ordering your meat - Processing

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A. Average processing time can be as soon as a week or up to 4 weeks. This depends upon how far out we are currently booked. We can give you an approximate time frame at any time by just calling us.

A. When you initially create your bulk beef or hog order, we will give you an approximate pickup date. When processing is complete, we will contact you at the number you have provided. Pick-up is during business hours unless other arrangement has previously been made. We prefer pickup within 3 days of verification that your processing has been completed.

A. All cuts of meat are vacuum sealed in clear packaging that is three (3) millimeters thick. This includes all sausage that has a casing whether smoked or unsmoked. Hamburger and bulk pork sausage are packaged in one (1) pound plastic sleeves. 

A. You tell us how you want your meat cut. Thickness of roasts, steaks, etc. The customer customizes cutting the instructions. If you are unsure, we will offer expert recommendations.

A. No

A. Freezer beef is the perfect way to get a high-quality cut of meat at great prices. Buying whole, half or quarter-of your meal means you're getting low cost per pound without sacrificing taste!

A. We sell meat in any quantity you want to buy. By the pound, by the cut, quarter, half or whole sides of Beef . For Pork, Half or Whole Hogs. Whatever your needs, call us, speak to our customer service experts. We will walk you through the process so you will have peace of mind that you get exactly what you want.

A. You tell us what you want. If you are unsure, tell us your favorites and we will give you our expert recommendations. 

A. For Beef, hamburger. For Pork, Sausage. For most people, these are the #1 staple all throughout the year. We use specific ratios and grinding process that makes it one of our many specialties. You’ll never go back to grocery grind.

A. Accepted rule of thumb is one cubic foot of freezer space for every 35-40 pounds of cut and wrapped meat. But you will have to allow slightly more space for wrapped meat that comes in odd shapes and sizes such as roast, brisket, you get the idea. Hamburger and sausage are more uniform. 

Here is our suggested guide including approximate space leaving room for proper airflow.

Quarter Beef - 8-10 cubic feet of freezer space

Half Side of Beef - 16-20 cubic feet of freezer space

Whole Beef Cow - 35-40 cubic feet of freezer space

Half Hog – 10-12 cubic feet of freezer space

Whole Hog – 20-24 cubic feet of freezer space

Whole Deer – 10-12 cubic feet of freezer space

Please follow your freezer manufacturer’s instructions for upright freezers and allow for proper airflow. Do not block or obstruct vents. Doing so will result in temperature and moisture problems, potentially ruining your meat.

A. There is no short answer to this question and depends upon what type of freezer you have, upright vs. chest freezer. The type of meat you are freezing, condition/location of your freezer, and assuring your vacuum-packed seal is not broken. 

Properly stored vacuum sealed frozen meat lasts an average of 2-3 years. But, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any food consistently stored at exactly 0°F is safe to eat indefinitely. The longer meat is frozen though, texture and taste will be affected.

A. This is a personal choice. There are pros and cons to each type. Research and decide which type best fits your needs. 

A. Storing meat in the center of a self-defrosting freezer will help add to the longevity of your meat. This keeps the meat at a more regulated temperature. Reminder: Self-defrosting freezers from time to time must slightly heat up the interior walls to remove the frost which can lead to freezer burn on the products close to these walls.

A. Upright Freezers work by forcing cool air through the freezer wall, moving that air downward and then recirculating that air through a vent towards the bottom. If any of these vents are obstructed or blocked, temperatures will vary, your freezer will have to work harder, and moisture may become an issue and cause freezer burnt meat.

A. Not keeping your meat at a consistent temperature will cause a slight thaw and repetitive refreeze. All liquid becomes larger when frozen and we know that all meat contains liquid. When you initially freeze your meat, it will expand and stretch the packaging. When thawed the meat will contract to its original size leaving the space it has created by the initial freeze. It’s the expansion and contraction that will cause you to lose your seal. Therefore, it is important to assure once your meat is frozen, it remains consistently frozen. Of course, don’t drop your meat either.

A. All of our Beef and other meats come directly from local Midwestern farmers. We pride ourselves on keeping our business within the local community. Rest assured; Here at Lehr’s, we are as Farm to Table as you can get without processing the meat for yourself. All livestock is humanly killed.

 A. No. We only ship our World-Famous Handcrafted Sausage. https://handcraftedsausage.com/ 

A. Lehr’s Meat Market is a State of Illinois type 1 State Inspected Meat Packing Plant. By definition: Type 1: Establishments are issued a Type I license shall be permitted to receive live animals and or poultry and/or meat and poultry products for slaughter and processing, under inspection by Department Personnel. Meat and/or poultry products that are produced, under inspection, and properly labeled are eligible for sale in intrastate commerce.  Type 1 establishments are also allowed to apply for an exemption that would permit them to slaughter and/or process animals without inspection as custom exempt product that is a service to the owner and would not be for sale.

A. Live weight is how much the animal weighs while it still has all fours on the ground, its four hooves.

A. Dressed weight is when the animal has had its internal organs removed. In some cases, the head, portions of the tail, legs, majority of the blood and inedible portions removed. At this time, the animal still retains the majority of its cartilage, bones, excess fat, and other portions of its body structure. At this point most Beef livestock will only lose 40-43% of its body weight.  Other “FAT” cows could lose 60-63% of its original body weight.

A. Processed weight is the weight of the meat you will take home with you and put in your freezer. Processed final weight is Dressed weight minus several factors such as removal of bones and cartilage to create boneless cuts of meat requested by the customer. Keep in mind, most bones are heavy, (no one want bones in their burger), and this doesn’t mean you are getting less meat, you are just not taking home the useless bone, etc. Other factors are the excess fat, we all want our meat trimmed. Inedible connective tissues are removed, trimmed and 4% or more “water” weight is lost during the hanging, aging period. Therefore, 30-35% of its weight is potentially removed during the Processing time.

