Grass FED beef faq’s

2024 Quarter/Half/Whole Steer orders: SOLD OUT!

2024 PRIME Grass Fed Ground Beef is still available at $10/lb.

2025 harvests are in June & October. Pre-order by clicking CONTACT or message us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rileysranch.nc/

Returning customers always have a 10% discount.

We honor military customers with a 10% discount to say, “Thank you for your service!”

Find information below on what to expect with quarter, half and whole beef orders

as well as the benefits and cooking tips for grass fed beef!

How do I order BULK Quarter-Half-Whole Riley's Ranch Beef?

Click SHOP and place your $200 deposit to reserve your quarter or half steer. You will see the date our steers go to the processor: Key Packing in Robbins, NC. After the steers go to the processor we will obtain the hanging weight. We'll call you to see how you want your beef cut, inform you of the remaining balance due to Riley’s Ranch and let you know the exact pick up date. The beef will dry-age in a climate-controlled cooler for approximately 2 weeks which tenderizes the meat, and then it will require 2-3 days for processing. You will pick up the meat at the processor, and at that time, you will pay Key Packing for your processing fee. The remainder of your Riley’s Ranch fee less deposit will be charged to your credit card or you can pay by check at time of pickup . You are welcome to schedule a farm tour to see the cows and heritage chickens. If you have children, they can collect some eggs from the nesting boxes in the barn!

WHOLE steer orders are not posted online. To order, click CONTACT to send us an email to confirm availability, and if available send a $400 deposit to reserve by mailing a check to the farm. Only QUARTER and HALF orders are available online.

What will your beef cost?

The 2025 cost is $9/lb. for hanging weight. We offer a 10% discount for returning customers and military. This price does not include Key Packing processing fees, which are $0.75 cents per pound plus a slaughter fee of $60 for whole steer, $30 for half steer, $15 for quarter steer (subject to change.) Hanging weight refers to the weight of the carcass before it is processed and is ~ 60% of the live weight. Your packaged, NCDA inspected frozen cuts should be about 25%-35% less weight than hanging weight depending on the type of cuts in your order.

What can I expect with my BULK BEEF order?

You can choose your own cuts of beef or can order a standard cut package. If you ordered a quarter, your cuts will have to match another customer’s quarter. This will somewhat limit how you can have your beef cut, as it is a compromise with the other customer, who will be sharing the half. Melanie will assist with this order and relay it to the butcher. If you ordered a half or whole beef order, you will call the butcher directly to choose your cuts you wish, including organ meats and/or bones which are great for pets, or can be used to create a very nutritious and delicious broth. We recommend ordering at least 1 inch thickness for steaks when you make your order since grass fed steaks are very lean and some extra thickness helps them to be more tender. Be sure to order all the roast cuts and the stew beef, because they are so wonderful and savory cooked low and slow in the crock pot. Also order as much ground beef as the butcher can cut because our burgers are AMAZING!

prime Grass Fed GROUND Beef - STOCK YOUR FREEZER!

If you are not ready to purchase a quarter or half bulk beef order, try our PRIME Grass Fed Ground Beef in a bulk order of your choice, either 15 or 25 lbs of frozen ground beef in ~1 pound packs discounted to $10/lb. Pick up is by appointment at the farm. Our delicious ground beef is processed from a single steer dedicated to 100% hamburger. All the prime cuts are rolled into one for the best burger grilled in Moore County! These sell out very quickly so be sure to reserve in advance.

Following are details for what to expect for QUARTER, HALF and WHOLE beef orders.

Riley’s Ranch Beef Live Weight Example: 1000 lB. steer

How many coolers to bring?

Quarter steer: 4 Medium (25 Qt) or 2 Large (54 Qt)

Half steer: 4 Large (54 Qt) or 2 XL (100 Qt)

Whole steer: 4 XL (100 Qt)

What is the Best Way to Cook Grass Fed Beef?

Grass-fed beef is very lean and has a different taste than what you find in restaurants, or from the corn-fed, fatty (unhealthy) beef you have been buying from the grocery store. In our opinion, it tastes much better, especially if it is cooked the right way, and countless medical professionals are recommending it now as a heart-healthy alternative. So savory and delicious.

