Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-17
Marketing-Bccf.

from Our Continent
So far as nutritious quality Is concerned. beef
and mutton are in the same rank, mutton being
considered by dieticians slightly more digestible.
But beef having q less positive and pronounced
flavor, will always be the more popular Of the
two, and justly, every scrap Of piece Of beef
being disable, while In mutton the fat must as O
rule be rejected for any purpose but soap
grease. To choose beef judiciously is therefore
the first essential point in marketing, and few
simple rules cover the ground of quality.
Steer or heifer beef, otherwise young beef
mas fine grain, is firm In texture, and with q
yellowish-white, almost creamy white fat. The
suet will be perfectly dry, crumble very easily
and be almost entirely free from fibre. The color
on first cutting will be dark, changing after q
few minutes exposure to the air to q bright
clear red, and there will also be juicy appear.
ance.
In OLD beef from either COWS or oxen both
flesh an6 tat will be darker, much coarser In
fibre, and decidedly dry as compared with young
beef.
In all cases. whether young or old, the meat
should be hung as long as possible before using,
all beef, no matter how well fed, being tougher
Q day or two after killing than any other time.
Directly after killing, that is before the flesh has
cooled and rigor morris begun, the flesh will be
tender, but this stage quickly passes, and from
three days to q fortnight are then necessary to
insure the proper condition for eating.
=. Each side Of beef In divided into two parts,
the fore and hind quarters, and these again
into cuts Of various shapes, and unfortunately
also OF varying names, the Boston market hay-
Ing several cuts unknown to those of New York
and Philadelphia, the latter city dividing her
variations almost equally between the other
two.
The hind quarter contains loin, rump, round,
INLET or tenderlOin. leg and flank, the loin in
Guiding the tenderlOin, q small part Of which
runs back into the rump. The loin Is cut usually
tnf or otxda md 1S-I
eight to twenty pounds as the purchaser may
desire, the amount of flank left on determining
the price, This hank Is useless save for corn
Ing as "plate piece" that is, one from which
the bones can be removed after boiling and the
whole pressed till cold. If roasted, it simply
dries up and is uneatable aud it is wiser to have
it cut off and pay a few more cents on the pound
for what Is left, rather than take what must In
any case be rejected.
Rib roasts are next best to sirloin, the first
five ribs being considered the choicest cut,
though for the average family three will be suf-
fcient for q roast. The ribs can be removed
and used in making stock, and the meat rolled
and skewered securely, in which form it is much
more easily carved: The other ribs are also
used, but the meat, though well-favored, Is
tough. and stewfng or braising the only modes
OF making it really tender. The same remark
applies to the numerous cuts from the fore
quarter, which is used chiefly for corning, the
price being much lower than for the hind quar-
ter cuts.
Steaks are probably more in demand than any
other form Of beef. In buying either rump,
round or tenderlOin, it must be remembered
that as they are almost clear meat less amount
will be required than Of sirlOin or porter-house,
only small part Of which can be eaten. Never
allow round steak to be cut toith the grain. 1t
curls up when broiled. and is tough and unsat-
lstactOry. CEC across the grain 1t costs from
iour TO eight cents more pound, but is worth
the difference in price, as none need then be
rejected. Let it be remembered also that the
third cut Of the round is the best and jucest
steak. The top is tender and the bottom tough.
Where both are cut as one slice the price ranges
from fourteen to eighteen cents pound II the
bottom is removed, from eighteen to twenty. 1t
Is cheaper to buy the whole cut, using the
lower part for q stew and the upper as steak
There is more real nourishment in q pound of
good rump or round steak than In three of ten
derloln, which, though exceedingly tender and
soft, has almost no flavor, and ranges from
thirty cents to dollar pound.
SrlOin is best liked as it includes portion
of tenderloin, and the price of this is from
twenty-five to thirty-five cents per pound In
all cases it is better to trim off every superfiuous
Dit OF bone or grstle and add it to the stock
pot. A diagram will be Of the greatest assist
ance In understanding cuts and very faithful
ones will be found in several of the larger cook
books, notably Mrs Parloa'slate one, in which
methods OF cutting in three of the principal
cities are given. study of this. and little pa
thence in watching and questioning the butcher,
Will soon convert the most inexperienced house
keeper into an accomplished marketer, the
easiest way of learning, however, being two
or three expeditions in the company of one
who has already learned through experience
and can give all the special information depend
ent upon locality, modes Of cutting prevalent
there. and, it may be added, the special weak
nesses of butchers and marketmen at that par
ticular point.