HOW DO I HANDLE AND STORE BEEF AFTER I BUY IT?

Like all perishable foods, beef must be handled and stored properly to avoid spoilage and food-borne illness. Follow these food-safe practices:

• Refrigerate or freeze beef as soon after purchase as possible. (If it will take longer than 30 minutes to get it home, keep it cold in a cooler in your car.)
• If refrigerating beef, place it in the meat compartment or in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
• If purchased beef is wrapped in transparent film, it can be refrigerated without re-wrapping. It can also be frozen up to 2 weeks without rewrapping. For longer freezer storage, to prevent freezer burn, repackage in heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic freezer bags, removing as much air as possible.
• Practice the FIFO inventory system -- first in, first out.
• Do not defrost beef at room temperature. Defrost frozen beef in the refrigerator, to prevent bacterial growth. Place package on a tray to catch any drippings and place in refrigerator the day before it's needed.
• Allow about 24 hours to defrost a 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick package of ground beef or beef pieces.
• Allow 12 hours to defrost 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick ground beef patties.
• Allow 12 to 24 hours to defrost steaks, depending on thickness.
• Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound to defrost large roasts or thick compact pot roasts.
• Allow 3 to 5 hours per pound to defrost small roasts or thin pot roasts.
• Cook ground beef as soon as possible after defrosting.
• Remember that ground beef, beef for stir-fry, beef for stew and beef for kabobs are more perishable than whole muscle cuts (roasts and steaks). During the grinding process for ground beef, any bacteria on the surface are mixed throughout. Cutting into strips or cubes exposes more surface area where bacteria can grow. Both processes result in shorter shelf life.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly after serving, within 2 hours after cooking. To speed up the chilling, divide large quantities into smaller portions or spread food out in shallow container.

The only thing more satisfying than a freezer full of beef is a freezer full of GB7 Ranch Beef.

There's a tradition of "laying in a side of beef" each year. Many ranching families purchase a whole, half, or quarter beef, have it divided into various cuts, and then store it in their freezer to enjoy year-round. It's cost-effective, and it's convenient. A whole beef will last a family of four an entire year. We also know that, in this day and age, steaks and ground beef are the most popular cuts of beef used by families on a regular basis. So, we give you the option of how you want to fill your freezer. When you fill your freezer with GB7 Beef, you're treating yourself to "all natural" beef with a taste and tenderness found nowhere else. Our beef is raised by real cowboys and cowgirls on real ranches in the real west. We take pride in our heritage, and in the careful way we raise and finish our beef

Here a few things you should know about whole beef ordering:

• A whole beef, depending on how you choose to have it cut and what items you wish to save, will yield 350-400 pounds of packaged beef.
• A whole beef needs 16 cubic feet of freezer space for storage (2'x4'x2'). Put another way, a whole beef needs its own middle-sized chest freezer.
• Most families of four will be content for a year with 1 whole beef.
• Beef keeps well for 1 year in a good, cold freezer.