Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-02-19
CUTTING UP A STEER.
The Carcass as It Is Prepared for
the Market.
Every Ounce of the Animal Gees Out Of
the Slaughter House CONNER
slai Commodity -Prodts
OF the Dealer.

in preparing it for the market:
''Such beef as l handle" said the
dealer, will weigh 500 pounds. that is,
two sides Will weigh 400 pounds each.
This is dressed beef, all of which is cut
up and sold. There is no waste. The
fat and bones are sold. Such extras as
you see on the butchers stalls, as
brains, tongues, liver, tripe, oxtails,
ETC., do not come to us as dressed beef.
These are special lines, handled by spe-
cial men.
''There is steer" and the dealer
pointed through the glass door of n re-
frigerator as big as small house, "that
weighed 500 pounds when laid on these
scales to-day. l paiA 0 cents pound
for it. Don't believe these IL and -
cents stories, for they are not true. 1t
cost me S72 at the warehouse. hauled
it here, must pay my men to cut it up
and deliver it ard all that. What will
l get for what cost me S72?
1.-THE rump win weigh 40 pounds, for
which l will get 10 cents a pound, or
a; the round, Immediately below it,
will weigh 60 pounds. at 12l6 cents, or
$3.50; the sirloin, 50 pounds, at an aver
age of Ii cents, for there are at least
three cuts of sirloin; it depends on the
butcher-that makes SLIGO; the porter
house in steer of 800 pounds will weigh
go pounds, and 20 cents is the market
price, or $l2.
Next comes what we butchers call
the eye of the rib and what is known
on bills of fare as prime rib roast.
There will be 100 pounds of this at Is
cents, or SIS. Next is the chuck, really
fine portion of the carcass, but a
sufferer through its name. There is 90
pounds of this, and it brings to-day 10
cents, or 50. Immediately adjoining it
is the neck, 80 pounds, much of which
is sold as chuck. The price is five cents,
or $3.50.
'sBelow the neck comes the loose flesh
that is called in the slaughter houses
the hanging piece and in butcher
shops the 'brisllet.' 1t is good boiling
beef, but is much in demand for corr
ing. There are 30 pounds of it at 81
cents pound. or s2.75.
'The section marked ribs, plate and
navel is the cheapest meat on the steer
1t is for corning and soap meat particu-
larly, will weigh 50 pounds, and sells
at AZ cents, on $40. The shoulder
piece, beneath which lies part of the
brisl.et, is sold with the shin, and is
generally called soup meat. 1t will
weigh So pounds, and sells 1t a. cents,
or 81. rs.
''The tanks weigh So pounds and are
mostly fat. selling IN their entirety at
six cents, or ~ TO- The hind legs yield
So pounds of meat ~ cents, or S1.5s.
| 81 have now accounted for 71j pounds
of meat. The remaining 80 pounds is
fat and bones. AT least 10 pounds Of
fat is thrown IN with orders, people
| having learned to expect it, AMI 81
cents pound for fat and 80 cents Ter
hundred for bones will yield 81. so at the
outside.
1.-THE total receipts from the steer
that cost zoe s72 viii be 1926, profit
of only s.. 25, or would be a profit if
ran business that entailed no expenses
whatever.
IL am not a slaughterer now, but l
know enough of the business TO know
that the slaughtcrcr loses nothing. 4
steer goes into an abattoir on the hoof
and every ounce of him goes out "a com
mercial commodity a 1,200-pound
steer will net 500 pounds of beef The
hide is sold to the tanners. A limited
number of tails go to dealers in OK tails
and special dealers buy the tongues,
and in Chicago go to the Gamers of
'.lunch tongues. There is a limited
demand for brains. All livcrs find a
ready sale, and the liningof the paunch,
known as tripc, is growing, in such
favor that it is all disposed of to deal
ers. who pickle it.
"From the pure fat IS extracted the
highest quality of oleo oil. This is
generally exported to Holland, where
it enters into the makeup of the gilt
edged Dutch butter that commands
.ancy prices in England. From other
fats come the lower grades of cleo oil
From selected bones is secured by
boiling gelGtinc, which is the basis OF
all cheap jellies and marmalades
Stearine, used as base of chewing
gum and for many other purposes, is
the product left from the process Of
pressing out oleo oil.
"All hoofs are boiled, and the valu
able commodity known as heats foot
oil is secured. The horns are sold tc
manufacturers of combs and fancy
goods. The hoofs after boiling are
also used in the making of horn orna
ments. Everything that is left, blood
entrails, etc, is made into fcrtilizine
material, not the lcast valuable com
modify turned out Of the abattoir. | have
no positive figures, but | believe tina
the 400 pounds of 'offal. the term useC
as applying to everything except the
actual beef, will net the killer from s2'
to s22 The wholesale slaughter
does not get any the worst of it ut an.
stage of the game.
"Nominally, the retailer makes muci
larger profits, but his expenses ar,
heavy. The trouble is that owing to
foolish prejudice against certain cuts
porterhouses, sirloins and prime rib
J are too high, while other cuts that il
the hands Of sl1illful cooks would b.
: equally good are too low"
No Use for Soap.
A soap dealer VINO should open al
agency in China would lose money. Ii
MANY parts of China the children wea