# Can you cook a whole cow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596 "2010-04-28T02:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/1 "2010-04-28T02:54:49Z")
Either on a spit or in a pit, can you cook a cow whole and have it mostly edible the way you can cook a whole pig? I’m not suggesting it be cooked with everything in it, of course. You’d obviously have to cut it open, gut it and clean it. But after that, could it be cooked whole for a feast? ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/2 "2010-04-28T03:03:28Z")
Sure you can. But because it’s leaner, it probably won’t be like pig. But I’ll bet it’d be good if you know what your doing. Keep the heat high, I’d say, and skin it all. Cattle skin is not “cracklin’s.” If you cook the entire thing low and slow, you’ll dry out the best parts. You don’t see the Texans barbequeing loins and steaks, just ribs and brisket. So the cuts that are usually cooked low and slow will still be somewhat tough. But I’ll be some adventerous Texans out there have figured it out, and it’s on the web, and they’re blogging about it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/3 "2010-04-28T03:19:30Z")
Yes, absolutely. See [ox roast.](http://www.kutztownfestival.com/about/oxroast.shtml) It was fairly common in Hungary to see spit-roasted whole ox at larger fairs/festivals, and it seems (according to that link) the Pennsylvania Dutch do it as well. So, yes, it’s quite possible. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/4 "2010-04-28T03:29:36Z")
Cool! How about in a pit like a luau pig? This is less of a GQ and more of an IMHO, but is it good? Has anyone eaten ox and, if so, how does it compare to beef? ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/5 "2010-04-28T03:37:22Z")
Sorry, kid, ox _is_ beef. This is the last research I do for you. [Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080709000443AABtz7q) ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/6 "2010-04-28T03:47:53Z")
You accidentally a whole cow? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/7 "2010-04-28T04:06:47Z")
> [@Notassmartasithought](#): > > Sorry, kid, ox _is_ beef. Well, of course, it is. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/8 "2010-04-28T04:22:27Z")
Sure I can, but you have to bring the cow to me. No pick up or delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/9 "2010-04-28T09:06:46Z")
In Wisconsin the old custom is you eat cows from barn fires. Nothing must go to waste. The bonus is they are roasted in butter and covered with a layer of melted cheese.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/10 "2010-04-28T09:58:57Z")
Once I went to a steer roast. The guy pit-roasted a whole steer, set up the fire then buried the whole thing for a couple of days. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/11 "2010-04-28T10:54:57Z")
> [@Notassmartasithought](#): > > Sure you can. But because it’s leaner, it probably won’t be like pig. But I’ll bet it’d be good if you know what your doing. Keep the heat high, I’d say, and skin it all. I strongly disagree about keeping the heat high. Low heat, for a long time, and either bury it in coals and ash, or keep it turning and covered with a tent or something similar. The skin will keep the moisture in, and you would want the heat to penetrate. A high heat will crack the skin, letting moisture out, and once the outer searing and charring start, the interior will be insulated to a good degree. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/12 "2010-04-28T11:45:44Z")
In the U.K. there are companies who specialise in ox/pig roasts for social or company events. I’ve been to a couple and the novelty soon wears off unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/13 "2010-04-28T12:39:51Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > I strongly disagree about keeping the heat high. Low heat, for a long time, and either bury it in coals and ash, or keep it turning and covered with a tent or something similar. The skin will keep the moisture in, and you would want the heat to penetrate. A high heat will crack the skin, letting moisture out, and once the outer searing and charring start, the interior will be insulated to a good degree. Cooking for very long times at quite low temperatures can result in extremely moist beef. Heston Blumenthal cooks beef for 72 hours at ~65 C and it comes out unbeliebably moist and tender (if the TV screen is to be believed). Apparently all the connective tissue breaks down to gelatin, but everything stays within the meat. It comes out with a texture much softer and more tender than even when it was raw (but not dry or fibrous as beef sometimes goes when cooked a long time). ---
**Author:** ![Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misery_Loves_Co)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/14 "2010-04-28T15:12:38Z")
The whole point behind low and slow is to bring the temp of the meat up to the point the gelatin breaks down without evaporating off all the moisture from the meat. Parts of the cow w/o much gelatin won’t necessarily benefit, but they won’t lose much moisture either. So another vote for low and slow. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/15 "2010-04-28T15:29:59Z")
> [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](#): > > The whole point behind low and slow is to bring the temp of the meat up to the point the gelatin breaks down without evaporating off all the moisture from the meat. Parts of the cow w/o much gelatin won’t necessarily benefit, but they won’t lose much moisture either. It’s actually collagen breaking down _into_ gelatin that makes it soft and juicy, but otherwise, yes. In areas where there is not a lot of connective tissue and collagen (like the steak cuts and the tenderloin, in particular) low and slow cooking makes meat tougher and drier. That’s why these cuts are almost always cooked quickly over a high heat. With the more exercised muscles that have lots of connective tissue (shoulder, brisket, leg, etc.) low and slow is the way to go for tenderness. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/16 "2010-04-28T15:35:50Z")
I did see one team of cooks preparing a whole steer over a pit but I’d have to say they were either cheating or inexperienced at it. They either could not or would not make a real effort to get the entire animal cooked to doneness at something like the same time so periodically they would swing the carcass out from over the heat and carve off sections that were ready to eat. They would then return the undercooked sectors back to the heat for thirty minutes or so. This may be an efficient way to feed a croud but it just struck me as wrong. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/17 "2010-04-28T16:05:05Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > I did see one team of cooks preparing a whole steer over a pit but I’d have to say they were either cheating or inexperienced at it. They either could not or would not make a real effort to get the entire animal cooked to doneness at something like the same time so periodically they would swing the carcass out from over the heat and carve off sections that were ready to eat. They would then return the undercooked sectors back to the heat for thirty minutes or so. This may be an efficient way to feed a croud but it just struck me as wrong. I don’t know if that’s inexperience or not. The one time I saw an ox roast in Hungary, the ox was carved right off the spit (kind of like a giant gyros) pretty much as people wanted their meat, and the rest of the ox was left over the embers to crisp up until people wanted more. I’m not sure if you’re describing exactly the same thing, but the beef had been over the burning embers about 12-14 hours before the first slices were taken. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/18 "2010-04-28T16:16:49Z")
I thought you’d just feed it cheese dipped in ranch dressing until it died and then flash-fry that sucker. ---
**Author:** ![Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misery_Loves_Co)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/19 "2010-04-28T16:17:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s actually collagen breaking down _into_ gelatin that makes it soft and juicy, but otherwise, yes. Thanks for the correction! Maybe this time it’ll stick in my brain - > [@](#): > > That’s why these cuts are almost always cooked quickly over a high heat. With the more exercised muscles that have lots of connective tissue (shoulder, brisket, leg, etc.) low and slow is the way to go for tenderness. That, and slow dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596/20 "2010-04-28T23:48:15Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > You accidentally a whole cow? Accidentally _what_? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cook-a-whole-cow/537596.md?page=2)