Moora Beef outcome

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Three weeks ago one of our Belted Galloway steers went to slaughter.  We spent the early morning of Australia Day making up 10 kg boxes of aged, grass fed beef.

Believe it or not, a 580 kg animal became 15 boxes (most of which were 10.5 to 11 kg) - plus a bit left over for us.  I was aware that a carcass is usually 50 something percent of liveweight.  Well ... meat yield is 50 something percent of that by the time bones and other trimmings are discarded.

The good news is that the meat looks excellent - and it all sold in a day - with most to our neighbours in South Gisborne. 

Each box is made up of a mix of cuts that is similar to what we get from a carcass.  A sample pack consisted of:
Topside roast - 1.1 kg
3 medium scotch fillet steaks - 0.7 kg
2 bigger porterhouse steaks - 0.7 kg
1 piece of rump steak - 0.6 kg
1 piece of round steak - 0.7 kg
3 oyster blade steaks - 0.8 kg
Corned beef - 0.8 kg
3 osso bucco - 0.8 kg
Stewing steak - 1 kg
Pack of plain sausages - 0.7 kg
Pack of garlic sausages - 0.6 kg
Pack of Chorizo sausages - 0.6 kg
2 packs of mince - 1.4 kg
Total - 10.5 kg

Buyers lose the ability they have at the butcher to choose the exact quantities and cuts they want, but they get meat from a known animal that was treated well its whole life.  The only things it ever ate were pasture,  hay and Olsson's mineral licks.  I guess most of our customers have driven along Couangalt Rd and watched our cattle grazing.

If you were to come to the farm I could show you the 2 or 3 steers from which I'll pick the next guy.  I love my animals as much as anyone, but their reason for being is to provide meat.  I honour them by taking the best care of them that I can -  up to the day where they satisfy the purpose for which they were bred.  As Joel Salatin says - 'Just one bad day'.


I remember Erez (the animal we slaughtered this time) as a calf.  He was the son of one of my favourite cows - Annie.  He was named after a guy I worked with in Israel a few years ago.  The Israeli Erez was a good guy - and a lot quieter than most Israelis.  I have to say Erez (the steer) was a bit 'spookier' - and always needed to handled gently.

Annie is a lovely quiet cow who has produced 5 calves in the 5 years I've had her.  I saw her earlier this evening feeding her 2010 calf - a fiesty little heifer called Maya.  I thought how well she looked - leaner than she was in the Spring - because she's feeding a growing calf.  I expect she'll already be pregnant again, although Maya will stay with her until May.  She'll then get a few months peace before (I trust) another calf in September.


We charge $150 for a 10 kg (minimum) box of Moora Beef.  The quantity is such that a reasonable size fridge and a small freezer will allow it to be used over a period that doesn't require anyone to 'overdose' on red meat.  

The price gives us a modest premium over selling the meat into the 'system' - actually a bit more modest than I'd like - but we're still learning.  The most important thing at present is to make sure what we're producing is of high quality and appreciated - and that we make the slaughtering, butchering, packing and marketing process one we can sustain.

I've checked back and found a photo of Erez with Annie when he was only a few days old.  It was very dry at the time.  I guess we were part way through the pasture renovation at the time - which is why it looks so bare.  Not like that now!
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