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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Why is grass-finished beef better for you than corn-fed beef?
Answer: To many people the term "corn-fed" or "grain-fed" connotes a healthy food substance on which cattle are fed. However, grain is a more concentrated form of energy than grass and provides more starch and calories. This results in fattier animals. Grass-finished beef has

Question: What do you mean by grass-finished?
Answer: In conventional beef ranching, a new-born calf grazes on grass in the pasture with its mother until the calf is weaned. Once weaned, the calf is often shipped to a feed lot where it is only fed a diet of corn and animal by- products along with growth hormones and antibiotics. This is done to fatten the calf in a hurry. Our calves are not shipped to feed lots. They remain in the pastures on a grass diet. This is a slower, natural way for the calf to grow.

Question: Are these free-range cattle eating whatever is available?
Answer: No. The Maytag Mountain Ranch cattle graze in lush, grass-land pastures under a management-intensive grazing system that has been perfected over the last 30 years. This means the pasture lands are managed to ensure high-quality grasses and the cattle are rotated between pasturelands to ensure a high-quality grass diet at all times.

Question: What types of grasses do the Ranch cattle graze on?
Answer: The Ranch cattle graze in pastures where lush, cool-season perennial grasses are grown including orchardgrass, timothy grass, and bromegrass intermixed with red and white clovers.

Question: But if the beef has less fat, isn't it tougher meat?
Answer: No. Fat in meat only accounts for about 10% of the variability in meat tenderness. Other factors include genetics, age and sex of the animal, the stress level of the animal prior to slaughter, and the length of time the animal is aged after being butchered. Maytag Mountain Ranch cattle are managed in ways to reduce stress. Additionally the beef is dry-aged for 14 to 21 days which is uncommon in the conventional meat industry but greatly increases the tenderness of the meat. Dry-aging is frequently not used in the conventional meat industry because it is time-consuming and requires a lot of space.

Question: What is dry-aging?
Answer: Dry-aging is the process of holding the whole carcass, after the animal is butchered, at a temperature just above freezing for one week or more. This practice intensifies the flavor of the meat and makes it more tender.

Question: Is your meat dry-aged or wet-aged?
Answer: The Maytag Beef is dry-aged.

Question: How long is your meat aged?
Answer: The Maytag Beef is aged for 14-21 days. This makes our meat very tender.

Question: I have heard that beef I buy at the supermarket is "wet-aged". What does that mean?
Answer: "Wet-aged" means the beef has been aged for 2-3 days in plastic after being butchered. This is not the best method for producing tender, tasty beef. Dry-aging has been shown to be far superior.

Question: Because the grass-finished meat has less fat, do I have to cook it in any special way...with more meat tenderizer or at lower temperatures?
Answer: With less fat, heat is conducted more quickly through the meat and can toughen the protein. It is recommended that grass-fed beef be cooked more slowly at lower temperatures. Roasts cook very well in a crock-pot or at lower oven temperatures.

Question: So, if I order a quarter-side of beef, am I getting a front quarter or a hind quarter?
Answer: Actually, we divide the half-side into two quarter orders. So you are really getting some meat from the front and some meat from the hind quarter in a quarter-side order.

Question: How much meat is in a quarter side of beef?
Answer: A quarter-side of beef is approximately 105 pounds of meat.

Question: So how much does the beef cost?
Answer: We are currently selling the beef for $4.75 per pound. For a quarter-side of beef, the cost is approximately $500.

Question: Is your price per pound based on hanging weight or on the final, processed weight of the individual cuts?
Answer: The price per pound is based on the finished weight, not on the hanging weight.

Question: Does the meat have a "gamey" taste?
Answer: To some people the taste is noticeably different from beef purchased in most supermarkets. However, it is not a gamey taste; it is a flavorful taste.

Question: How much freezer space do I need to store a quarter-side of beef?
Answer: You will need approximately 4-5 cubic feet of freezer space to store the beef.

Question: Will you ship the beef to me?
Answer: We do not currently ship the meat. It must be picked up at the Ranch or at the meat packing facility in Colorado Springs?

Question: Do you deliver the beef?
Answer: We require that the beef be picked up at the Ranch or at the meat packing facility in Colorado Springs.

Question: So if I order beef, how is it packaged? What should I expect to receive?
Answer: The beef is cut into standard-sized roasts, steaks, and ground beef. Each cut is wrapped in heavy freezer paper and labeled as to the type of cut (e.g., chuck roast, flank steak, ground beef, rib steak). The frozen cuts are boxed for pick-up by the customer.

Question: When is the beef ready and how do I get it?
Answer: The beef is ready for pick-up in September and October. The Ranch will notify you of the pick-up date via telephone or e-mail.

Question: Where is your pick-up location?
Answer: The beef may be picked up at the Ranch or at the meat packing facility in Colorado Springs.

Question: Where in Colorado Springs would I pick up the beef?
Answer: The beef may be picked-up at the meat packing facility: Ranch Foods Direct off of E. Fillmore St. at 2901 N. El Paso St.

Question: Who processes your beef? Where is your processing plant located?
Answer: The meat is slaughtered at G&C Packing Company in Colorado Springs. The carcasses are then aged and hand-cut at the meat packing plant, Ranch Foods Direct, in Colorado Springs.

Question: What kind of cattle do you raise?
Answer: Our beef cattle are Red Angus, a breed that originated in Scotland.

Question: How many head of cattle do you have?
Answer: 100 mother cows.

Question: How long has Maytag Mountain Ranch been in the ranching business?
Answer: The Ranch has been owned and ranched by the Maytag family for more than 30 years.

Question: You say you don't use antibiotics, but don't you need to give antibiotics sometimes when an animal becomes sick?
Answer: Yes, we may choose to give antibiotics to a sick animal. However, if we do, the animal is removed from our natural, grass-finished beef program.

Question: Why do you say your beef has a lower risk of E-coli bacteria?
Answer: Healthy beef and dairy cattle may carry the e-coli germ in their intestines. However, studies have shown that grain-fed cattle are prone to having a higher concentration of the e-coli germ than grass-fed cattle. This is due to the fact that cattle do not have enough starch-digesting enzymes to process the starchy diet of grain. The undigested grain ferments in the intestine providing a rich environment for the growth of e-coli.

Question: Where is the Maytag Mountain Ranch located?
Answer: The ranch is located in South Central Colorado, Fremont County, on Hwy 69 between Westcliffe and Texas Creek; approximately 16 miles north of Westcliffe, CO.

Question: Can I buy a carcass and have it cut myself?
Answer: We will sell a minimum 1/2 cow. The price is $2.50/lb for the hanging carcass weight. You may call G&C Packing with specific cutting instructions.

Question: May I have my order custom cut?
Answer: You may have an order custom cut; but the requirement is that one must purchase a minimum order of 1/2 cow. The price is $2.50/lb of the hanging carcass weight. You may call G&C Packing directly with your custom cut requirements.