Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

To order a quarter, half, or whole beef, head to the “Order Now” page, select your preferred option (standard or custom), and pay a $200 deposit online. For hamburger bundles or patty boxes, payment is made in full at checkout. You can always stop in to our retail location or call to place orders, too. 701-577-6328 (MEAT)

You can pay online with a card for your quarter, half, or whole once we send the final invoice. If you'd prefer to avoid card fees, you can bring in a check or cash when you come to pick up your beef in Williston. These details will be included on your invoice.

Standard orders come with our recommended cuts—no decisions needed. If you’d like to personalize your cuts, choose a custom order and we’ll call you to go over the cut sheet. Standard cut includes approximately 45% ground beef, 30% steaks, and 25% other cuts.

Yes! Select Custom Cut and we will reach out to you to get the exact cuts you want.

For quarters, halves, and wholes, a $200 deposit secures your order. You’ll pay the remainder once we know the final hanging weight. Hamburger bundles and patty boxes are paid in full when ordered.

Live weight is how much the animal weighs when alive—like stepping on a scale.

This is the weight after the animal has been processed (organs, hide, etc. removed). It’s typically about 60% of the live weight and is used to calculate your final cost.

The beef you receive after aging and trimming—usually 55–65% of the hanging weight. The difference accounts for water loss and bones removed.

¼ Beef: approximately 125 lbs
½ Beef: approximately 250 lbs
Whole Beef: approximately 500 lbs
Take home beef can also vary depending on the cuts chosen and size of the animal.

A good rule is 1 cubic foot of freezer space per 35 lbs of beef.
¼ Beef: 5–7 cu ft
½ Beef: 9–12 cu ft
Whole Beef: 16–20 cu ft

Each order typically includes:
30% Steaks (e.g., ribeyes, T-bones, sirloins, flank steak, flat iron, cube steak, etc.)
25% Other (e.g., roasts, short ribs, stew meat)
45% Ground Beef
Note: Quarter Beef orders do not include flank steak, skirt steak, tri-tip, or brisket, as there aren’t enough of these cuts on one animal to divide across quarters.

Sample Half Standard Beef (approximates), remember every animal varies slightly so these are estimates.You pay based on the hanging weight, so the price reflects how much beef you are receiving.
- 2 pot roasts (approx. 3–4 lbs each)
- 2 sirloin tip roasts (approx. 3–4 lbs each)
- 2 rump roasts (approx. 3–4 lbs each)
- 4–5 chuck roasts (approx. 3–4 lbs each)
- 4 packs of short ribs (3 per pack)
- 2 packs of soup bones
- 6 lbs of stew meat
- 1 brisket
- 1 tri-tip
- 90–120 lbs of ground beef (1 lb packages)
- 10–12 T-bone steaks
- 10-12 rib steaks (still a ribeye, just includes the bone on the side)
- 10 sirloin steaks
- 1 flank steak
- 2 skirt steaks
- 4 flat iron steaks
- 4 round steaks
- 16 cube steaks

If you would like changes to this, please choose “custom” order (not “standard”) when placing your order and we will call you to go over the cut sheet. Steaks are cut to 1¼” thickness. Prefer a different thickness or boneless ribeyes? Choose custom, or call us directly. Standard Quarter and Half orders do not include individual New York steaks or tenderloins, but you'll receive T-bones, which include both a tenderloin and a New York.

All of the cattle we process here at YRB are born and raised locally. Some come directly from CJ and Calli Thorne’s ranch, while others come from nearby ranches in the area that we have specifically sought out to be part of our program. Most of the cattle are black or red Angus and come from quality cattle genetics and hard working producers who care about their cattle and land.

All of the cattle are on a very similar program from birth to processing. They spend a majority of their life out in the pasture on green grass. The last few months we do feed a ration of corn, silage, and hay to increase marbling and create that juicy flavor and tenderness our customers love.

You’ll receive either a phone call or an email when your order is ready for pickup. If you ordered a quarter, half or whole, expect a final invoice to be emailed to you.

We currently do not ship beef. All orders are for local pickup only. If you'd like to explore the possibility of delivery (typically to Watford City or larger North Dakota cities), please call us to discuss. Calli has been known to drop off beef during her travels when schedules align.

Cattle are typically delivered on Tuesdays and processed on Wednesdays. We’ll call you on Monday if you’re scheduled that week. If that schedule changes, we’ll give you a heads up.