FAQs

What are some of your new products?

Pork

We also raise heritage breed pigs. Our herd is a cross of Berkshire and Duroc. The breed yields a brighter pork than most, and the meat is sweet and creamy with hints of nuttiness. Durocs are known for its sweet meat, marbling, amazing shoulders and spareribs. So, the cross of the two breeds makes for a delicious meal. Please look at the variety of products and find something for your next meal.

Artisan sausages

This is a speciality item and is not always available.

We are always excited to offer our customers a variety of premium, fresh products from our farm. We have recently added salami and pepperoni made from Hilltop's pork. San Guiseppe Salami Co. is the small, family-owned business in Elon, NC making our handcrafted, authentic Italian salami. This federally-inspected facility is run by Giacomo, who uses only the best ingredients in his handmade salami, ensuring true robust Italian flavors. We are confident that our salami will be a hit at your next special occasion. Our artisan sausages will be available for a limited time throughout the year.

Champs™ Premium Liver Jerky Treats for Dogs

We also just added our new pet treat, Champs™ Premium Liver Jerky Treats for Dogs. It is natural, 100% Angus beef, grassfed on our farm in North Carolina. There are no fillers, additives, added hormones or preservatives used to make this product. It is human grade Angus beef liver (see photo). Once it is cut, it is dehydrated and packaged in a resealable pouch. It is USDA inspected. Best if refrigerated after opening. Each package contains three ounces of liver jerky. At Hilltop Angus Farm, we investigate how we can add value to underused parts of our cows. This is why we introduced our Champs™. Before, most of the liver from our cows became waste. Now, it’s a unique and healthy treat for dogs. Look for more new products from more animals in the future. Please read more about The Whole Animal Project™ on this site. 

Ordering Information

Do I have to preorder my meat from this website?

No. If you live in our area you can shop with us at the Moore County Farmers Market on Thursdays and Saturdays. See the "Contact Us” section for market locations and times. We carry a complete selection of our products on our trailer for your shopping needs. If you wish to visit us at the farm to purchase your meat just give us a call to set up an appointment.

What are the advantages of preordering and how does it work?

Preordering will save you time at the Farmers Market. We will try to have your order ready in advance of your arrival and you will know the total balance of your order, too. The quickest way to preorder is to use this website to order all of our products. It is very important that you tell us where and when you wish to pick up your order. When we receive your order, we will send you a confirmation email. 

Payment is made at pickup.

When will my order be available for pick up?

If the product is available, it will be ready when you receive conformation email from us. If certain cuts are not available,  we will contact you and you may wish to wait until we pick up new product at our processing plant. Moore County, NC customers may pick up their orders at the Moore County Farmers Market. Please see a listing of the market locations and times under the “Contact Us” section of the website. We also deliver to the Wilmington, NC area once a month. The delivery schedule and location is posted in the “Contact Us” section of the website. All other customers may pick up at our farm by appointment. Please be sure to tell us when you place your order where you wish to pick up.

How do I pay for my order?

We sell our meat products on a first-come, first-serve basis. At the time of order, you will be provided with an invoice that details your order and shows the approximate total cost for the order. Most of our meat products vary in size and weight so we will notify you via email once we have pulled your products, weighed them and tallied the total. Payment is made at pick up. You may pay with cash, personal check (with identification) or credit card. We accept most major credit cards. 

Do you ship?

We are now able to offer shipping to states with Eastern US addresses only. We prefer to use 2 day shipping in order to maintain the freshness of our product.  When completing your order choose the "UPS Shipping" option. There will be an estimated shipping cost. Once your order is pulled and ready to ship we will phone or email your final total including container cost. At that point we can take credit card payment over the phone.

Do you offer bulk sales such as ½ cow, whole cow, or ¼ pig?

Yes, we are now offering 1/2 steer shares to our customers. You can find the options for availability and details on our Products/Ordering Page. Once you place your order we like to call and speak directly to explain the process. We are able to offer our pork in bulk provided we have a few weeks’ notice.  

What size packages does the beef come in?

Our beef comes in portion sizes just like conventional grocery store beef. All our ground beef and breakfast sausage is packaged in one-pound packages. There are two 6-oz. patties in a pack of patties. Steaks are normally packaged one to a pack and package weight will vary from steak to steak. Most roasts are 2-3 lbs. depending on the cut.

I noticed that the price for my 2-lb. roast was for a 3-lb. roast when I placed the order in the shopping cart. Why is that?

For our roasts, when you place your order, the price listed will be calculated on a roast weighing three pounds. This price will appear in your shopping cart. However, it is only an estimated price for this product. The actual price charged will be determined by individual product weight. You will be notified via email of the actual price prior to billing.

Can I choose the cuts I prefer when I order a Sampler Pack or a Family Pack?

Yes, when you are on the Product's page you have the option of selecting the cuts of steak and roast you prefer. We normally will give you either Rib Eye steaks or New York Strip steaks in a Sample Pack or Family Pack. All steak and roast orders are based upon availability of product. If your choices are not available we will email you and we can work something out. Our specialty packs exclude Filet Mignon. Please be sure to make the selection of your steak or roast type in the Option box, or we will just fill the order without your preference.

Product Use Information

How long will my meat stay fresh in my home freezer?

Our meat is sold to you frozen, usually no more than two weeks old.  Your vacuumed packed meat should stay fresh and safe in a home freezer for at least one year from date of purchase.

What if the seal is broken on my meat?

Occasionally, the vacuum seal on our meat will break. This may happen when a piece is dropped or roughly handled. We try to catch these pieces before they are sold but occasionally they slip by us. There is no harm in eating this meat, although it should be eaten as soon as possible. Do not try to thaw a damaged package in water, as the water will seep into the bag of meat. If you discover that you have a damaged package, we will be glad to replace it for you.

What is the best way to thaw frozen meat?

You have 2 choices for defrosting frozen grassfed meat and pork safely.
1. Refrigerator Thawing - This requires you to plan ahead. It usually takes an entire day to thaw even a small amount.
2. Cold Water Thawing – This is much faster than refrigerator thawing. Just submerge the bag with the vacuum seal still intact, in a bowl of cold tap water. You will need to change the water about every 30 minutes to keep the water sufficiently cold. A pound of ground beef should thaw within one hour. Cook thawed meat immediately.
Do not refreeze thawed meat. We do not recommend you thaw grassfed meat in the microwave.

Please refer to the “Grassfed Beef Cooking Tips” section of this site for more on cooking with our meat.

What is the best cooking method for grassfed beef?

Please refer to our the "Grassfed Beef Cooking Tips" section of the site for this information.