The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-22
ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT
Furnished BY the Department OF Agriculture.

Washington, D. c.. April 21.--Meat
Is one Of the more expensive items In
the food bill of the ordinary family.
and for this reason 1t is important
that it be bought and used to the
best possible advantage.
American consumers are reminded
OF this in a statement just issued by
specialists of the United States de-
partment of agriculture. The meth
DDS by which economy may be effected
will vary, 1t Is pointed out, with the
conditions surrounding each family,
with the amount of personal SUPER
vision given by the housewife to the
prepa ration Of food with her skill,
with market conditions. and with the
willingness Of the members Of the
family to eat dishes other than those
often especially EXPENSIVE
which they have special liking.
Many persons. says the statement.
eat over abundantly Of meat. In
such cases 1t should be possible. II
the incentive is great enough, to re-
duce expenditure for meat by reduc-
ing the amount purchased. Where
meat has been purchased by telephone
or orders to butchers boy. personal
shopping and careful selection may
make a saving possible. Still another
possibility for economizing is to pur-
chase cheaper cuts and to compen-
safe for any toughness and less de-
sirable flavor by preparing them more
carefully for the table. Finally.
economy often may be achieved by
utilizing the meat more completely,
Including the trimmings and bones
and left-overs.
In purchasing the cheaper. and
often tougher cuts of meat instead OF
the choicer cuts housewife Is los
ing little. II any. nutriment. provided.
OF course the proportion OF bone to
meat is no greater than In the more
costly kinds. She rather Is sacrificing
only texture or favor or ease OF prep
aration for the sake OF cheapness;
and, IL she wishes to produce dishes
as palatable as those made from ex-
pensive meats. must expend more
care on preparing. aavoring ana
cooking. II the cheaper steaks are
purchased for example. degree of
tenderness may he impaired 20 them
by the well-known method of pound
ing the meat The juices and fla
vors OF such steaks will be retained
more satisfactorily If -four is sprinkled
over them during the beating pro-
cess and so worked into the fbres on
the surface.
Another comm on method Of uti,iz-
ing the tougher meats rs 20 grind
them and form them into balls which
may be broiled like steak. Cheap cuts
OF meat also may be cooked slowly
with vegetables or DUN plings in a cas-
serole or any other thick-walled bak-
ing dish which can be covered. the
juices thereby being retained.
whatever tho quality Of meat
hn,.vt,. 1fitf there will he iii
most cases trimmings and scraps such
90 fat bones. rristle. etc. The fat
NAV he tried out bv grinding or chop
ming and heating IN "A double boiler
The tried out fat then may be boiled
in water and allowed to solidify on
tho surface OF the water. when the
letter Coois impurities being scraped
from the under surface OF the cake,
Trimmings OF lean meat. gristie and
honc may he boiled slowly and used
for soup stock.
Iye't-over portions OF cooked msat q
from serving dishes may ne used in
variety ot WAYS 20 prepare pal
n+"Nfn dishes In utilizing such ma
'e~so' 10 and in the preparation of other
r-~~'- fhA knowledge Of a few gen.
eraI principles of cookery, such as
'h~ Quantity OF -four required TO
thicken sauce the time needed for
cooking meats Of VARYING toughness,
the proportion Of starchy foods or
succulent vegetables to combine with
meats. and the like. makes II easy to
utilize whatever materials may hap
pen to he on hand without a special
recipe for each particular dish Left
over cooked meats may be used. like
small pieces OF uncooked meat. with
vegetables and other foods In the
- IT,
making stews hashes croQuettes. etc
Cold sliced meat may be served with
hot gravy made from, soup stock
milk. meat fat and -four or other in
gradients.
An important way in which Tire
amount OF money expended for meat
may be iessened IL by preparing rela-
lively small quantities OF meat in
such a way as to extend it's flavor to
other and cheaper foods In using
meat so az to extend it's favor il
may be ground and combined with
rice, bread crumbs, etc. to form
croquettes: made into pies with rela-
lively large quantities of pastry.
cooked with dumplings. served IN the
same dish with gravy and starchy
FOODS. such as spaghetti or rice,
ground and used with bread crumbs
or other materials as stufing for
vegetables. such as tomatoes ana
green peppers. or cut thin and
wrapped around stuffing OF bread
crumbs, rice. vegetables. etc.
If It is considered desirable, other
protein foods may be consumed e.
larger quantities to take the place
OF the meat formerly eaten. This
protein may be furnished by eggs, IL
they are cheap, skim milk. cheese.
dried beans. peas, cowpeas and other
tegunnes.
A few typical recipes are given be-
low as examples of the many dishes