentage of protein.
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Nutrient levels depend most on the specific cut, not the quarter it comes from. In general, beef is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins.
Final Verdict: Front vs Hind Quarter
When it comes to flavor, tenderness, cost and usage, both the front and hindquarters have their advantages. For budget-minded shoppers wanting maximum yield for stewing or grinding, the front quarter can’t be beat. The hindquarter offers greater quantities of quick-cooking steaks and roasts with premium quality – albeit at a higher price point.
Consider how much you expect to cook using each technique and choose the quarter with cuts that align with your needs. Or splurge on a whole carcass to enjoy the best that both have to offer! With smart preparations tailored to each cut, you’re guaranteed delicious beef either way.
Shares from the Front-Quarter
1/8 Healthy Start: With focus on leaner cuts and a protein-rich diet, the package is priced at $8. 00/lb. Hanging weight, all processing included as described below.
- 3 lots of pot roast, cut into “stir fry” strips and sliced very thinly
- 2 Brisket, thinly sliced 1 Cross-Rib Roast
- 3 packages of Ribeye Steaks (2 per package)
- 1 packages of Flanken Ribs (2lbs)
- 1 packages of Boneless Stew Meat (1-1.5lbs)
- 22 packages of Ground Beef (15% fat content)
1/8 Front Burger: This includes about 90% ground beef and 10% steaks. This is a great share for fast, inexpensive meals like grilled burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, potstickers, and cutlers. It’s also a great package to split up if you only need a little more ground beef to get through the rest of your freezer. Overall, a front-eighth will run about $615, or $7. 50/pound.
This share comes with prime rib roast, pot roast, flanked ribs, cross-cut shanks, stew cubes, and ground beef (though it has the least amount of ground meat of our standard packages). The yield is a little higher because many of the cuts come with the bones still in. The whole package costs about $710, or $7 75/pound.
Cow Front Quarter VS Hind Quarter! (Custom Cut Style) | The Bearded Butchers
FAQ
What cuts do you get from a front quarter of beef?
What do you get with a hind quarter of beef?
What is the difference between a front quarter and a rear quarter?
Which part of the beef is the best?
What is a hindquarter cut of beef?
The hindquarter is the cut of beef that comes from the hind leg of the animal, and it contains a lot of muscle and connective tissue. This makes it a tough cut of beef that is best cooked slowly, such as in a slow cooker or Dutch oven.
What is the difference between hindquarter & front quarter beef?
These cuts come from the top of the cow, and have different flavors and textures. The beef hindquarter is typically more tender than the front quarter, and has a higher fat content. It is a good cut for roasting or grilling, and is often used for beef stew.
What are the pros and cons of beef hindquarter & front quarter?
There are several pros and cons of beef hindquarter and front quarter. Pros: * The beef hindquarter is less expensive than the front quarter, and is a good value for the money. * It is a good cut for roasting or grilling, and has a high fat content.
What are the characteristics of a beef front quarter?
Here are some key characteristics of the beef front quarter: Cuts: The front quarter offers cuts such as chuck roast, brisket, shank, and short ribs, among others. These cuts are ideal for stews, pot roasts, and braising. Taste: Due to the presence of connective tissue and marbling, front quarter cuts tend to be flavorful and juicy.