The meat is “slightly better than OK”. If I factor in the 1 month lead time, it notches down to “OK”. I probably saved a little bit of money over the grocery store, and if you eat a lot of burgers and Hamburger Helper, it could add value.
Beef - If it were rated, I’d guess it would fit a “choice”, or a slightly lower rating; I was really hoping for something closer to “prime” given the breed and family ranch thing. For 1/8 cow, only 1 big ribeye. I would have thought 2. At least 50% of the order was ground beef, soup and stew related cuts. 35% of the cuts fit the “decent if cooked correctly” (brisket, skirt, round, etc), and maybe 10-15% “steak for dinner” - ribeye, filet, and NY strip.
Pork- Of better quality than the beef. A LOT of breakfast sausage, which is pretty tasty. Quite a bit of ground pork, and decent bacon. If you have a little time to marinade and a cold smoker, can be transformed to “great bacon”.
Lots of the cuts were “OK” - super lean where they should have had a little marbling, and very fatty on the edges - like they overate, but worked out.
For me, it was a good thing to try out. Being able to choose my specific cuts and know the quality rating when I shop the grocery store is a tough competitor despite knowing it might cost a little more.
