Best cuts for a side of beef?

For any of you who have purchased a side of beef (or better yet, had your own beef cows), what are your preferred cuts? Do you prefer more roasts or steaks? Anything in particular you recommend?

I’m getting a side of beef and get to choose my own processing preferences. In the past, we’ve either deferred to the butcher to get a good mix or gone in with friends and let them deal with the butcher (who was usually a friend of theirs, so we didn’t really bother much). But this go around we get to deal directly with the butcher. They are putting the steer down this coming week, then the butcher will age the beef for a week or so before processing.

I enjoy grilling and got a smoker last year, so I’m torn between prioritizing steaks over roasts. We usually smoke more pig than beef - Boston butt or pork shoulder seem to be the house favorite - but I managed to smoke a mind-bogglingly good prime rib a while back. And tri tip is one of my favorites to serve with company (before it went up to $12 a pound..). We also don’t mind having left overs or making a different dish with left overs so larger cuts aren’t going to be wasted; I love next day tri tip sandwiches for example. And we cook a variety of dishes, so we usually buy a variety of cuts at the store. The munchkins are also good eaters and love most anything that comes off the grill or smoker, so thats not an issue either.

What do you guys recommend?

 

More steaks, and use the roast areas for ground if you like burgers, or use for chili and like dishes