Big Game Processors

[pierce33]

Steves meats does do an excellent job. I used to take it there many years ago before i began butchering my own. They always did a good job and kept me coming back.

[wolffo]

I know this thread is ancient
but I hear steve's is THE place to go
and apparently they are the only people to actually vaccum bag their stuff, not butcher paper

[Eyespeck]

Steve's is great!

[VDW]

What is Steve's price for standard butchering, ie. steaks/roasts and ground?

I have used Meat Cleaver on Tennyson for the past 5 or 6 years. They charge something like .79 per lb. hung weight for basic butchering. They've done a pretty good job, but the steaks are thin. This year we took in a decent sized cow (275lbs or so hung weight) and got very little back. Only 2 roasts, very few steaks, and the rest in ground. We hadn't even quarted it, so there shouldn't have been much meat loss. I think we got 2 1/2 boxes total (including the ground), and usually get about 5 boxes. I'm thinking of going elsewhere this year.

I wish I knew enough to butcher my own so I could get the cuts the right size.

[Eyespeck]

Only two roasts, a few steaks and the rest ground?

I don't know the facts but that sounds like you got hosed.
One time I took down a buck and I didn't get much meat back. Why? The butcher I was using then, never took the time to work out the front quarter near the exit wound. So by the time he finally got around to it, the meat was bad. The animal was skinned so it wasn't like he couldn't see it. We talked about the hunt. He just never got to work on my animal.

What's my point? Quality butcher vs. price. I can't tell you how much Steve charges per lb but I'll never go anywhere else again.

You drive your truck into his building. They roll out meat hooks and lift your animal out right there. It rides the rails into the cooler for weighing. Steve is right there. You tell him how you want it cut, he gives you a rough price and that's it. He'll be done in a day or two.

Just don't fart around on pick up day. He will charge you cooler time.

[sniper7]

I have only been using steves meats and they do excellent work.

I always quarter out my elk. total usually ends up between $300-350
and about 200 lbs of meat.

but that includes sausage (breakfast and summer) as well as some of the jalapeno cheddar cheese logs (yummy!)
these really add to the total cost.

I am guessing but when it is all said on done for a basic processing you are probably looking at about $1 a lb.

[VDW]

Thanks. I don't know what happened this year, but needless to say, I was very disappointed. Past years, I have gotten quite a bit of meat back, and it has always been good. We did drag this one for about a mile and a half between 3 of us, so the neck was dirty, but we got it to the butcher the next morning. I cut off the bulk of the dirt before taking it to the butcher. I think usually I end up paying between $175 and $250, depending on the hung weight.

Thanks for the heads up. I think I will give Steve's a try this year.

[Colorado Luckydog]

We took 4 elk to Steve's this year. The cost was about $1500. The steaks are already getting freezer burn due to poor packaging. The workers they had at the check in were smart ass. Their hours suck. I can't remmber the name of the place we used for years and years before this year but I will post it tomorrow. We will never even think about going Steve's again. They are way over priced, bad packaging, smart ass employees, and very bad hours. Don't waiste your money, your time, or your meat there.

[VDW]

I still have steaks from 3 or 4 years ago and they are fine in the paper wrap from Meat Cleaver. This year even though we didn't get much meat, we did get the meat vacuum packed, which should hold up even better.
No complaints about how the meat holds up in the freezer.

[GunTroll]

Why not just do the butchering yourselves?