Endless Possibilities

cooking tips

Our dry-aged, Red Angus beef offers abundant marbling – the little white flecks of fat that deliver big flavor in each cut of beef. No matter how you cook it, from braising to grilling to roasting, you’ll enjoy a flavor-packed meal every time.

Good to Know

When buying Christensen Ranch beef, you’ll need to have enough freezer space to store your beef. Because all of our Christensen Ranch Beef comes frozen, you’ll also have to plan ahead for meals to account for defrosting time. Our beef can remain delicious for at least one year when kept frozen (but we’ve cooked roasts and steaks tucked back in our freezers for over a year and they always come out delicious).

Freezer Space Guide

Beef Boxes

Our 5lb and 10lb beef boxes can be stored in a standard refrigerator freezer.

Standard Beef Shares

1/8th Standard Share: You’ll need a 5 cubic foot freezer to store 44lbs of beef.

1/4th Standard Share: You’ll need a 10 cubic foot freezer to store 88lbs of beef.

1/2 Standard Share: You’ll need a 20 cubic foot freezer to store 176lbs of beef.

Custom Bulk Beef Shares

Quarter Beef: You’ll need a 10 cubic foot freezer to store approximately 80-110lbs of beef.

Half Beef: You’ll need a 20 cubic foot freezer to store approximately 160-220lbs of beef.

Whole Beef: You’ll need a 40 cubic foot freezer to store approximately 320-440lbs of beef.

Defrosting Your Beef

When defrosting your beef, do not leave it at room temperature or in hot water to thaw. Both methods expose the outer layer of beef to the bacteria-breeding temperatures of 40° F and 140° F for too long to be safe.

Refrigerator Thawing

24 hours per 5lbs of meat

While this method is the simplest method of defrosting your beef, it is also the slowest. Refrigerator thawing offers the most flexibility.

Should your meal plans change, ground beef can be kept safely in the fridge for an additional 1 – 2 days and other cuts of beef can remain refrigerated for 3 – 5 days after thawing.

Cold Water Thawing

30 minutes per 1lb of meat

Thawing your frozen beef with cold water is quicker than using the refrigerator but it does require more effort. You’ll need to submerge the wrapped beef in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes to ensure it stays cold enough to keep harmful bacteria from multiplying.

Once your beef is defrosted, it must be cooked immediately.

Microwave Thawing

Varies by microwave

Using the microwave to defrost your beef is quick and convenient but you will need to monitor the defrosting process to ensure the outer edges of your beef do not cook.

Beef thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.