FAQ
DO YOU DO CORPORATE GIFTS OR CUSTOM PACKAGES?
Yes. For information about corporate gifts or custom gift packages please call (254) 605-6444.
HOW DO YOU SHIP YOUR PRODUCT?
Please refer to our shipping page for more details. Generally, perishable products are shipped via FedEx to arrive within 2 days.
HOW ARE YOUR PRODUCTS SHIPPED?
Your product will be shipped freshly frozen inside a box or reusable insulated grocery bag with dry ice in an insulated cooler.
MY PRODUCT DID NOT ARRIVE FROZEN, WHAT DO I DO?
If your product is thawed, but still cool to the touch, the product is ok to eat within 7 days or may be refrozen. If your product is not cool to the touch, please give us a call at (254) 605-6444.
HOW LONG ARE MY STEAKS GOOD IN THE FREEZER?
Steaks should be good for 12 to 18 months as long as product is kept at a steady frozen temperature.
HOW SHOULD I THAW MY STEAKS?
For the best eating experience, place vacuum-sealed steaks in the bottom portion of your refrigerator and allow them to sit for 48 hours. For a fast thaw, place the vacuum-sealed package in cold water.
WHAT IS USDA PRIME AND USDA CHOICE?
The USDA Quality Grades are PRIME, CHOICE, and SELECT. It is a voluntary system to have cattle be graded. 44 Farms USDA Certified Program sells only USDA Prime and USDA Choice – the two highest USDA Quality Grades. Since 44 Farms is a Registered Black Angus Seedstock operation, we focus on improving the entire Black Angus population with our Angus Strong program, which emphasizes marbling. As a result, more marbling means a higher USDA Quality Grade.
IS YOUR PROGRAM USDA CERTIFIED?
Yes. We are USDA Certified Program Schedule G-112. We have a 3rd Party audit us in every stage to ensure it meets these guidelines.
WHAT IS A REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS SEEDSTOCK OPERATION?
Essentially, “Registered Black Angus” cattle operators are breeders of “Pure Bred Black Angus” as monitored by the American Angus Association. 44 Farms is the largest Registered Angus operation in the state of Texas and sells our Registered Black Angus bulls around the entire US and embryos across the world to help commercial cattle operators improve their cattle herd to efficiently produce more marbling, which generates more money in their pocket.
WHY AM I PAYING SALES TAX?
In Texas, grocery items like beef are exempt from collecting sales tax. However, 44 Farms Steaks collects applicable sales tax on taxable items like apparel, coolers, notebooks, etc.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE PRODUCTS?
Please call (254) 605-6444 for more information.
WHAT DO YOUR CATTLE EAT?
Our cattle eat a vegetarian based diet consisting of grass, hay, sorghum silage, corn silage, flaked corn. Our RightWay Program has strict protocols that outline what the cattle are allowed and not allowed to eat.
WHAT DOES NE3 STAND FOR?
NE3 stands for a Never Ever program, meaning NEVER EVER are growth promotants/hormones, antibiotics, and animal-by products administered to cattle from birth to harvest. When an animal gets sick we try a natural remedy like a vitamin shot. If the animal’s well-being is in danger, we will go ahead and treat the animal with antibiotics, but the treated animal is REMOVED from our program and NOT sold as 44 Farms beef.
WHAT DOES NEVER, EVER MEAN?
Never ever truly means never ever. Our program does not operate like some withdrawal programs that can claim “no antibiotics” as long as they have not been administered in last 90 or 120 days of life. The USDA sets a withdrawal time for antibiotics to be fully processed by the animal's body ensuring no meat with antibiotic residue enters our food supply. However, as consumers ourselves, we take it a step further choosing to be a never, ever program. Our cattle are NEVER EVER treated and this process is verified by a 3rd Party.
DO YOU GIVE ANTIBIOTICS TO THE ANIMALS?
Animals in our beef program are not administered antibiotics. However, we try natural remedies first. If that doesn’t work then we end up treating the animal but they are identified via ear tag and noted electronically to ensure they are not admitted into the beef program.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ANIMALS IF THEY GET SICK?
When an animal gets sick we try a natural remedy like a vitamin shot. If the animal’s well-being is in danger, we will go ahead and treat the animal with antibiotics, but the treated animal is identified and REMOVED from our program and NOT sold as 44 Farms beef.
WHY DID YOU ALL CHOOSE BLACK ANGUS CATTLE?
With Bob McClaren’s heavy business background, it is no surprise that Black Angus cattle caught his eye since they are bred for optimum quality and marketability. He studied the Angus breed for many years and their superiority was clear to Bob from the beginning. Black Angus cattle are known as the business breed. They are resistant to harsh weather, undemanding, adaptable, behave well by nature, mature extremely early and have a high carcass yield with nicely marbled meat. This carcass yield and marbling has proven true in our steaks business. Angus is renowned as a carcass breed. They are used widely in crossbreeding to improve carcass quality and milking ability. Angus females calve easily and have good calf-rearing ability. They are also used as a genetic dehorner as the polled gene is passed on as a dominant characteristic. “There’s a level of quality that’s unlike any other breed.”- Bob
DO YOU OWN THE CATTLE?
Yes. We have ownership all the way through harvest.
WHAT ARE YOUR HUMANE HANDLING PROTOCOLS?
As a cattle rancher, the land and cattle are our treasure. We treat the land and cattle with the utmost respect. It is God’s creation. We must be good stewards and ensure that we leave this place better off than how we got it. 44 Farms, the feedyard, and processor are all GAP certified. And, the processing plant in Hereford, TX was designed with renowned animal welfare expert, Temple Grandin.
For more information, please refer the Right Way Program Guidelines.
HOW LONG IS YOUR PRODUCT AGED?
All of our steaks are wet aged for a minimum of 28 days.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRY AGE AND WET AGE?
The difference between wet aging vs. dry aging is in how the meat is dehydrated. For dry-aging, whole sides of beef or primal cuts are hung in open air at a temperature just above freezing and left to age for several weeks. Not only are the enzymes working on the muscle tissues during this time, but the meat is also slowly dehydrating. This concentrates the meat and changes the texture and flavor. With wet-aging, cuts of beef are vacuum-sealed in plastic and shipped to the market. The aging takes place in the 4-10 days between slaughter and sale while the meat is in transit and the enzymes have time to tenderize the meat. The biggest plus is that there's no weight-loss in the meat due to dehydration. It is a relatively recent technique that developed along with advances in vacuum seal technology and refrigeration.