RECIPE: Homemade Ham
Ham is a traditional centerpiece that deserves to be perfect. You'll appreciate the amazing flavor even more when you prepare your own ham, fresh to finished, with the easy home curing recipe.
RECIPE: Homemade Corned Beef
Corned Beef Brisket is an annual tradition in our house. When we tried this homemade recipe a few years ago, the results were game-changing. It was as if we’d finally eaten a real corned beef brisket, the one all the other store-bought corned beef briskets were trying to imitate. Experience aromatic flavors with spices you can distinguish. This is corned beef in high definition.
Holiday Brisket
Brisket is a versatile cut that can be a festive holiday centerpiece or a warm comfort food for any family dinner. This recipe became an instant favorite. Special thanks to my son-in-law, David, who shared it with me.
Bulk Buying Basics: How Much Meat Does My Family Need?
If you've ever tried shopping for a quarter beef or half hog and wondered, "How much is that and how long will it feed my family?"...you’re not alone! For many households, especially those with growing kids, buying meat in bulk from a local rancher sounds great… until the logistics get fuzzy. At Ramstead, we’re here to make bulk buying make sense. This is your go-to guide for understanding portions, freezer space, and how to plan for your family’s real-life needs without overbuying or overthinking it. Scroll down to find the family size that most closely matches yours, and read the details to find your best fit bulk order size. 🥓 Family of 2: 2 Adults or 1 Adult + 1 Teen Let’s assume: You each eat ~0.6 lbs of meat per meal You cook meat 4–5 times per week That’s 1.2 lbs per meal, and here are your planning needs: Weekly total: 5–6 lbs Monthly total: 20–25 lbs What Should You Order? For smaller households, we offer bulk portions that allow you to save while you stock up without overrunning your freezer space: 1/8 Beef (36 lbs): 2 months 1/4 Pig (26 lbs): 1.5 months Whole chicken (~4.5 lbs each): Plan for two meals per bird plus leftovers 🧠 Smart 3-month bulk combo for 2: 1/8 Beef (36 lbs) 1/4 Pig (26 lbs) 2–4 Whole chickens or as needed for extras ✅ Total Meat: 70 - 80 lbs 🧊 Freezer Space: 4–5 cu. ft. 💡 Great for smaller families who cook 4–5 nights a week and want variety across ground beef, steaks, roasts, chops, bacon, and sausage. 👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page 👨👩👧👦 Family of 4: 2 Adults + 2 Young Kids Let’s say your family eats pasture-raised meat 4–5 times per week. Adults eat about 0.6 lbs of meat per meal Young kids eat about 0.3 lbs per meal That’s about 1.8 lbs per meal for the whole family: Weekly total: 8 lbs Monthly total: 24–35 lbs What Should You Order? You have options depending on how often you want to restock: 1/4 Beef (72 lbs): 2–3 months 1/2 Pig (55 lbs): 3–5 months 20 Whole chickens (at 4.5 lbs each): 2.5–4 months 🧠 Smart 3-month combo for your family: 1/4 Beef (72 lbs) 1/4 Pig (26 lbs) 2–4 Whole chickens, or as needed to fill in ✅ Total Meat: 105 - 110 lbs 🧊 Freezer Space: 6–7 cu. ft. 💡 This combo covers three months easily, with cuts to please both picky eaters and weekend cooks. Think burgers, meatballs, bacon breakfast, and slow-cooked roasts.👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page 🍔 Family of 4: 2 Adults + 2 Teenagers Teenagers can easily match or surpass adult appetites. Each person (adult or teen) eats ~0.6 lbs That’s 2.4 lbs per meal for the family: Weekly total: 10–11 lbs Monthly total: 40–46 lbs What Should You Order? Here are some popular portions and how long they’ll last your family: 1/4 Beef (72 lbs): 1.5 months 1/2 Beef (145 lbs): 3 months Whole Pig (109 lbs): 2.5 months 30 Whole chickens (at 4.5 lbs each): 3 months 🧠 Smart 3-month bulk combo for you: 1/4 Beef (72 lbs) 1/2 Pig (55 lbs) 3–8 Whole chickens or as needed for fill in ✅ Total Meat: ~140 - 155 lbs 🧊 Freezer Space: ~8–9 cu. ft. 💡 This is a robust combo for hearty teen appetites. You’ll have plenty of ground beef for weeknights, roasts for Sunday dinner, bacon for big breakfasts, and sausage for quick protein boosts. Pro-tip: Add whole chickens as needed for sports seasons when appetites are at their peak!👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page A Final Note As you can likely guess, the amount of time these portions last your family will vary based on demand. This guide is a great starting point to help you understand what it takes to feed our most common family combos with a typical meat-eating schedule. We hope this helps with your planning, and if you have specific questions or want to know more, as always, please contact us. We are real humans here 😆, and we’re happy to help!
