Beef guide
Where each cut comes from, how long a quarter, half or whole will feed your family, what USDA grades mean, and where grocery beef comes from. Every number links to its source.
Where your cuts come from
Select a section of the animal. Each section links to its page on Beef. It's What's For Dinner, the beef industry's cut guide from the Beef Checkoff. Shares are percent of carcass weight from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, before bone and trim come off.
Diagram: "US Beef cuts" by Ysangkok and Lsloan, Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Colors adapted by Cunningham Cattle Co.
How long will it last?
Tell us about your household. The results update as you go.
| Your share | Packaged | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Steaks | ||
| Roasts | ||
| Ground beef and stew | ||
| Total take-home |
- Freezer space
- Estimated cost
- Per pound, every cut
Compare quality to quality
A fair price comparison puts beef of the same quality side by side. The table prices the same pounds of steaks, roasts and ground beef as your share at four levels of quality, from bargain grocery beef to premium ranch beef.
| Where you'd buy it | Steaks | Roasts | Ground | Same pounds would cost | Compared with ours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Every cut one price, cut and wrapped. Planning estimate. | — | ||||
How to read this
- Against everyday grocery beef, a half costs more. That beef includes Select and ungraded meat, which is a lower quality than we're aiming for.
- Against average grocery Choice, a half still costs a little more. Against premium Choice brands and other ranch beef, it costs less. The rows marked "Like for like" are the fair comparisons.
- Our beef isn't graded yet. Our goal is Choice or better, and we finish on grain to get there. Once our beef is processed at a USDA-inspected plant, we plan to ask USDA to grade it and post the results here. Until then, treat it as a goal, not a promise.
What these numbers leave out
- Store steak prices here are for ribeye, strip and sirloin. Your share's steaks also include other cuts, like round and chuck steaks, so this flatters the premium rows somewhat.
- Store prices change weekly, and one Kroger store and one online ranch are single examples, not national averages.
- Online ranch prices don't include shipping.
On a restaurant menu, the steaks in your share alone would run about , at the 25–38% food cost restaurants plan around.
Where each row's prices come from
Our cost uses planning estimates of a lb hanging weight, $/lb hanging, and processing; final prices are set before the first harvest. Grocery data reviewed .
Save your plan
Join the beef list with these answers attached. We'll use them to plan your order with you and to send you cooking and storage tips that fit your household.
Your answers are saved only when you press the button. See our privacy notice.
What's in a serving
Beef is one of the richest food sources of protein, zinc and vitamin B12. These are USDA averages for beef in general, per 3 oz cooked serving.
| 3 oz cooked | Calories | Protein | Zinc | Vitamin B12 | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top sirloin steak, lean | 156 | 26.0 g 52% DV | 4.85 mg 44% DV | 1.45 mcg 61% DV | 1.67 mg 9% DV |
| Ground beef, 90% lean | 184 | 22.2 g 44% DV | 5.41 mg 49% DV | 2.18 mcg 91% DV | 2.30 mg 13% DV |
| Ground beef, 85% lean | 213 | 22.0 g 44% DV | 5.36 mg 49% DV | 2.24 mcg 94% DV | 2.21 mg 12% DV |
% Daily Value uses FDA reference amounts: protein 50 g, zinc 11 mg, B12 2.4 mcg, iron 18 mg.
Why buy from the ranch
- You know where it came from. Born on our ranch near Broadwater, raised on our grass and finished on grain.
- One animal, not a blend. Your share comes from one of our steers. Ask us anything about how it was raised.
- Cut your way. You choose steak thickness, which roasts to keep, and how lean your ground beef is.
- A family behind it. We'll keep you posted on the herd, storage and cooking, not just the price.
Reading a grocery label
All beef sold in U.S. stores is inspected, and it's safe to eat. A few things are worth knowing so you can choose what fits your family:
- Some store beef has a salt-water solution added. The label must say so, for example "contains 15% added solution."
- Beef that's been needle- or blade-tenderized must be labeled "mechanically tenderized" with cooking instructions.
- About 90% of feedlot steers and heifers received a growth-promoting implant in USDA's last national survey. FDA says approved implants are safe.
What USDA grades mean
USDA grades beef mostly on marbling, the flecks of fat inside the muscle that add flavor and juiciness. Grading is voluntary, and the packer pays for it.
| Grade | Marbling required | Share of U.S. fed steers and heifers, week ending Dec 21, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Prime | At least slightly abundant | 11.3% Nebraska 14.5% |
| Choice | Small, modest or moderate | 72.3% Nebraska 74.3% |
| Select | Slight | 14.0% Nebraska 9.9% |
| Other | Below Select | 2.4% Nebraska 1.4% |
of U.S. fed cattle graded Choice or Prime in 2025, a record. Select fell to 12.5%, from 41% in 2006.
inside Choice: small marbling (low Choice), modest and moderate (upper Choice). A "Choice" label doesn't say which.
of whole-muscle cuts in one week of U.S. grocery ads carried no USDA grade: ungraded or store-brand. Our count from USDA's report for Sept 26–Oct 8, 2026.
