Grocery store beef has gotten much more expensive over the past two years, and the labels still don’t tell you much. You don’t know which farm it came from, how the animal was raised, or who processed it. For many families, not knowing these things is even more frustrating than the price.
Buying a whole beef from a local farmer or butcher solves both problems. You pay less per pound than if you bought individual cuts, and you know exactly which farm your beef came from. We work with local farms near Manheim whenever we can. Our main supplier has more than ten years of experience raising cattle, starting them on grass and finishing with grain for better marbling and tenderness. You choose how you want your beef cut, and we prepare it just the way you like.
Call, text, or email us. We will discuss the size, breed, and sex of the animal, and whether you want fresh same-day processing or aged beef. Then you fill out your Beef Cut Sheet, and we will help if you are new to this. A $300 down payment by card or cash reserves your order.
We handle everything: sourcing, weighing, cleaning, cooling, aging, processing, packing, freezing, and boxing your beef to your specifications. We will call you when your beef is ready. Payment is due before you pick up your meat.
You get steaks cut just the way you wanted, ground beef for any night, and a roast ready for company. Your freezer will be full of food you can trace back to a local farm.
A stressed animal releases stress hormones that can toughen the meat and affect flavor, so we can keep your animal on-site for up to 24 hours to let it settle before processing. A calmer animal going in means better quality meat coming out.
It depends on the size of the animal and whether you want bones. Hanging weight (meat and bone) runs around 58% of live weight. Take-home packaged meat runs around 40%. A 1,400-pound animal comes out near 800 pounds hanging and near 560 pounds packaged. Weights vary from animal to animal, so treat these as estimates.
Figure about 30 pounds of meat per cubic foot. A cube one foot on each side holds about 30 pounds. We will help you work out whether your current freezer handles the order you are considering before you commit.
Cost varies with the size of the animal, the market, and the cutting and smokehouse options you choose. Beef prices have moved a lot in the past two years. Call us, and we will give you honest numbers for the animal you are looking at. A $300 down payment is required to schedule, and the balance is due when you pick up the meat.
Yes. We offer assisted halal slaughter. We secure the animal, you perform the cut, and we handle skinning, cleaning, cutting, and packaging from there. The customer serves as overseer. Please call ahead so we can schedule it.
For custom and aged beef, yes. Same-day live animal butchering is packed in bulk bags that hold 40 to 50 pounds. Plastic totes are available to purchase if you need something to carry it home in.
Yes. We can mix the cuts and divide a whole animal into even portions across several households, so each family gets a fair share of steaks, roasts, and ground beef.
Yes. Families travel to Manheim from New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Delaware, along with Harrisburg, Reading, and the surrounding Pennsylvania counties.
Having a full freezer gives you peace of mind. You don’t have to stand at the meat case doing math or wonder where your food came from. You buy once, buy well, and feed your family for months.
We guide you through every step: choosing, pricing, cutting, cooling, packing, and dividing your beef. We are happy to answer any questions, even ones you have not thought of yet. We prefer to sell whole beef, but halves and quarters are also available if that works better for your household.
Call 717-665-0280 to get started, or reach the shop at 717-344-6325. Please schedule your custom beef as soon as you know your desired slaughter date.
Mountain Meadows Butchering LLC | 1725 Boyer Run Road, Manheim, PA 17545