A. No. Although our competitive pricing is often mistaken for wholesale pricing, Lehr’s Meat Market is strictly a retail business.

A. Live weight of 1100 lbs. of Beef should yield approximately 660 lbs. of Dress weight Beef which in turn, should yield approximately 440 lbs. boneless trimmed beef. These calculations are estimations provided by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This is an example of an average cow. Weight will obviously vary per cow as it does with all of us.

A. Whole Processed Certified Angus Cow approximately 440 pounds. Half side of Beef approximately 220 pounds. Quarter side of Beef approximately 110 pounds of Beef. Keep in mind these are estimations as all cows vary in fat content and bone density, these estimations could be more or less.

 A. No. It is sent to be rendered.

A. Yes

A. If a Hog weighs 250 lbs. live weight, hanging weight is approximately 70-75%. The carcass is then hung for 2-2.5 weeks. Processing removes 20-30%, hogs can vary greatly. You would end up with approximately 120-130 pounds or so of take-home weight for a whole hog. Keep in mind these are estimations as all hogs vary in fat content and bone density, these estimations could be more or less.

A. Call us any time during business hours. After-hours, during hunting season, there will be an alternative phone number on our answering machine to get in touch with one of the staff members and make arrangements for you meet at the shop!

 A. Average processing time can be as soon as a week or up to 3 weeks. This depends upon how far out we are currently booked. We can give you an approximate time frame at any time by just calling us.

 A. When you initially drop off your Deer or Wild Game, we will give you an approximate pickup date. When processing is complete, we will contact you at the number you have provided. Pick-up is during business hours unless other arrangement has previously been made. We prefer pickup within 3 days of verification that your processing has been completed.

A. You tell us how you want your Deer meat cut. Thickness of roasts, steaks, etc. The customer customizes cutting the instructions. If you are unsure, we will offer expert recommendations.

Yes, for an additional charge, see price list, otherwise it is sent to be rendered. To properly remove the hide for display, this takes time therefor the additional charge. Hides must be picked up at agreed upon time, we will not store your hide.

A. For quality and safety purposes we do not allow customers to supply their own pork. If you choose to purchase a half or whole hog from Lehr’s Meat Market, a portion of that hog may be used in processing your sausage. Otherwise, we supply the pork to assure all quality, temperature and safety measures have been taken from start to finish.

A. Cool only is just a place, our cooler, to put the deer while it properly cools down, with the skin on. The deer is to be picked up within 48 hrs. of drop off. $10.00 for the first 48 hrs. then $10.00 per day after that.

A. Deer capes, deer skins, are put in a box only when picked up. Pick up is within 48 hrs. of drop off.

A. Disposal fee is charged because we are charged a fee by the rendering company to pick up deer bones. Deer carcasses, hides, etc. are worthless and the rendering company makes no money on the deer offal, they will pick our offal up but at a price. 

A. Deer processing cost is figured by Dress weight and sausage per pound requested. You decide how you want your Deer processed. Please see pricing. Pricing on website is subject to change. You will be given a quote at time of appointment or when you drop off your Field Dressed Deer.

A. Cold smoking is the best way to preserve meat because it reduces bacteria. The cold-smoked enhances the flavor, has an antimicrobial effect on food, increasing shelf life and making this one of our most popular preservation techniques. This Fermentation process is one of the oldest methods of preserving meats known to man. During the Cold smoke process approximately up to 30% "water weight" could be lost during the drying process vs. 50% " water weight" for Hot smoked/cooked.

A. Don’t worry; it’s supposed to be there! It’s a natural part of the fermentation process of producing artisanal sausage. That powdery looking stuff occurs when you let the sausage set out unrefrigerated or it starts drying out past the Semi-Dry stage. It’s a benign white “good” efflorescence. If you want to wash it off go ahead, but some people enjoy the enhancement. 

A. One may be tempted to leave their summer sausage in the fridge until they can get “around” to curing it themselves, but this will not allow for proper curing. 

Wash your hands thoroughly. Hang your summer sausage as soon you pick it up. For the best environment to cure, hang them far enough apart so they do not touch each other in a controlled environment between 45-70 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 40-50%. If molding occurs on the sausages just clean off with a solution of vinegar and water. NEVER let your sausage freeze during the curing process.

A. The general rule of thumb is, at a consistent temperature of around 65 degrees your sausage should be ready to eat in approximately two-and-a-half to three weeks. You should be keeping a very close eye on the sausage after two weeks of hanging. The longer sausage hangs the harder and firmer it gets.

When your summer sausages have reached their perfect firmness, vacuum seal or wrap tightly by using freezer paper before storing away. Please follow FDA recommended guidelines for proper timeframe of refrigeration and freezing to maintain ultimate freshness and flavor. 

A. Use well vacuum sealed packages within 10 to 14 days. If you do not plan to use your product in that time frame, please refrigerate. If within 6 weeks you have not used your unopened, refrigerated vacuum sealed package please freeze.

Unopened vacuum sealed packages may be left continuously frozen indefinitely.  

 A. Lehr's Meat Market processes Goose and Duck sausage beginning April 1st until October 1st.

A.  Lehr's Meat Market only process Duck and Goose into our amazing sausage.

A. Duck and Goose are charge by sausage made per pound. You decide how you want your bird processed. Please see pricing. Pricing on website is subject to change. You will be given a quote at time of appointment or when you drop off your pre-ground bird. ATTENTION: All Duck and Goose MUST BE GROUND TWICE BY THE CUSTOMER TO BE ACCEPTED FOR PROCESSING INTO SAUSAGE.