Our goal: Choice or better
Grain finishing adds marbling. In one university study, grain-finished steers averaged high Choice marbling while grass-finished steers averaged low Choice. We finish our cattle on grain to reach the upper grades.
USDA grades only beef from USDA-inspected plants, and grading is a voluntary service the plant requests. We're starting with a USDA-inspected plant, so we plan to request official grading and post every result here, good or bad. Any share cut custom-exempt can't carry a grade.
Reading the grade at the store
Most grocery beef in the U.S. does grade Choice or better. What the label leaves out is where in Choice it falls, and about half of advertised cuts show no grade at all. Ungraded beef may come from cattle that weren't graded or that graded lower, since USDA notes Standard and Commercial beef is "frequently sold as ungraded or as store brand meat."
Where grocery beef comes from
Most beef in a U.S. grocery store travels through a few very large companies. Here's what USDA data shows.
of U.S. fed steers and heifers are bought by the four largest meatpacking firms, up from 36% in 1980.
of fed cattle are marketed by feedlots of 1,000 head or more. Cattle typically spend 90 to 300 days in a feedlot.
of the beef trim used for U.S. ground beef was imported in 2026, an extension economist estimates. Australia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand are the top sources.
Labels may not tell you
Congress repealed mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef in 2015, so stores don't have to say where beef came from. Since January 1, 2026, a "Product of USA" label is voluntary and means the animal was born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.
Ours, by comparison
One family, one ranch near Broadwater, Nebraska. Your share comes from a steer born and raised here, and we'll tell you the plant that cut it. In spring 2020, when big packing plants slowed, U.S. inspected beef production fell almost 32% in a few weeks; a local supply doesn't depend on those plants.
Why people buy straight from a ranch
In a 2023 Beef Checkoff survey, 29% of Pennsylvania consumers had bought beef directly from a producer at least once, and another 56% said they'd consider it. Their top reasons were better quality and supporting the local economy. USDA research on local food finds the same draw: perceived quality and freshness, and support for local farms.
Buyers in a 2023 Kansas State study named the trade-offs too: freezer space, price and the amount of beef at once. That's why our guide shows freezer space and how long your share lasts before you buy.
What we can promise
- You'll know the ranch, the animal's history and the processor.
- Your share is cut to your order.
- Finished on grain, with the goal of Choice or better.
- We'll keep you informed on storage, cooking and the herd.
What we won't claim: that ranch beef is healthier or safer than store beef. All beef sold in stores is inspected, and nutrition depends on the cut and fat, not the store.
Sources
We review these every month and update the numbers on this page. Grocery prices refresh automatically from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last reviewed .
- Cut descriptions and primal pages: Beef. It's What's For Dinner (Cattlemen's Beef Board and NCBA, Beef Checkoff)
- Grade definitions: USDA AMS, Beef Grading Shields; NDSU Extension, "Our cattle do marble!"
- Grade shares: USDA AMS National Steer & Heifer Estimated Grading Percent, week ending 12/21/2024; 2025 totals from Angus Beef Bulletin, Feb 2026 citing USDA
- Grocery ad grades: our count from USDA AMS Weekly Grocery Store Beef Feature Activity, Oct 2, 2026 (ads counted, not pounds sold)
- Grain finishing and marbling: Maciel et al., Translational Animal Science, 2021; grading requires an inspected plant: 7 CFR 54
- Packer share: USDA ERS Amber Waves, Jan 2024; feedlots and time on feed: USDA ERS Cattle & Beef Sector at a Glance; 2020 production drop: USDA ERS, Apr 30, 2020
- Imported ground beef trim: Oklahoma State Extension, Apr 27, 2026
- Labeling: Congressional Research Service RS22955 (COOL repeal); FSIS Notice 09-24 ("Product of USA")
- Why people buy direct: Pennsylvania Beef Council, Dec 2023; USDA ERS ERR-97; O'Quinn et al., Kansas State, 2023
- Choice grocery prices: BLS via FRED, Choice sirloin, Choice chuck roast, Choice round roast
- Carcass shares: University of Nebraska–Lincoln BeefWatch, "How many pounds of meat can we expect from a beef animal?"
- Take-home yield: Mississippi State Extension P3489; UW–Madison Extension; K-State Research and Extension MF3395 (bone-in vs boneless mix)
- Steaks/roasts/ground split and freezer space (35–40 lb per cubic foot): Oklahoma State University AFS-3401
- Serving size (4 oz raw, 3 oz cooked): 9 CFR 317.312, USDA FSIS; USDA MyPlate
- Freezer storage times: FoodSafety.gov Cold Food Storage Chart
- Average U.S. beef eaten per person (59.2 lb, 2025): USDA ERS Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, Sept 2026
- Grocery prices: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average prices via FRED: steaks, roasts, ground beef
- Restaurant food cost: St. Louis Magazine
- Nutrition: USDA FoodData Central top sirloin, 90% lean ground, 85% lean ground; FDA Daily Values
- Labels: 9 CFR 317.2 (added solution, mechanically tenderized)
- Growth implants: USDA APHIS NAHMS Feedlot 2011; FDA, Steroid Hormone Implants