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How Much Eating Meat

How Much Eating Meat Will a Carcass Yield?

1,000 lb.
Steer

=

590 lb.
Good to Choice
Beef

=

465 lbs. Retail Cuts

Cut

lbs.

Porterhouse, T-bone, Cube Steak

35

Sirloin Steak

40

Round Steak

65

Rib Roast

45

Boneless Rump Roast

20

Chuck Roast

105

Hamburger

110

Stew Meat & Misc. Cuts

45

Bones, Fat, Waste and Shrink

125

Eating Meat

465 lbs.

Beef Carcass Meat Yield

 

Approx. % of
Dressed Wt.:

From 590-lb.
Carcass:

1. Round (Slow-cooking Steaks, Roasts)

22%

120-130 lbs.

2. Loin (Sirloin, T-Bone, Club Steaks)

17%

94-105 lbs.

3. Ribs (Standing and Rolled Rib Steaks)

9%

48-58 lbs.

4. Flank (Steaks or Stew Meat)

4%

20-25 lbs.

5. Chuck or Shoulder (Pot Roast and Slow-cooking Steaks)

6%

148-158 lbs.

6. Plate (Corned Beef, Stew Meat, Short Ribs)

12%

65-75 lbs

7. Shank (Soups and Stews)

4%

20-25 lbs.

8. Suet

6%

30-40 lbs.

 

_____

 
 

100%

 

Aging...
Never "age" pork. Instead, freeze it as soon as possible after chilling. Only good quality beef and lamb should be "aged" before cutting for storage. Low grade, lean meat will shrink excessively if "aged." "Aging" means holding the meat before cutting at 34 degrees to 38 degrees for seven days to 10 days.

Freezing...
Slow freezing is undesirable as it makes for greater breakdown of muscle cells and subsequent greater juice losses when meat is thawed. Freeze at temperatures as far below zero as possible.
Store meat at a constant temperature at zero degrees or lower.

How Much Meat in a Steer, Calf, Lamb or Hog?

The following table shows the pounds of carcass that you can expect from different classes and grades of livestock. In addition, it shows the amount of meat that you can expect to get from each 100 pounds of carcass (dressing percentage).

This dressing percentage will vary with the amount of fat (finish), the amount of weight in the digestive tract and conformation. A thick-muscled, fat animal will yield a heavier carcass than one poorly muscled or finished.

Cutting losses will vary with the amount of boning and closeness of trimming.

 

Live
Weight

Approx.
Dressing %

If Dressed
Wt. Was:

Approx. Pkg.
Wt. Would Be:

Beef

Choice

1000 lbs.

59%-62%

590 lbs.

465 lbs.

Good

1000 lbs.

56%-59%

560 lbs.

470 lbs.

Standard

1000 lbs.

50%-53%

500 lbs.

455 lbs.

Commercial

1000 lbs.

48%-53%

480 lbs.

425 lbs.

Pork

200 lbs.

72%

145 lbs.

109 lbs.

Veal

200 lbs.

61%

122 lbs.

107 lbs.

Lamb

90 lbs.

48%

43 lbs.

33 lbs.

Pork Carcass Yield
(USDA No. 2 Grade Approx.)

1. Ham

18%

26-28

2. Pork Loin Chops and Roasts

14%

18-20

3. Bacon

15%

19-22

4. Spareribs

3%

4-6

5. Boston Butts

6%

7-9

6. Picnic Shoulders

7%

9-10

7. Pork Hocks

3%

4-5

8. Head

6%

7-9

9. Feet

3%

4-5

10. Lard

25%

34-41

Misc. cuts, water & trimmings

  
 

______

______

 

100%

145

Eating Meat 101-111 lbs.