Indulged Wayne in a side of beef since it's down to 2.25# This time I kept the heart, the kidneys and the liver (also the tongue and the tail but Wayne likes those parts.) I may have to fight him for the liver but the plan is for Ami to have the heart and liver...should I just cook and cut up for treats? Use it for a couple of full meals? I'm afraid if I add to his kibble, he'll come to expect goodies in his food bowl and I will have created a monster. Though it does occur to me, I may be able to get lots of heart, kidneys, lungs, from pigs, cows, lambs as well as any other parts not generally appreciated by the general American populace.

In addition, there's a good chance I will be getting some deer this year - we went to a ducks unlimited meeting to find out more about the plans for the land across the street (which it seems, the local chapter knew nothing about.) But - 2 of the officers were looking for hunting land to lease - told them they could hunt on our land, no lease, just let us know when they would be here and DON'T SHOOT MY DOG!!! THey were thrilled and offered us venison - I asked for all the bones and trimmings and non-human edible parts. We can get tags and they will do the hunting.

So...what to do with the parts I have?

Heart and liver are both super rich, I wouldn't feed too much with a meal. You can dehydrate and use as treats or snacks. Same with lungs, they dehydrate into great treats.

simplify wrote:

Heart and liver are both super rich, I wouldn't feed too much with a meal. You can dehydrate and use as treats or snacks. Same with lungs, they dehydrate into great treats.

Ashleigh - I was hoping you would chime in, I know you have a lot of experience with this. Damn heart is almost as big as my head!!! I remember when I worked at an overnight camp in the 70's, there was the frequent occurrence of something called "mystery meat" - it was a ground shaped product, sort of livery red and was a government surplus thing...I finally got the cook to show me the label, mostly heart. It actually wasn't bad but I'll bet the salt and fat content were through the roof. I do have a dehydrator but maybe I'll do this in the oven - don't want to contaminate my dehydrator when its used entirely for fruit.

Ugh, I barely got everything in the freezer - did not really plan this out properly (if I had know the price would hold - its down about .75#, I would have waited to order. I prefer to order in late November when the cows are putting on the fat for winter. It's been so hot and dry, I'm guessing the meat will be kind of lean. But, go figure - the grass fed is 2.99# and the corn finished is at 2.25. Fortunately, Wayne does not like the flavor of grass fed. Now we'll see how his gout reacts to the beef...y'll might want to take stock in Colychris

Oh Amy, I would road trip up there just to pick up a cow! That is SO CHEAP!!! Beef here is rarely less than $5/lb and that's being generous.

I know a lot of people eat heart, it's a muscle, but the texture is definitely not like normal muscle meat. When I get fresh deer hearts, I like to see the color of the blood come out. It's such an amazing color, so pure and thick. Sorry if that makes me sound like a weirdo but there truly is nothing like it. lol.

Oh goodness. I hope it doesn't get too bad! What is it with beef and gout? Just red meat in general or beef specifically?

Purines. Which is basically a component of all proteins. But beef is also fatty so that may have something to do with it. Also alcohol, especially beer, black cherries are protective. Which reminds me - I bought a 6 pack of hard cider - Strongbow, gold apple. Very nice!!!

Keep in mind - the 2.25# is the hanging weight. The yield can be anywhere from 60-80%. We have ours dry aged for 2-3 weeks in the cooler (no extra cost to us but it does shrink the meat. BUt intensifies the flavor) BUt then, I keep all my cuts bone in, which increases the yield. And this time I got all the bones for Ami as well as the kidney, heart, liver, tail and tongue. The price is the same with or without those so I figured might as well give the big boy some treats.

My parents buy a 1/2 a cow every once in a while and started saving the things they used to give up because they don't eat it. Gabby is on a raw diet so she gets most of it raw but I do cook up the liver. She wont eat it if I don't. I think she doesn't like the spongy texture liver has. Normally just put it in the oven for like 20 minutes and call it good. I have thought about making treats out of it but just never get around to it. I will say to be careful on the amount of liver - to much of it has given Gabby the runs. When I feed liver - I mix it up with something fairly boney like chicken wings or necks just to firm up her poop. (not something I think you have to worry about but just for other people's reference)

Ember is head over heals for liver treats (Kairo will eat anything, and I haven't tried her on them yet). I get Calf Liver from Walmart, boil it until it turns light brown, score it into pieces the size I want for training (itty bitty), and stick them in the oven on lowest setting for no less than three hours.

I would love to try fresh meat one day, but I live in a tourist town and getting anything fresh is next to impossible.

I don't have to worry about the runny poop thing - quite the reverse. I've been getting big bags of frozen beef bones for the past 2-3 years from the same butcher. They aren't scraped clean like supermarket bones but have a thin layer of meat, tendons, ligament (and some fat sometimes). He gets one once a day (occasionally twice if he's really insistent - he knows where the freezer is and what's inside )

I put all the stuff away last night - looks like 2 of the bone bags are all marrow bone - THAT will give him the runs. And way too many calories. I'll have to ration those and maybe feed less on those days. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are running 1.88# at the moment (less than the boneless skinless thighs, go figure!) so maybe I'll pick up a couple big packs of them and use that for his meals on days he gets those...if I can figure out where to put them! Both the chest freezer and the fridge freezer are full to the brim!!!

Wow - Ashleigh! Beef is expensive down your way. I would have thought with your proximity to Texas, it would be cheaper. Though we do have lots of beef farmers all over the region. Actually, now that I think about it...the cows next door are all hereford cross beefers.