● Since it is a much leaner beef with higher levels of protein and less fat and water, be extremely careful not to overcook grass fed beef. It is best if cooked rare or medium rare. Also, get in the habit of cooking “LOW & SLOW,” especially if cooking more than medium rare, to add more moisture and preserve tenderness. Roasting will require a lower temperature below what grain-fed beef recipes require. Defrosting: NEVER thaw in the microwave. ALWAYS bring to room temperature before cooking. Plan ahead! Put tomorrow night’s steaks in the fridge tonight to thaw out slowly.

● Stove top cooking gives you more control than grilling. We recommend cooking with butter (grass fed of course!) and garlic. Remember, grass fed beef needs to be cooked only about two thirds as long as corn-fed beef. Remove from stove early and cover, as the meat continues to cook inside after being removed, and juices are reabsorbed into the meat.

● STEAKS: Using a meat tenderizer and a bit of Montreal Steak seasoning is a good way to make grass-fed meats more tender. Try piercing the steak with a fork to help get seasoning and meat tenderizer into the meat and help break down the connective tissue.

• Sous Vide steaks are extremely tender, and the first choice for many chefs. Season first, vacuum seal in BPA-free plastic, and then cook “low and slow” 2 hours under water heated to 130 degrees. Remove, pat dry, brush with peanut oil and sear in a HOT cast iron skillet 1 minute per side, rest x 10 min, slice and serve!

• Reverse Sear method is also a great tactic for tenderizing. Place Himalayan-salted steaks on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a rack into the fridge to brine for 2 hours, or overnight. Bring to room temp, then roast “low and slow” at 250 degrees until medium rare (about 130 degrees), then sear both sides in a HOT cast iron skillet with half grass fed butter/half olive oil 1 minute per side until brown, remove from heat. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, rest x 10 min, slice and serve!

● MARINADES are a great idea to increase tenderness. Be careful not to cover up the great taste of your grass-fed beef; make sure the seasoning is not too strong. Your goal is to increase the moisture content needed due to the absence of unhealthy fat. One of our long time customers swears by this tenderizing recipe: Mix stone ground mustard, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil; marinate 45 min to 2 hours.

● BURGERS: For grilled burgers, try mixing up first with a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, Himalayan salt, pepper and olive oil and then form into patties. Sear the beef for about 20 seconds each side to lock in the juices and marinate as it cooks. Cook on medium (350 degree) heat until 160 degrees. Don’t overcook!

● ROAST: Our family’s hands down favorite recipe for roasts or stew beef: Mississippi Roast. Place your roast into the crock pot. On top sprinkle 1 packet Ranch dressing, 1 packet brown gravy, 1 stick grass fed butter, and place 10-12 pepperoncini peppers and a bit of their juice on top. Cook on low 8-10 hours. We like to drizzle some carrots, red potatoes and onions with extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven separately. Prepare to be amazed!

Why is Grass Fed, Pasture Raised Beef Healthier for Your Family?

● Much higher in the “Good Fats” which are the Omega 3 fatty acids which reduce bad cholesterol. Omega 3 acids contain good fats (monounsaturated oils and stearic acid) but contain no manmade trans-fatty acids. Omega 3’s are linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

● Lower in “Bad Fats” like Omega 6. Half the saturated fat than commercial, feed-lot cattle.

● Lower in calories.

● High in B6 and B12.

● Higher in cancer fighting CLA.

● Guards you from unknowingly eating, “cloned animal meat.” (FDA is recommending no label after approving cloned meat for human consumption!)

● Has NO growth steroids, antibiotics, or growth hormones that are routinely used in commercial, feed-lot cattle.

● From happy steers allowed to graze on sunny, pesticide-free green pastures 365 days a year in a healthy, natural, non-stressful environment by family farmers who love and care for them daily. Regenerative practices like no-till seeding, composting and rotational grazing allow our cattle to graze on our highly nutritious pastures of grasses, legumes and brassicas, improving their health and our pastures health and fertility. Contrast this with the fatty beef that is processed from very stressed & unhealthy feed-lot cattle packed in like sardines who are forced to stand in their own filth, with no access to pastures or opportunity to graze at all and who are given a steady flow of grain, antibiotics and hormones.

● Does not support the increase of mega-agriculture and its use of chemicals.

● Has four times the vitamin E than commercial, feed-lot beef due to the 20 times higher levels of vitamin E from their grass diet compared to the vitamin deficient grain diet of feed-lot cattle.