This right here. Also /u/Octoclops It doesn't matter if you have anything to do with the bones. If the cow is infected it can transmit mad cow. It is not a "virus". It is a damaged protein that self replicates. It is especially bad if you have something that was near the brain or spinal cord but it can be in ANY part of the meat if the animal is infected. We still test for it today. Also, you are better off making sure the meat comes from a local farm/ranch and is processed by a local butcher since they are not processing thousands of cows a week and mixing all of the meat. You get one-cow, one cut/package/etc. Make friends with your local farmers/ranchers/butchers. It's also a LOT cheaper most of the time but sometimes you have to buy in bulk. If you have the space, you should save up for a deep freeze chest freezer. You can keep that meat for a little over a year while you go through it. A small-ish deep-freeze can hold a quarter of a cow of various different cuts. /u/Normal If we lived near each other I would totally go in on a cow (or two) with you. That is another great way to get costs down. Get a few friends to go in on a cow (or a half or quarter) and split it up. It's awesome to spend like $3.50/lb for "fancy" cuts since you can group buy.