RECIPE: Bacon-Stuffed Chicken Rolls
Easy enough for an everyday meal, but elegant enough to delight dinner guests.
RECIPE: One Pan Apple Pork Chop Dish
I love a recipe that harmonizes just the right flavors all in one pan. Fresh fruit and herbs are contrasted by tangy mustard, and they simmer together and blend with savory pasture raised pork chops to bring you joy on a plate. Ingredients 2 Tbsp olive oil4 Ramstead Ranch pork chops or pork steaks2 tsp Dijon mustard2 C bone broth2 Tbsp fresh herbs, rosemary works well, thyme or sage would work well, too, and best you use a blend.2 medium apples, sliced thin1 large onion, sliced thinSalt and pepper to taste Tools 12-inch skillet or cast ironWisk, bowl, and a nice, sharp knife Instructions Thaw pork chops and season with salt and pepper.Add 1 Tbsp to your pan and heat on high until oil smokes. You want you pan HOT!Sear pork chops, about 2 min per side. Remove the chops from heat.Lower heat to medium high. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan. Heat oil and add onions and apples. Turn occasionally slightly toasted, about 5 min. Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs, and stir. Cook onions until they are translucent.Whisk together bone broth and mustard, and add to apple-onion mixture. Nest pork chops in pan making sure to surround the chops with the apple-onion mixture.Simmer for additional 4 min, until chops are cooked through.Enjoy!
RECIPE: Sirloin Tip Beef Stroganoff
This meal is comfort food in a bowl! You can make it fancy with homemade noodles, or keep it easy and use whatever you have on hand. For maximum flavor, add drippings from pot roast or short ribs to your sauce!
RECIPE: Sausage Gravy
This sausage gravy is easy, versatile, and freezes well to boot! I like to whip up a mega batch and freeze it in family-sized portions so it’s ready for busy days during the school year. Go the classic route and eat it over eggs, potatoes, or biscuits. This also makes a killer pizza sauce (top with cheese of choice, mushrooms, and red onions), and it is the perfect base for Pepper Sausage Pasta. However you choose to chow down, we know this will be a family favorite recipe at your house.
RECIPE: 100% Grassfed Bison Steak Perfection
Bison steaks are very similar to beef steaks, and can mostly be prepared in the same ways. The one difference is that bison is quite a bit leaner than beef, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on time and temperature, to make sure not to overcook. One great method is to sear the meat on a hot grill first, then finish cooking it in the oven. Check out these cooking tips, below, for tender, juicy results!
RECIPE: BBQ Pulled Bison Sliders
Pulled bison is surprisingly simple to make, and deeply flavorful and tender. Add your favorite BBQ sauce and some coleslaw and you’ve got a perfect summer meal. The hardest part is just remembering to start this recipe early. This will cook low and slow over about 8 hours, for pull-apart-tender, juicy, meat.
RECIPE: Stuffed Bison Burgers
Take the classic bison burger to the next level by stuffing it with blue cheese and bacon! Bison’s so lean that these burgers aren’t greasy or heavy, just packed with rich, smoky flavor.
RECIPE: Extra Crunch Finger Steaks
Use any of your favorite grassfed/grassfinished beef or bison steaks to make this decadent finger food! Finger steaks are a play on chicken-fried steak and are an especially big hit with kids. A lean bison steak lends itself well to deep frying, and you can count on this recipe to be rich, fun, and flavorful.