Basic Meat Calculations

To clarify terminology, I will refer to "cattle" moving forward. A "cow" is a female that has given birth, while a "bull" is a male. Most bulls are actually steers, which have been neutered, and then there are heifers, which are females that haven’t yet calved.

According to data, the average steer weighs around 1,465 pounds if raised on pasture, while more sedentary cattle can tip the scales at about 1,751 pounds. For our calculation, let’s take a middle ground of 1,600 pounds for our cattle.

However, not every part of the animal is consumable. Factors such as hide, bones, stomach contents, and organs contribute to the total weight. Research indicates that the carcass accounts for about 62-64% of the total weight.

This means that from our 1,600-pound steer, we can expect a dressed carcass weight of approximately 1,008 pounds.

But that's just the beginning! Not all of this carcass makes it to the dinner table. Most people don’t consume bones or certain organs. Depending on the fat and muscle ratios, roughly 55-75% of the carcass results in retail cuts of meat.

Thus, from our 1,008-pound carcass, we could expect around 655 pounds of boneless meat.

This meat is divided into different categories:

• 35% becomes ground beef (229 pounds)
• 20% is used for round steaks or roasts (131 pounds)
• 20% goes for chuck roasts or steaks (131 pounds)
• 15% comprises ribs and loin (98 pounds)

While this might sound like a lot, it’s only a fraction when compared to the live weight of a steer.

Now that we know the yield from one animal, how long would it take the average person to consume it?

The Average American's Diet: A Closer Look

For this exploration, I’ll assume the person claiming, “I could eat a whole cow!” is American, as this phrase is rarely heard elsewhere, and Americans are known for their beef consumption. According to the USDA, in 2018, the average American devoured around 222 pounds of meat annually.

This statistic implies that Americans eat approximately 80 pounds of beef each year. While poultry is generally the most consumed meat, this number gives us a baseline for our calculations.

For each meal, beef consumption ranges from 1/4 pound to 3/4 pounds. If beef is the main dish, such as a steak, we might consume 8-12 ounces, whereas a hamburger typically weighs around 4 ounces.

Globally, the average person consumes about 100 pounds of meat annually, meaning Americans eat over twice that amount. A few countries, like Hong Kong and Argentina, surpass U.S. beef consumption.

So, let’s calculate the average American's rate of cattle consumption.

Calculating the Average American’s Cattle Consumption

To find the average American's cattle consumption (AACC), we can divide the 80 pounds of beef consumed annually by the 655 pounds of meat yielded from an average animal.

This calculation reveals that the average American consumes about 12% of a cow each year. In practical terms, it would take just over 8 years to consume an entire cow’s worth of meat.

What if we were to increase our beef intake? If we completely removed chicken and pork from our diets, focusing solely on beef, our annual consumption would rise to 222 pounds. This means we would consume 34% of a cow per year, finishing off a full animal in just 3 years.

Now, for the extreme scenario: what if we only ate beef? One ounce of steak carries about 77 calories, and with the average person needing around 2,000 calories daily, that totals to around 730,000 calories per year.

If one were to eat only steak, that would amount to approximately 9,500 ounces or 592 pounds of beef each year.

In this all-beef diet scenario, one could consume around 90% of a cow annually. An active person, especially males, might even reach the full cow mark. However, the health consequences of such a diet would be severe.

In conclusion, while none of us can truly sit down and devour an entire cow in one sitting, the average steer yields approximately 655 pounds of ready-to-eat meat. Based on typical consumption, an average American consumes the equivalent of a cow every 8 years or so, although individual habits can vary widely. If one were to attempt an all-beef diet, it might be feasible to eat a whole cow in a single year, but the discomfort that would arise from such a regimen is certainly worth considering.