Charlevoix county herald., 1906-01-20
ECONOMY IN BUYING MEATS.
Cheaper Cuts. Well Cooked, Equal to
Most Expensive i'm Flavor and
Nutritive Quality.
BY Ida Finney.


"Roasts are bought, good ones, and
after one meal the bone and the rest
of the meat is thrown away. l don't
know whether women are too lazy, or
whether they actually don't know how
to make the soups which they could
make out of so little. See the Ger
man women, They can make you a
meal that is good out of scrap of
meat, and two or three cents worth
of vegetables. But American women,
the most Of them, don't know how,
and they don't seem to learn. For in
stance, take a chuck piece of beef or
a cut of the lower round, and If a
young housekeeper only thought SO she
could make some good dishes out OF
it that her husband would enjoy eating,
and praise, too. A good stew cooked
slowly in the oven; a pot roast; beef
a la mode, or meat pie; and especial
ly good, nourishing soups. But they
think they must have steaks and roasts
the best cuts-and If not those they
resort to canned meats. We're
here to sell meat, only l do hate to see
people throwing their money away"
The butcher was thrifty German,
and knew what economy meant. The
truth of his statement is proven every
| day in the big markets. Steaks and
roasts, roasts and steaks-these are
the standbys. And if, by chance, the
cheaper cuts of meat are suggested,
oftentimes the reply will me: "Oh, but
my family likes only the best cuts"
l always feel sorry for the house
keeper who speaks thus, feeling sure
she is ignorant of the nutritive value
and delicate flavor of the "cheap CUTS
when properly cooked. And the un-
fortunate fact is that many house.
keepers leave this important matter to
the ignorant and unskillful servant.
Happening into the kitchen of a
friend at four o'clock one afternoon
saw the negro cook drop a piece of
meat, evidently intended for a stew,
into a kettle of cold water and light
the gas under it. pearl, what are
you doing" asked.
Putting de meat on 10 dinner. It's
little late. but i'll boil it hard and
maybe it'll git done by six o'clock.
Howsomever, dey's got to eat it, for we
amt got nothin' else"
Here was good piece Of beef,
rather expensive cut, too, utterly
ruined by the cooking. The cold water
drew out the juices and the rapid boil
ing hardened the fibers, with the result
that the finished product was not fit
to put in any human stomach. And it
should have been such an appetizing
and thoroughly satisfying dinner. Both
the mistress and the maid were ignor-
ant and Indifferent concerning the
question of the daily food for the fam
lily.
Didn't Know POT Roast"
To a neighbor complaining of the
size of the meat bills was suggested
the plan Of buying cheaper cuts. A
"pot roast" was suggested as a substi
tute for the expensive prime ribs"
why, what is pot roast?" she asked
And that little woman, with a husband
on moderate salary, was trying to
run the house. She was about as well
fitted for the work, as far as knowledge
and skill were concerned, as a child
ten years old. And the pity of it was
that the husband was straining every
nerve and working overtime to make
the money to keep things going.
A little knowledge; a little skill
VIII save the stomach and fill the till.
If the courses in cookery in the pub
lie schools of to-day succeed in teach
ing the girls that much needed lesson
of economy in buying and proper prep