East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-09-10

In all discussions on the price of
beef, the fact that the American peo-
pie demand only the best cuts and
ignore the cheaper ones, which are
equally nutritious, stands out promi-
nently.
That fact Is one Of the reasons why
beef is not cheaper and If the people
could be educated to realize the truth
o it, and would buy accordingly, the
price on all cuts would become nearer
equal and the high price cry would
disappear.
George X. Holmes, chief Of division
OF foreign markets, bureau of stalls
tics Of the United States department
of agriculture, prepared for the year
book of the department a treatise on
the peculiarities of consumers In
their systems of marketing, and
among other things he points out the
mistake made by people of limited
means on always selecting the choice
or most expensice cuts Of meat, when
many of the unsought, cheaper parts
Of the animal are equally or even
more nutritious. His comment was
as follows:
Although epicureans admit and
chemists demonstrate that the neck
pieces is toothsome and nutritious, 1t
bears the lowest price. In fact, 1t
would hardly be considered respect
able oask the butcher for a piece Of
the neck. Perhaps a low order of pro-
ficlency in the housewives cooking IN
the past gave to the neck piece Its
low place. The story might have been
different had the housewife of former
times possessed the French house,
wlfe's ability to utilize meats in the
making Of attractive, and delicious
dishes. The point of the argument Is
that cheap cuts of a good carcass are
as good as expensive pieces when ju'
dlclously selected and properly cook
ed.
American butchers complain that
the average housewife has little
knowledge of the art of cooking. she
does not know how to make a tasty
dish of the cheap grades Of meat. She
therefore buys the best steaks, slaps
them on the frying pan or broiler and
places them on the table when she
thinks they are properly cooked. on
the other side of the Atlantic the cuts
are placed on a more equal footing
the demand for the different cuts be-
ing more general.
on this side the laborer's wife Is
mere likely to order cnops or steak
:han to ask for brisket or neck, and
in consequence it pays big packers to
send barrels and barrels of brisket
and the cheaper cuts to England
while in many CAGES our retail butch
ers will prefer to purchase more OF
the portions from which he cuts the
so-called choice" cuts than to stock
up with the entire carcass and run the
risk of having quantity of cheap
cuts left upon his hands,
While the tenderloin has the ten
derest meat and is considered the
most delicate cut, 1t is not so juicy
nor so well favored as other portions
less tender, and it is NOT nearly so
nutritious as parts that require more
cooking. gain, while this and the
srloin costs more than any other cuts.
it contains less nutritive value than is.
found in the cheaper cuts.
That it should be is one of the wise
economies of nature. The class of
people who do the hardest labor, and
those whose occupation
takes them much in the open air,
need the nourishing and sustaining
qualities of the heavier meats, These
are found in the less expensive parts,
in the meats which are rich in juices,
with bones heavy with marrow,
Stews and braised meats, and those
steamed in their own juices, such as
pot-roasted meats, give the most
nourishment and add to the physical
strength. Teach the people this and
the demand for the so-called "cheap
cuts" will increase.
The butchers chance for selling tho
whole steer at fair price would
then be greater. Is it not 20 the ad-
vqntage Of the butchers to do their
part in instructing the public on the
point? The government has done q
little in this direction; it should do
more.