Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is grass fed or pastured beef?
A. The short answer is cattle that have been raised on grass and expensive hay to the exclusion of cheap corn and corn by-products. The natural diet of cattle is grass. All cattle are grass fed at some point in their life. Cattle are ruminant animals, meaning they have multiple stomachs for digestion, which makes them efficient convertors of grass into nutrients and energy. The term “grass fed”, to an extent, has been hijacked by commercial producers. The term “grass finished” denotes the diet leading to harvest, but does not necessarily mean corn has not been a part of the animal’s life diet. Grass fed or pastured at CHAGUANAS RANCH means on pasture and/or hay from birth to harvest – no corn or corn by-products.
Q. Is the meat inspected?
A. Yes, in a USDA inspected facility by a USDA inspector. An inspector is on site at the abattoir or processing plant. The beef is inspected before and after harvest.
Q. How long will the beef be aged?
A. The carcass will be aged for fourteen days after harvest.
Q. How will the beef look?
A. Grass fed or pastured beef is a darker red than commercially raised beef due to the absence of corn from its diet. Our cuts are smaller and may not have the “showcase look”. These beeves are processed one at a time (carcass meats are not co-mingled) and no picking and choosing among an array of cuts for pretty. Taste and health are the foremost reasons for purchasing grass fed beef. Expect a leaner, darker, denser, and deeper flavored beef… closer to how things were once upon a time.
Q. How much freezer space do I need to store my frozen vacuum packaged purchase?
A. Eighty (80) pounds of frozen beef, approximately two (2) filled book boxes –the contents of each box will occupy 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space or a total of three (3) cubic feet. A nine (9) cubic feet freezer will hold approximately two hundred, forty pounds (240).
Q. How long will vacuum packaged frozen beef maintain its freshness?
A. Vacuum packaged frozen beef, kept at 0 or negative 0 degrees will maintain freshness two years and beyond.
Q. How many meals may I expect from eighty (80) pounds of beef?
A. It is estimated, a family of four may expect 50 to 60 meals from eighty (80) pounds of beef. Beef lovers, expect fewer meals!
Q. Since grass fed or pastured beef is leaner, do I need to modify how I normally cook beef?
A. Yes, the greatest culprit to tough beef is overcooking, especially pastured beef. Since pastured beef is high in protein and low in fat, coat with olive oil and/or marinade to enhance its moisture content. Lower the cooking temperature and shorten the cooking time by 30% whether cooking with dry heat or moist heat. Remove the beef from the source of heat ten degrees from the desired cooked temperature if using a thermometer. Steaks are best cooked rare to medium rare. If you prefer well done steaks, use a moist cooking method. Expect fresher tasting, flavorful, healthy, less greasy beef.
Q. What are the advantages of purchasing Chaguanas Black Angus grass fed or pastured beef?
A. Local. You know where your beef has been raised and may pick up your beef on site.
Closed Herd. Animals are born and raised on ranch premises.
Humanely Treated with a deep regard for their wellbeing and with an inner passion to be good stewards of the land and the animals.
Health. Studies have shown pastured beef to be more nutritious. These beeves have not been given growth hormones, nor antibiotics.
Control from ranch to table.
Quality equals value.
Q. Why Beef-In-Bulk?
A. Purchasing Beef-In-Bulk has the advantage of cost averaging the cuts at a substantial discounted price without the wait of a special order. The more you buy the more you save. Families, office mates, friends, and neighbors often “beef-pool” their Beef-In-Bulk purchase. NOTE: Beef-In-Bulk is not always available.
Q. What constitutes a Beef-In-Bulk order?
A. Orders are fulfilled for Beef-in-Bulk purchases (cuts and ground beef combos), and whole carcass ground beef by 40 pound minimum order. Product is USDA inspected and stamped US Inspected, and identified individually by cut, and weight. For Beef-in-Bulk pricing go to PRODUCTS. Payment due in full upon receipt, check or cash.
