The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16
LESSONS
IN DOMESTIC
ECONOMY

OF all animal foods beef stands first. by
right of it's higher nutritive qualities and
by popular selection. 1t is probable that.
Nation. we eat too much beef but ques-
ton whether, in Individual cases. where
cost must be considered, this charge is
true. Whether the man who must daily ex-
pend large amount OF his nervous energy
and vitality in the business world, in order
TO obtain a meager stipend on which 10
support a family, can indulge too frequent
~ in a meat diet.
1t may be granted. however. that he may
spend too much money for this class of
food, when he does indulge, for which he
receives no adequate return. The problem
Of how to avoid this rests wholly with
the housewife, who in order TO select wise
ly when choosing from the many cuts of
beef she finds in the market, must study
them to such purpose that she not only
knows one part of the animal from an
other. but the poor meat from the good.
the tough parts from the tender; can recOg-
nize any joint or cut, whether trimmed or
untrimmed and can estimate both market
and food value of each. Coupled with this
knowledge of how to select, she must pos
sess the skill Of the intelligent cook who
can do better with poor materials than
poor cook with the best supplies.
Many inexperienced housekeepers com
plain that the diagrams of beef given in
most cookery books do not resemble the
cuts they find in the markets. When once
they learn to locate and recognize the prin-
cipal cuts and joints they will find that
there is very little difference in these cuts
in various parts of the country; the varia-
tions observed are unimpOrtant and con-
Germ the names, which are local. rather
than the actual form Of the cut. If you
know how to locate each part the name
cannot mislead you.
The butcher receives his beef in two
parts, called "sides of beef the animal
being divided its entire length after the
head is removed. He must calculate TO
nicely the actual market value Of the dit
ferent parts of the beef in cutting TO suit
his customers, in order TO get his profits.
He knows that whatever the food value
may be, the average buyer is not willing
to pay as much for the coarser, rougher
looking pieces as for the sO-called choice
cuts. 1t is the purchaser, therefore, and not
the butcher who fixes the prices. The
butcher first divides each side into fore
and hind quarters; then into small cuts TO
suit the customers.
A description with the location of each
cut will, perhaps help the inexperienced
buyer in her selection better than an at
tempt to familiarize herself with the vari-
Gus names. according to locality; so that
no matter whether she is buying in New
York. Chicago or San Francisco she can
tell or show her butcher just where the de-
cirad o1t iS located i'm the animal
THE FORE QUARTER.
The fore quarter is separated from the
hind quarter just back of the ribs. On the
latter we recognize the small end of the
Ioin. The first few steaks from this part
are short in the flank and have very little
of the tenderlon. These cuts are variOusly
known as short, club or Delmonico steaks.
The porterhouse cuts lie between these and
the junction of the hip bone and the spine.
Then comes the hip-bone sirloin between
this joint and the thigh bone. This has
large tenderloin and is the best cut. The
fiat bone sirloin is second choice. The larg-
er tenderloin, round-bone sirloin the poor
est. These cuts comprising the loin are
prepared for roasting and broiling. In the
hollow of the loin are the kidneys, i'm
bedded in hard fat. known as suet Below
the sirloin is a solid chunk of flesh, which
is oddly named a top sirloin; this is pfc
pared for broiling or for roasting by being
rolled and skewered or tied. 1t is a familiar
cut to many and known as rolled roast"
1t is fairly good for steak and an excel
lent piece for pot roast"
The rump comes back of the loin and is a
wedged-shaped piece of meat, coarse, rath-
er tough and containing considerable bone,
the lower end Of the vertebrae and end Of
hip bone. 1t comes out between the sirloin
and round. 1t is sold whole or in halves.
When divided the aitch bone is split in two.
This part of the beef is used for stews,
corned and boiled and sometimes cut in
steaks, which may be made quite tender
by treating them to a bath of oil and vine
gar, or by stuffing, rolling and braising
them.
The round consists Of that portion back
of the hip bone, the top inside the thigh,
and bottom outside the thigh. The top sir
loin is really part of the round. A streak
of gristle running through the round sepa-
or 10 is onDfa1 gracfore