Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-10-03
WHY BEEF COMES HIGH

An Instructive Little Talk with
Thoughtful butcher.
From the Philadelphia Star
Inquiring of a leading butcher for a
piece OF q shin Of beef, for soup pur
poses, we were told that he did not Of
fer such meats to his customers.
"Why not?"
Because nobody wants to buy them.
The almost sole inquiry is for sirioin,
Ri, roast, tenderloin and other choice
pieces"
"But there is no part of the bullock
from which such excellent soup can be
made as the shin"
Il know it, but you can't persuade
the majority of buyers to believe that.
Many of them would regard it dis.
grace to have it known that a piece of
shin beet ever found its way to their ia
BILE. And that is one of the reasons why
I am compelled to charge you % cents
pound for the choice cut of rump and
80 cents for the best sirloin. Do you
understand"
II don't think 7 do" said the Jour
nalist.
"Don't you know that we buy our be eff
carcasses by the pound, and that the
skins. neck and other inferior pieces all
cost the same? If we can not sell the
less desirable cuts at anything like the
price they cost us, we must necessa-
rlly charge such prices as will enable us to
make living profit. Hence the seeming
~ high charges for the better cuts. Peo-
pie will have no other, and, as conse-
quence, 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
nutritious ?"
"Cf course they are. Il 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 car
cass that could not be made into paIa-
table 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 tender
steak ready for the gridiron or q roast
ing piece ready for the spit. We are
wastef1 people, very wasteful. If our
working people could bnt be made to
comprehend what great economy there
is in being able to cook we'll they would
be more anxious to have their daughters
taught the art. Why, sir, I am con-
WINGED that moderately sklliful cook
| can serve just as toothscme dishes rs
are found on most tables at one-half the
cost Of the latter. There are many
pounds of beef now on this stall, first
class beet though not generally so con-
sidered, which will sell you at one
third the price an compelled to ask
for sirloin or rump steak; meat just as
nutritious and wholesome, but requiring
q little more skill in preparation.
But that is none of my business. II
I were to undertake to advise I would
soon have my hands full. Hence re-
ceiye and fill orders as they are given.
Do you know that cne-half the house
keepers have no conception Of any 9TH
er methods of cooking beef, but to fry,
broil, roast or boil, and yet, as every
one ought to know, beef can be cooked
acceptably in fifty different ways, and
in most of them without any increased
expense. I know of several ousekeep-
ers, ladies Of means and refinement,
who have given the subject thought AMI
consideration, who thoroughly under
stand cooking: and who are not
ashamed or afraid to be seen Buying
some of these inferior pieces, [ have
learned from them number of recipes,
which [ have had tried at my own house
and have found them admirable. Yes,
sir, We are q wasteful people, especially
In the use of meats, though for that
matter I could point you to great i'm
providence in table furnishing in many
other dirictions:;" aud, drawing his
large, keen knife over q sharpening
steel in a style that made one tremble
for his fingers, the philosophical victu-
aler proceeded to deity cut sirloin
for a lady customer, leaving the writer
to ponder over his remarks.