What Is a Quarter Beef?
A quarter beef (or quarter cow) is a quarter of a processed steer — a balanced cross-section of steaks, roasts, ribs, and ground beef rather than one category. Ours delivers exactly 100 pounds of finished, vacuum-sealed beef, so there are no hanging-weight estimates to decode.
Buying a quarter cow — also called a quarter beef — means purchasing a portion of a whole animal directly from a ranch or processor rather than individual cuts at retail. Here's what you actually get, what to expect on cost, and how the process works end to end.
What a Quarter Cow Includes
A quarter beef typically yields 80–120 lbs of finished, packaged cuts depending on the animal's size and how you have it processed. The cut mix includes:
- Ground beef: Usually 30–40% of the total yield — the most abundant item in any quarter
- Roasts: Chuck roast, arm roast, rump roast (heavier on chuck cuts in a front quarter)
- Steaks: Ribeye, NY strip, sirloin, filet (yield depends on the animal's size)
- Short ribs, stew meat, and bones for stock
Front quarter vs. hind quarter makes a difference: front quarters are heavier on chuck cuts and ground beef; hind quarters have more round steaks and sirloin. A split-half arrangement gives you the most even distribution across all cut types.
How Much Freezer Space Do You Need?
Plan on 1 cubic foot of freezer space per 25–30 lbs of beef. A 100lb quarter needs 3.5–4 cubic feet — roughly a third of a standard upright freezer, or a small dedicated chest freezer. All cuts arrive vacuum sealed and frozen, which maintains quality for 12–18 months without any deterioration.
What Does a Quarter Cow Cost?
Pricing is typically quoted in hanging weight (carcass weight before processing), not finished weight. Here's how the math works:
- Hanging weight vs. finished weight: You lose roughly 30–40% from hanging to finished — bone, fat trim, and moisture removal. A 280lb hanging weight quarter yields about 170–190 lbs of finished cuts.
- Pasture-raised, grain-finished: $7–$10/lb hanging weight, plus processing ($0.50–$1/lb). Finished cost works out to roughly $10–$15/lb across all cuts combined.
- Compared to retail: Buying the same cuts individually at retail — ribeye at $25+/lb, filet at $35+/lb, chuck roast at $10/lb — the blended per-pound cost is substantially higher than a quarter beef.
How Ordering a Quarter Cow Works
- Reserve your share: Pay a deposit to hold a quarter of an animal. Most operations process on a schedule, not immediately on order.
- Cut sheet: You tell the processor how you want your beef cut — steak thickness, how many pounds per ground beef package, whether you want bones and organ meat included.
- Delivery: Cuts ship frozen in vacuum-sealed packaging, either for pickup or shipped directly to you.
Is a Quarter Cow Right for You?
It's a good fit if:
- You cook beef regularly — at least 2–3 times per week
- You have or can get a small chest freezer (under $200)
- You want to know where your beef comes from
- You want the full range of cuts, not just what's available at the store on a given day
It's not a great fit if you only cook beef occasionally, live somewhere without freezer space, or want only specific premium cuts without the ground beef and roasts.
Our Quarter Beef Program
Our quarter beef on demand comes from our 4th-generation ranch in Springtown, TX — pasture-raised, grain-finished, processed at our USDA-inspected facility in Springtown. You get a representative mix across all cut types. Ships frozen, vacuum sealed, directly to your door.
If you want to try before committing to a quarter, our individual cuts are available in single packs so you can work through the different cuts before deciding.