Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 273, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1915 — LEARN THE RETAIL CUTS OF BEEF [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LEARN THE RETAIL CUTS OF BEEF

I A LARGS majority of meat consumers have no knowledge whatever of the food value of meat from different parts of the carcass, but make their selections of meat solely according to habit or fancy. 'ln fact, little accurate data along this line has hitherto been available to those who wished to buy meats on a rational basis. As a result, a few well-known cuts are generally in demand, and the remainder of the carcass is a "drug on the market” To such an extreme has this condition developed that a portion of the carcass (loin and ribs), forming only about one-fourth of Its weight, represents nearly one-half of its retail cost In view of the large place which meat occupies in the America diet amounting to nearly one-third of the average expenditure for all food, the importance of an intelligent understanding of the subject on the part of the consumer is readib apparent Not only are the foregoing statements true of meat producers and consumers essential to the entire beefcattla industry, on the one hand, and the economic welfare of the beef-eat-ing public on the other, that a more Intelligent understanding of the different cuts of meat be acquired by consumers generally. An increased demand for those portions of the carcass which are now difficult for the butcher to dispose of would contribute largely toward a more stable condition of the trade and thus enable the producer to operate with greater confidence and economy. At the same time it would effect a tremendous saving to the consumer himself by more early equalizing the markqt values of the various cuts and by enabling the retailor to operate with a smaller margin of profit, thereby helping to solve the high cost of living, in so far as meat is concerned. Loin steaks average 59 per cent lean, 32- per cent visible fat, and 9 per cent bone. Sirloin steaks in general contain a greater proportion of lean and smaller proportion of fat than porterhouse and club steaks. Rib roasts contain, on the average, 55 per cent lean, 30 per cent visible tat, and 15 per cent bone. The various cuts made from the

round average 65 per cent lean, 18 per cent fat. and 17 per cent bone. Round steak contains 74 to 84 per cent Wn, the rump roast 49 per cent, round pot roast 85 per cent, and soup bones 8 to 66 per cent. Chuck cuts contain an average of

69 per cent lean, 19 per cent fat, and 11 per cent bone. The shoulder clod contains 80 per cent lean and only 5 per cent bone. The various plate cuts —brisket, navel and rib ends average 51 per cent lean, 41 per cent fat, and 8 per cent bone. From the proportions of lean, fat and bone of different cuts, their relative economy at retail prices may be The net cost of lean meat Is an approximate index of the relative economy of steaks and roasts, since they are purchased and used for

the lean they contain; but in comparing boiling, stewing and similar meats the cost of gross meat, or fat and lean combined, should be more largely considered, because the fat is more completely utilized, as in the case of meat loaf, hash, hamburger, and corned beef. One of the most important points to learn is the way the meat is cut up and how the different cuts should be cooked. In a side of beef we have first the neck and shoulder clod, the latter a good, solid cut of meat particularly good for beef a la mode; then come the five chuck ribs and the meat from the under side of the animal, the flank, plate, navel and brisket, the latter used mainly for corning; next to the chuck come the

prime ribs for roasting; then the sirloin for steaks and roasts; the rump for steaks, roasts and stews; the round for stews and hatnburg steak; and the shin fqr soup. Under the ribs lies the filet, a tender strip of meat which has never been exercised

in the living animals co maka tt tough; but this is lacking in ths flavor to be found in the tougher cuts. Now, tn the matter of cutting beef, many butchers differ as to method, and it will repay one to make a survey of butcher shops in her own and neighboring localities. Having visited them all, noticed the degree of cleanliness with which the meat is handled and mad? a comparison of cuts and prices, as well as quality, the housekeeper can then make her choice of shops and patronize the one at which she gets the best value for her money. A butcher is ordinarily willing and glad to instruct his customers in the different cuts of meat, to suggest economies and methods of cooking best adapted to each cut. He usually possesses a good daal of knowledge concerning cooking and seasoning, and will be glad to impart this knowledge to any customer who seems to want it. For instance, one butcher will suggest what he calls a ‘‘blade roast" In place of a prime rib roast, a cut which has a blade of gristle between the meat and the outside fat. This he will trim out, bone and roll the meat, giving a solid roast, without waste, and the balance of the meat around the ends of the bones can be utilized for stewing or casserole cooking. He will recommend a fancy rolled brisket for corning instead of the more expensive cut from the rump, which, while certainly tender and well flavored, has a large amount of waste. He will tell you, when you order hamburg steak, to add a half cupful of breadcrumbs and two or three tablespoonfuls of water to your hamburg steak to make it lighter and improve the flavor. All these hints have been gleaned from women who were interested in the subject of marketing and were not afraid to let the butcher know it. Having decided upon the shop, make it a point to learn all the cuts of meat the butcher has, as butchers differ, as before suggested, in the way they cut the meat. There is a wide divergence in the way the rump of beef is cut, for Instance, and the way in which lamb and veal are cut up Is also a matter of the butcher’s opinion. To illustrate, one butcher In a small town cut lamb chops from the forequarter, the first being trenched, and those near the shoulder, which he called rack chops, being sold at a less price, for stewing or

braising. Not a block away was a butcher who sold the entire rack, from the first chop up to the shoulder, as French chops, at 35 cents per pound, and recognized no difference in the quality of the meat. There is also another point to consider, and that is the way the meat is trimmed, some butchers trimming closely before weighing, in which case the meat may be well worth a cent or two a pound more, and others weighing first and trimming afterward. Marketing should be done in person. To this rule there is no exception. It is for the purchaser herself to see whether thj chops be large of small, the slice of ham of the proper cut and thickness and what the proportion of waste in the piece of meat she is purchasing. It is too much to expect of a busy marketman, who has hundreds of customers, to put himself in the place of such a customer and give her Exactly what she would have selected herself. The only sure way of getting exactly what is best for each particular family is for the housekeeper herself to Inspect and select the meat and see it cut off. As to the purchasing of pieces of meat which will answer for more than one dinner, such as roasts, it should be found from experience just how many pounds are needed for the two or three meals to be supplied, and that much always purchased. It is sometimes economy to buy a large cut of meat. A small roast costing 60 or 75 cents might be enough for only one dinner, where a larger one, costing sl, tfould furnish meat for two dinners at an average cost of 50 cents, a saving worth while. It has been found better economy by experienced cooks and caterers to plan the left-overs in this way than to buy whatever the marketman offers, and then utilize any left-overs there may be. The same rule applies to chicken or any other sort of meat.

Retail Cuts of Mutton.

Another Diagram Showing Cuts of Beef.