Turner Grass Fed Beef
Frequently Asked Questions
Ordering Questions
Do you offer beef year round?
Currently, we sell beef usually 9 months a year.
Do you deliver in the San Francisco Bay Area?
We currently are not able to make deliveries. All customers pick up their orders at the butcher shop when their orders are completed.
Does Turner Grass Fed Beef offer individual cuts?
At this time we do not sell individual cuts. The smallest order we offer is a quarter of a steer.
Why order so much meat?
By ordering your meat for the year, you will save hundreds of dollars over buying "piece by piece" at a supermarket. Additionally, you will enjoy far better cuts of meat. How often do you purchase store bought grass fed filet mignon at $32.99/lb., or T-bone steak at $26.99/lb.? You will be eating such choice cuts with your Turner Grass Fed Beef order.
What is a "mixed" quarter of beef?
The front and rear quarters of a steer contain different cuts of meat (e.g., most of the steaks come from the backside). We "mix" cuts from both the front and rear quarters to even out the quarter for each customer. Click here for a sample cut sheet from the butcher.
Ranching Questions
Are your animals completely grass fed and finished?
Yes, our animals are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. They do not eat any grain, soy, or other feed beside grass.
Are the cattle finished with grain or corn?
Never. From the moment our animals are weaned from their mothers, they consume high quality grass for the rest of their lives.
Are you certified organic?
Turner Grass Fed Beef has chosen to not certify its beef organic because it would not change the quality of the meat, but it would drive our prices higher. We are committed to bringing the best grass fed beef to you at the best possible price.
Does Turner Grass Fed Beef adhere to sustainable farming practices?
Yes. With a 30 to 45-day rest period between grazing, we increase the density of existing plants in our pastures and allow for the re-introduction of new native plants. As a result, all of our grassland is deeply rooted, and this better root structure and thicker sod enables the landscape to catch and hold nearly all of the rain that hits it, resulting in virtually no soil erosion. Finally, this sustainable eco-system is a natural carbon recycler: the carbon our animals produce is reused by our plant life for further growth.
Meat Questions
What factors determine the quality of meat?
Three factors determine the quality of any meat:
- Quality of Genetics. We are picky and choose only Angus Steer. We like the quality, flavor, and
marbling of Angus Steer the best.
- Quality of Nutrition. Our steer have grown up only consuming their mothers' milk and high quality grass. Feeding cattle anything else compromises their nutrition.
- Quality of Processing. We dry age our meat for a minimum 14 days to allow the natural enzymes to tenderized the meat. Then we custom cut and freeze the meat. Thus, our customers are picking up fresh meat that was processed 3 weeks earlier.
Why does dry aging make the meat so much better?
Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the building blocks of living things, but they don't have much flavor in their natural state. Sometimes we can get our food to make itself more delicious, by treating it in a way that creates favorable conditions for the enzymes that are already in the food to work together in a certain fashion. One way is through dry-aging.
Dry-aging beef means that meat is allowed to rest in carefully controlled conditions (cool temperatures, with high humidity) for a period of time—we dry age our meat a minimum of 14 days. When we create such conditions, we allow enzymes to do their work and we end up with a complexity of flavor—savoriness, sweetness, some bitterness that just wasn't there before. There's no cooking method that can generate the depth of flavor of a dry-aged piece of meat.
Dry-aging beef also causes it to lose some of its moisture. Meat begins at about 75 percent water; after dry-aging, it may go down to about 70 percent. It doesn't sound like much of a change, but that small amount creates a more concentrated flavor. Dry-aged meat is still juicy when you cook it, but the juices are even more delicious.
How is the meat packaged?
After a minimum of 14 days aging, the meat is cut and vacuum packed in see-through packages. This airless environment ensures high quality and a long shelf life in your freezer.
What cuts are included in a quarter steer?
We work with customers and the butcher to offer two cuts (1) Standard Cut, and (2) Modified Cut (which provides more ground beef)
Practical Questions
How much do you charge for your beef?
Purchasing from a ranch is different than buying store bought meat. Practically speaking, customers are purchasing a part of a steer, not a finished product. Thus, we sell steer by the quarter animal, and charge a set price per pound of finished weight. Steer are different sizes, so weights vary. Early in the season the steer are smaller; later in the season the steer are larger. Our steer average between 120 – 150 lb. of finished meat products per quarter.
How long will the beef last in my freezer?
The meat will last a year in your freezer, so we recommend that you buy what you will eat in one year.
How long will the beef last in the refrigerator?
Storage time varies from product to product. On average, we say three to five days maximum in the refrigerator. Many people share a quarter with another family if there is too much meat for them individually.
How much freezer space do I need?
A quarter of a steer requires about three cubic feet of freezer space, or about six brown grocery bags.
What is the best way to thaw meat?
It is best to thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator. Using this method, a one-pound package will thaw in approximately 20 to 24 hours. We do not recommend thawing meat in the microwave. However, if you must, select the lowest power setting to avoid cooking, rather than defrosting, the meat.
What is the E. coli risk for grass-fed beef?
Studies show that grass-fed cattle have dramatically fewer E. coli in their intestines than grain fed cattle. Grain fed cattle develop abnormally high stomach acidity, which allows for the development of acid-resistant E. coli. If these E. coli should happen to get into a human digestive system, our stomach acid is too weak to kill the bacteria and we get sick. Grass fed cattle, on the other hand, have healthy stomach acidity, which means that even if by rare chance you are exposed to E. coli, your stomach's natural acidity should kill the bacteria. Please note that despite the health of our animals, we always recommend the proper storage, handling and cooking of meat.
What is CLA?
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is fatty acid that is produced naturally in the bodies of grass-fed animals and is found in their meat and milk. Grass-fed cattle are likely to have two to three times the amount of CLA as grain-fed animals, and this nutritional value is passed on to you when you eat grass-fed meat. Research shows that a diet rich in CLA can help reduce a person's risk of cancer, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes.
Why does Turner Grass Fed Beef only sell direct to customers?
We only sell direct to customers to practice our values of local, sustainable, and environmental responsibility.
Is it legal to resell the meat purchased from Turner Grass Fed Beef?
Currently, we do not provide a USDA certification, so you may not legally resell your meat.
Do you customize orders?
We are only able to customize the cuts if you order a half or full steer. Customization includes specifying the thickness of steaks, and prioritizing different cuts. Additional fee may be required by the butcher for customized orders.
Does Turner Grass Fed Beef sell to stores?
We only sell directly to customers, so no stores carry Turner Grass Fed Beef.
Do you ship orders?
We do not ship because we are committed to providing a local product. If you would like to find grass fed beef near you, we highly recommend EatWild.com and LocalHarvest.org.
