Live Weight, Hanging Weight & More
A First-Timer’s Guide to Custom Meat Processing
Custom meat processing can seem complicated the first time because there are decisions you may never have had to make when purchasing meat from a grocery store. Terms such as live weight, hanging weight, take-home weight, aging, and cut sheets can all be unfamiliar.
The process becomes much easier once you understand the basics. At GG Brothers Meats / Turk Brothers Custom Meats, we help customers turn an animal into packaged meat that’s prepared according to their cutting instructions and ready for the freezer.
- TL;DR
- Schedule your processing appointment ahead of time.
- Think about your preferred cuts before completing your cutting instructions.
- Understand that hanging weight is not the same as take-home weight.
- Have adequate freezer space available before your finished order is picked up.
First Custom Meat Order
Custom meat processing offers flexibility, especially for first-time customers. Turk Brothers Custom Meats helps you understand cutting instructions, meat weights, beef aging, and freezer preparation so you can make informed choices and get the most out of your order.
What Should First-Time Customers Understand About Custom Processing?
That means thinking beyond whether you want steak or ground beef. Depending on the animal, you may choose steak thickness, roast sizes, bone-in or boneless options, sausage, bacon, brats, ground meat, and other available products.
What Is a Cut Sheet?
For beef, this may include decisions about steaks, roasts, ground beef, brisket, ribs, stew meat, soup bones, and other cuts. Pork instructions may include chops, roasts, ribs, ham, bacon, sausage, brats, and additional options.
How Should You Decide Which Cuts to Choose?
You don’t need to select a cut simply because it’s available. Building your order around the foods your household will actually prepare can help you make better use of your finished meat.
What Do Live Weight, Hanging Weight, and Take-Home Weight Mean?
Take-home weight is what remains after aging, trimming, deboning, cutting, and packaging. Because of these steps, customers should not expect the hanging weight to equal the amount of packaged meat they bring home.
Why Is Beef Aged Before Cutting?
After the appropriate aging period, the beef can be cut according to your instructions and packaged for your freezer.
Steaks, Roasts, Ground Meat, Pork & Specialty products
What Should You Have Ready Before Pickup?
Freezer space is one of the easiest things for first-time customers to underestimate. Before pickup, make sure your freezer has enough available room for your entire order. It also helps to organize the freezer beforehand. Keeping steaks, roasts, ground meat, pork, and specialty products grouped together can make it much easier to use your order over time.
Have A Question? We Are Here To Help!
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about custom meat processing? Turk Brothers Custom Meats answers common questions about choosing meat cuts, understanding take-home weights, and preparing freezer space to help you plan your order with confidence.
No. Having a basic idea of how your household cooks is more important than knowing every possible cut. Your processing selections can then be built around those preferences.
Hanging weight is measured before additional trimming, deboning, cutting, and processing occur. Those steps reduce the final weight, and your specific cutting instructions also influence your take-home yield.
Yes. Make room before pickup so the entire order can be transferred into proper frozen storage without unnecessary delays.
