Backyard Beef Butcher’in

2012 has been the year of the Butcher. Thus far, we have butchered, for the first time, a goat and a sheep. But today, toDAY, we stepped up in the world. (Exhaling a warm breath upon my fingernails and shining them on my shirt;)

It all started with a phone call. We had just spent the morning singing with our sweet friends at the local rest home and I was settling in to a productive laundry day, I thought, when I got the call. A neighbor’s yearling beef heifer had just cut herself beyond repair. He said she was perfectly fat and happy until the accident and he needs to put her down…now. The local butchers would not fit it in. His options? Putting her down and disposing of her, or  calling that odd homeschooling family who eat sheep and goats and see if, you know, they’ll slaughter a beef heifer the fly. He has stumbled upon many of our butchering times together and loves the fact we’re not afraid of a little blood and hard work.  ;)

But, Paul was at work. I distinctly remember thinking to the Lord. “Lord, should I really do this? I have so much to do today. I really can’t pass up your provision. Help me pull this off. We’ll roll with it Lord, please let me look back at the end of this day and be thankful for whatever I am getting ourselves into.”

“Boys? Are you up for butchering a heifer?”

“REALLY?!!! Mom, really?! A whole cow? We are SO there.”

“Yes. We’ll take the heifer off your hands.”

A half hour later the 44 mag did it’s job(Mr. C did that part…ewe…ewe…ewe) and they bled her out and got her lifted up with the tractor bucket. The boys started skinning, but the job was obviously nothing like a goat or a sheep. Discouragement crept in when we realized our knives were dull and this cow had an udder. An udder? Really? I didn’t know what to do with an udder. I called my friend Mindy whose husband used to be a butcher…he’d know what to do with the udder. She gave me Brian’s cell number. He confidently gave instructions…hmmm, I’m not convinced we can take this on.

Back out we walked and stared at the huge, hanging carcass. I usually do not come and hang out with the butcherers until AFTER the head is off. For some reason, it is at this point that it goes from a “aaawww, the poor thing” to “carcass” and I can handle the whole ordeal. Well, the head was on, it was staring at me, and I was skinning a dead sweet heifer. Did I mention my husband was at work? I suddenly felt this was not the right thing to do and it may be easier to just cut hunks of roast out and call it good. Then Jacob hollered “Mr. W is coming down our road!” Thank you Lord.

Mr. W got off work and drove to our house to survey the beast. He convinced me it was too good a deal to leave. He drove aaaaall the way back home, got dressed, got on his tractor and drove aaaall the way back to our house. Our tractor was overloaded with such weight and his picked it up with ease.

  

Long story short. Brian took pity on us and carved the beast FOR us. Tenderloins, filet mignon, roasts and hamburger meat. Identifying each piece as he carefully carved them out, patiently teaching Jacob. Then my hardworking man pulled in the driveway! He was pretty excited with all the meat harvested and jumped in. We processed, packaged and froze it all tonight. We have many, many pounds of boneless meat. Gorgeous, red, lean, yearling beef.

The cutest butcher this side of the Mississippi. Luv ya babe…

I had mentioned to Mr. W how it hit me we never got to school today. He reminded me THIS was school today, education at it’s finest. Jacob really stepped up to the plate in Daddy’s absence, Danny…well, Danny has a broken arm and he did what he could, and Gracie? She, matter of factly, wondered what in the world were we doing with that cow upside down?

The children are excited to have chunk of meat tomorrow night for dinner, beef NOT in ground form. Is there such a thing? We will feast like kings with humble hearts before our Lord who never ceases to surprise us with His unique provision of food, often with an educational twist.

I AM thankful at the end of our day, so thankful we took on this seemingly overwhelming task, and that the Lord orchestrated the whole thing and made it work. Thank you again Mindy for lending us your talented husband!