Why should I buy Hopcott Beef?
1. YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR MEAT IS COMING FROM.  Our store is located on our family beef farm, so the beef doesn't have to travel a large distance before it reaches our meat counter.  This is healthier and more humane to the cattle, as most cattle travel great distances from ranch to plant, which stresses the animals and effects the meat.

2. WE ARE BEHIND EATING LOCAL AND SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL FARMS & BUSINESSES.  Our beef is truly from our family to yours.  We're a 3rd generation farm, with all 7 family members actively involved in the business.  All our other store products, like our chicken, pork, vegetables and grocery items are all from local suppliers.

3. OUR BEEF IS A HEALTHIER CHOICE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
We use No added growth hormones and NO antibiotics. We never feed our cattle ANY animal by-products.

Our cattle are fed a 100% vegetarian diet. This begins at birth. For a large part of the animals’ lives, they range freely in the rolling grass hills. They are fed a strict diet until they are harvested. In our experience, this is what lends to the extraordinary flavour of our beef.

All of our producers must follow strict protocols before their cattle can be called Hopcott Beef.

We can trace our beef from birth to sitting in our fresh meat case.  You are always guaranteed to be buying beef that is from our own farm right next door to our store.  Which is why our beef's taste and quality is always consistent today, months, years, down the road. This way we ensure that you get the same great taste every time.

We hang our beef on the rail and dry age it 21 - 28 days.  This is an uncommon practice in the industry today.  The result is a tender tastier piece of beef.

4. OUR SERVICE.  We pride ourselves on great service and having a knowledgable staff.  Our butchers are more than happy to do their best to custom cut orders as well as cooking & marinading tips.  Don't know what or how to cook somthing for dinner?  Just ask, and we'll help.

Why doesn’t Hopcott Premium Meats offer organic meat?
For our meat to be certified organic, all the feed that we give our livestock would have to be certified organic. This would raise the cost of production of our meat by as much as 50%, depending on the grain market, which in turn means a higher cost to our customers.

What do we feed our cattle?
Our cattle are fed a specially formulated vegetarian diet of the cleanest and highest quality grown grain and a mixture of our own corn silage, grown on Hopcott Farms, and hay .

How can Hopcott Premium Meats be certain of the lineage of their animals?
At Hopcott Premium Meats, all of our animals can be traced from birth. Our meat comes directly from our network of family-owned farms and ranches and never comes from animals purchased at sale yards or auctions. All of our livestock is born, raised and processed in British Columbia.

What breed of cattle do we raise?
Mainly Angus and Hereford cattle with some Charolais crosses.

What are Canada's top beef grades?
Canada's top beef grades are Canada Prime, Canada AAA, Canada AA and Canada A. The difference between the four grades is the degree of marbling with the Canada Prime grade having the most marbling. The three A grades account for over 75% of beef produced in Canada. Canada Prime is mostly sold to restaurants or exported. Look for these grades in your retail flyer and at the beef counter or ask your meat department manager.

What's the best steak?
The answer to this question depends on personal preference and mood, but we see the merits in every cut offered. Below is a rough guide to the differences in each steak that we offer:

• Filet Mignon - The tenderest, lean, and more subtly flavored cut.
• New York (also called strip steak) - The classic steakhouse cut: tender, flavorful and juicy.
• Rib Eye - Rich and buttery, greater marbling than most cuts.
• Top Sirloin - A good value, juicy and flavorful, medium tenderness, quite lean, with a bit of chew.
• Flank - Very lean, beefy flavor, with a coarse grain that absorbs marinades beautifully, though easy to overcook.
• Flatiron - A rich chuck flavor, 2nd most tender steak, somewhat thin, also easy to overcook.
• T-bone - Perfect for the indecisive customer who simply can't choose between tenderness and flavor.

Can I age my beef in my refrigerator? I have heard that aging improves beef's tenderness?
Beef's tenderness improves with age, but aging cannot be accomplished safely in a home refrigerator.

How can I make my beef more tender?
The less tender cuts of beef can be tenderized by marinating the meat before cooking either with a homemade or bottled marinade, or a store-bought quick marinade mix. Cooking the cut of beef according to the proper cooking method for that cut also will give you maximum tenderness. Stewing beef and pot roasts should be cooked in liquid for a long period of time.

What cuts of beef should be marinated?
Check your meat label for the cooking method. If the label reads “marinating steak,” then this steak should be marinated to enable you to get the eating satisfaction you desire. The most common marinating steaks are: inside, outside and eye of round, sirloin tip and flank steaks. Other cuts of beef can be marinated for 15 to 30 minutes to enhance their flavour.

How long can I store beef?
Storage times vary by beef cut. The larger the cut, the longer the storage period. Store in the original wrapper in the coldest part of the fridge. Overwrap for freezer storage.

Is it safe to eat medium-rare roast beef or steak? I have heard so many conflicting reports about what is safe to eat.
Beef roasts and steaks can be enjoyed medium-rare because if bacteria are present they are found on the surface of the meat. The high temperatures reached on the surface of roasts or steaks during cooking will kill any bacteria. For medium-rare doneness, remove from the heat at 140°F/60°C; the temperature will rise an additional 5°F (3°C) during standing.

However, in the grinding process, any bacteria on the surface of meat are spread throughout. Therefore, ground beef (e.g. hamburgers and meatloaf) must be cooked thoroughly to 160°F (71°C).

What is the difference between extra lean, lean, medium and regular ground beef?
The difference is in the fat content. According to government regulations all ground meats are defined as follows:

• extra lean - no more than 10% fat
• lean - no more than 17% fat
• medium - no more than 23% fat
• regular - no more than 30% fat.

Why is our Ground Beef so special?
Most, if not all, ground beef is made from cow.  At Hopcott Meats, our ground beef is made from our own AAA Specialty Beef with no added hormones, with no added fillers.

My beef has some fat in it. Is it still a high quality of meat?
Yes! Marbling is a network of fat that runs through a cut of meat. The best beef has marbling finely distributed throughout the piece. The marbling not only melts as it cooks, but it also gives beef an incredible juicy flavor and extraordinary tenderness.