The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-06
WHY BEEF Is DEAR.
A Reform Needed in Our Methods of Pre-
pairing Food

Philadelphia st
Inquiring of a leading butcher for piece of a
shin OF beef, for soup purposes, We We're told
that he did not offer such meats 70 his Gus
toners,
why not?'
Because nobody viii buy them. The almost
sole inquiry is for siroin, rib roast, tendcrioiu
and other choice pieces"
But there IS no part of the bullock from
which such excellent soup can be made as the
shin
81 know it, but you can't persuade the ma
jority Of buyers to believe that. Many Of them
would regard it a disgrace to have it known
that piece Of shin beef found its way
10 their table And that is of the reasons
why am compelled to charge you twenty two
cents pound for the choice cut Of the ruInp, and
thirty cents for the best sirloin. Do you under
standF
Il don't think do said the journalist
Don't you know that buy beef car
casses by the pound, and that the shins, neck
and other inferior pieces ali cost the samef If
cannot sell the less desirable cuts, at any
thing ike the price they cost us, we must neces-
sarily charge such prices as will enable us to
make living profit Hence, the seeming high
charges for the better cuts. People will have no
other, and, as a consequence we have large
quantities of the less desirable meats on hand
which we are compelled to dispose Of at such
prices as we can GET
But are not these less desirable pieces. as
You call them, good and nutrtious"
"Of course they are. If the American women
generally understood cooking as they should and
were willing to put themselves to little trouble
there is not pound of meat in a whole carcass
that could not DE made into a paa. able dish.
But many of them know comparatively nothing
and many of those who do are not willing to
give the time required to the preparation Of the
poorer cuts, when they can get a tender steak
ready for the Gridir0n or q roasting piece ready
for the spit We are Il wasteful people, very
wasteful. If our working people could but be
L,
is in being able to cook well, they would be
more anxious to have their daughters taught the
art Why, sir, / am convinced that a moderate
ly skilled cook serve Just as toothsome
dishes as are found on most tables at one-half
the cost of the latter There are many pounds
of beef on this stall frstclass beef, though not
generally so considered which will sell you at
one-third the price | am compelled to ask for siIs
loin or rump steak, meat Just as ritious and
wholesome, but requiring little more skill in
preparation, but that is none of my business. If
were to undertake to advise | would soon have
my hands full. Hence | receive and fill orders
as they are given Do you know that one half
the housekeepers have no conception of any
other methods of cooking beef but to fry, broil
roast or boil; and yet as everyone ought to
know, beef can be cooked acceptahly in fifty diff
ferent ways and in most of them without any
increased expense | know of several house
keepers, ladies of means and refinement. who
have given the subject thought and cOnsidera-
ton, who thoroughly understand cooking and
who are not ashamed or afraid to be seen buying
some of these inferior pieces. l have learned
from them a number of recipes which | have
tried at my own house. and have found them ad-
mirable. Yes sir, we are a wasteful people
especially in the of meats; though, for that
matter, l could point you to great improv-
idence in table furnishing in many other direc-
TONS and, drawing his large, keen knife over a
sharpening steel in a style that made one trem-
BILE for his fingers the philosophical victualer
proceeded to deity cut siron for lady Gus
toner leaving the writer to ponder over his re
marks.