New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-11
1ENsIBLE VIEWS On THE MEAT
QUESTION.

Our old friend, Gus Merkel, whose ex
perience as butcher in this city date
back to thirty years, more or less. ba
given one of our contemporaries some
very sensible views upon the meat CUES
tion. Some of his suggestions are emf
nently practical, and if more generally
acted upon would 60 far toward mitigat
ing many of the evils of which the people
daily complain. We repubish the greater
part of Mr.. Merkel's letter and commend
it to the careful consideration of our
readers:
The Picdylne says that beef is selling at
twenty five to thirty cents per pound, and
the Times goes on to say that the butchers,
like other dealers, must regulate their sell
ing by their buying price, which is very
correct; but neither of you have said a word
about the prices of cattle. except in your
quotations Of the cattle market. The Times
quotes Texas corn fed, first quality, ut
$65@75, and the Picayuae quotes the same
at s65. These quotations are both correct
] shave seen corn fed Texas cattle weigh
from 600 to 1000 pounds. Now we will go
between these weights rs an average; this
will make the average weight Of the steer
$50 pounds, which, at ten cents per pound,
will make as. Now | will say some thing
About the tail end of cattle, Which are
quoted in sboth journals rs third quality at
from Sl2 to S22. | think there are but few,
if any, of this class of cattle on the market;
anything in the shape Of cattle must be two
years DID, or they must be classed as yearl-
ings; a very poor two year old steer will
weigh from $50 to 900 pounds at least, say
300 pounds at about tour cents per pound.
There are many people who will pay as
much for this kind of meat as they pay for
first quality. have known friends and Old
acquaintances to buy such meat at The came
prices that ! was offering good meat lor;
their reason was that their wives did rot
like fat meat My advice to my friends TIA.
do not like fat meat is. to choose the lean
part of fat meat, and then they will get
something juicy, with a fine flavor; poor
meat when cooked, is always harsh ard dry
Many people choose nothing but ribs and
loiDs, and as there is but a small portion of
this quality of meat in a steer, it commands
land from first quality OF beef especially
the best prices.
In New York the porterhouse steak COM
mands from eight to twelve cents per pound
more than any other part, Oh account the
very small quantity of this cut in beef or
steer; this cut is ttte thin part of the loin,
which will only weigh, from a seven hun
pounds, with the suet trimmed out and the
flank cut off. When the Western cattle
were only five to seven cents per pound at
the old Stock Landing, received twenty
five cents for those cuts to many customers,
and could not get enough without purchas.
ing from other butchers, and l at the same
time supplied the Workhouse and Parish
Prison, out of the same beeves or steers, at
four and five cents per pound. There are
many very good pieces or cuts of meat that
are 1ne eating, hat a great many people
know nothing about. If the people we're all
good judges of meat they might live much
cheaper and better than they DO now.
There is meat such as the back part, or ten
der part of the shoulder, the inside, or Ten
der side of the round. The outside part is
tough ADD more muscular, rs in laying down
the welghtlest part of the seer rests on that |
part, which makes it tough. The skirt and
skirt tenderoin and chuck Of No beef are |
all parts that are fit to broil when well |
cooked, but 1t appears that every one who |
can afford II Will have pOrterhouse or ten
derlon steak, which bring the best pric,s.
Old man Cotes, that used to keep an eat
ing-house on Poydras street, near Camp |
fifteen or twenty years ago, always bought |
those cuts of me, and used to serve them ND |
to his customers tor tenderloin, which done |
as well as any for them that did not under |
stand the difference.
4
other humbugs, they are nothing but mere
names. | have actually seen a leg of pork
boiled until it had Il neutral taste, and then
served up with caper sauce for boiled leg Of
mutton. My favoiite steak to br0il is the
rib steak out Of fine, stall ted splaid heifer
or steer (cut when a sucking calD; the
heavier and fatter you Can get 1t the better;
two or four ribs. according to your family;
then top them off short and use the tops for |
soup or stew. and then cut one rib steak, |
and cut between ribs, without bone; cut fu |
and thick. and ii you don't get good steak |
then will give it up. The back fat Of this |
steak has rich, oily flavor. When the fat |
OF the tenderlon is the least bit chilled. it |
has tallow taste, and sticks to the roof of |
your mouth like a lou mutton chop; this |
rib 10 the best chop of any
am really sorry for some of our people, |
and more psrticu' arly he lower class of our
Third District cieoles; they think that all |
poor meat Is creole meat, AID they say that !
they like the CT cole meat the best.
When | WAS in the French Market there
was meat sold every day which il Inspected
by judges, would not be allowed to be sold
at all. L. is the same in all The other mar
kets Of our city, but IN none to so great an
extent as in the French market. Such meat
would not be allowed IT, br sold in the mar
kets OF any other city in The United 81 ates |
There is but little chance for fat meat to /
be diseased, and this is the only chance.
We all know that any al mai that eats well
is healthy and fatrns fast; when fat they
are shipptd 10 maj kpt and are taken from
full and plenty and are sent through lazy
md careless hands, hat n,ither feed nor
water them. / have known cattle in this
way to take The blood murrain. and not one
Of them be fit 10 kill; heir liver and melt to
iouble its lie, to such IN eX' eat as to show
n The meat, and any gooc judge can tell it
It ance.
AT all events. would advise my friends
md the public ut largr (rnd / ihink that !