News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-02-05
TO SELECT PROVISIONS.
BEEF, VEAL, MUTTON AND PORK FOR
THE TABLE.
Hints to Housekeepers Thrown Out by n
Genial Butcher Found Ready 10 Give
Advice.
From the New York SUM-


from the New York SUM-
Suppose you offer some suggestions
that may instruct housekeepers. said the
reporter to the butcher.
GOOD enough | Well, in the gen.
eral selection of beef, for instance, the
housekeeper will do well to remember
that, if young, it will have fine, smooth,
open grain, good, wholesome redness of
color, and will feel tender, while the fat
should be white rather than yellow-the
white and firmer the better. Indeed, when
| the fat of beef is of deep or dull color
| the meat is seldom good, and should be
| Systematically avoided. When fed with
oil cakes the fat of beef will be unusually
of this color and the flesh habby. In
| the selection of any cut of beef what
ever, a strict observation of these simple
| rules will suffice to insure even the most
| inexperienced buyer against imposition.
Then, again, if beef is over fresh or too
| recently killed, the fact will make itself
| apparent by the smell, which will be sug-
| gestive of excessive bloodiness, quite as
readily as is the case of over-kept or
tainted beef, whose odor is sickening.
This last precaution will apply to every
other kind of meat as well as to beef.
&c In the way of steaks, let me say that
there is one sort, and moderately priced
one, that has not its superior for juici-
ness, nutriment, general flavor and econ
omy This is the flank steak. It is
torn out of a bulk of pure fat, in which
it is as thoroughly imbedded as are the
kidneys themselves, Is absolutely bone
less, as a matter of course, and. after
being deprived of thin, filmy skin and
properly scored criss-cross with the
knife, together with some pounding, if
somewhat old, can't be beat either for
broiling or frying, In some other cities
the flank steak commands the highest
price, not even excepting the porter
house, but in New York it is as yet COM
paratively unknown, and consequently
cheap, retailing for between IA and 16
cents pound. Oh, yes, flank is the
boss steak, and don't you forget it !
Economical housekeepers would do well
to go for it while it remains cheap.
Now let us consider the fillet OF beef,
as general illustration of what can be
saved by wide-awake, intelligent buying:
and what am going to say will interest
well-to- do purchasers as much as others.
The fillet is good as an illustration be- |
cause it can be easily managed at home
and is very expensive when ordered from
the restaurant keepers, who are often |
called upon to undertake the dish-much |
to their own profit and satisfaction-for |
modest dinner givers who are unreason-
ably diffident as to their own culinary |
qualifications. Now, the price of the res
taurant man for dressed and cooked |
fllet of beef for dinner for ten or
twelve persons is generally $40; whereas
to buy it from the butcher cost a dollar
pound, or less, when dressed, and
three pounds are quite sufficient There
is, say, three dollars for the main outlay;
to lard it, which is an affair of ten min
utes, will cost ten cents more; box of I
French canned mushrooms an additional
forty cents, and little stock five cents.
You can figure up for yourself what
would in this way be saved to the house
keeper. A similar intelligence exer-
ci ed in the purchase of all other meats
will show up proportionately on the
credit side of economy.
SIN selecting veal, but one genera
rule is necessary. The whitest is the
most juicy, and therefor referablc.
Mutton should be judged by its fine
grain, good color, and white fat: and
lamb will speak for itself on much the
SaIu0 priHclpleS. IL Ine laGGer mas
greenish or yellowish cast, it is stale, and
unfit to eat. Now, let me afford a hint
about mutton for stews. The very best,
as well as the cheapest, for this pur-
pose is the breast. This part can be
bought at four or five cents a pound.
and breast weighing three pounds
would make an ample stew or main din
ner dish, for three or four grown persons
with lively appetites.
A pork butcher, to whom the reporter
next applied for information, was brief
and somewhat sarly, but commercially
to the point. ooh, anybody" said he,
IS can tell good pork from bad, if he isn't
a blamed idiot, unless it's woman. If
the rind of pork is tough and thick.
then it's old, if it's thin and springv'
hen it's young, and young pork is most
desirable. When pork is fresh the meat
will be smooth and coo!; if clammy, it |
S tainted and shouldn't be touched with
/ forty foot pole-except, maybe, for
ausages. In choosing bacon, see that
he rind is thin, the fat firm and of
eddish tinge, and the lean of good !
.olor and sticking pretty fast to the bone,
t is then good and not old. If you're
PARTICULAR about ham, just stick a :
harp knife under the bone If it comes ;
ut with a clean, pleasant smell, it is
5ood. If the knife is daubed and has
uspicious scent, don't buy it"