How much beef and pork does a family eat?

December 16, 2021

How much meat do you need for a family?

If you have never purchase meat in bulk (or even if you have in the past) it may be hard to judge how much you need or how long it will take to go through a freezer full of beef or pork.

One of our long-time customers has it down to a science.  They picked up their most recent quarter of beef earlier this month and said, “we have two pounds of ground beef left in the freezer.”  You can’t plan much better than that.

They are a family of five.  They have three children ranging from three to eight years old.  Here is an idea of how much and how often they restock their freezer with beef and pork to give you a feel for what a family of five can go through.

Beef

Quarter of Beef – every 6 months

A quarter of beef gives them anywhere from 100-140 lbs. of beef in their freezer every 6 months.  They take advantage of as many of the cuts as possible.  They are even adventurous enough to try liver, heart, and beef tongue.  They make sure to get some knuckle bones to make beef broth as well.  Besides the organ meats, they do enjoy many steaks, roasts and a lot of ground beef year-round.

Here is an example of what cuts and how much you might get from a quarter of beef.

*This is an estimate.  Amounts will vary depending on steer and cuts selected.

Pork

Half a Hog – every 9 months

A half of a hog is about 70-90 pounds of meat in the freezer.  They have mentioned that they probably could use more pork or get pork more frequently as they do run out of that faster.  Bacon is a favorite, but they also enjoy pork chops and shoulder roasts frequently. 

Here is an example of what cuts and how much you might get from a half a hog.

*This is an estimate.  Amounts will vary depending on steer and cuts selected.

Hopefully this helps give you an idea of how long it takes a family to eat a quarter of beef and half a hog and get a better grasp of how much meat that provides. 

A small chest freezer around 5 cubic feet is usually a good size for a quarter of beef.  Most of the butchers we work with wrap in plastic or have an option to wrap in plastic.  The vacuum sealed plastic helps keep the air from getting to the meat and will give it a longer life in the freezer.  You will want to purchase an amount that you can use up in about a year or less.  That will ensure great flavor for you to enjoy!

We raise pigs and steers year-round to be able to have a consistent supply available.  Our goal is to have 2 steers available every month for customers buying in bulk as well as purchasing individual cuts.  We raise our pigs in groups that get processed two or three times a year.  If you have any questions on pork and beef availability please reach out to carrie@mayhillfarmwi.com or check the Bulk Meats page on our website at https://mayhill.eatfromfarms.com/page/bulk-meats for more information.