butcher once said to a home-economics teacher : 11 Do teach girls
that there are some good cuts of meat other than porterhouse.”
The customers of this meat dealer made it difficult for him to
sell all parts of the animal. When he bought porterhouse steaks
or roasts, he had to buy other cuts of meat also. For some of
these cuts he had little demand.
In beef, mutton, pork, and many of the other animals used as
food, there are certain parts which are tender and other parts
Redrawn from. U. S. Department of Agriculture Chart
Figure 102. Composition of the Edible Portion of Beef Steak
Notice the percentage of protein. The protein of meat is of excellent
quality. Because meat contains a high percentage not only of protein but
of fat, it is considered a concentrated food. Meat muscle is poor in
vitamins except B and G. Lean beef contains vitamins A + , B ++, C — to -J-,
G +-+- (see Note 1, page 37).
which are tough. For the more tender parts, a higher price is
charged. Why do people like tender cuts of meat when they
are so high in price ? There are at least two reasons for this :
(i) the tender cuts taste good, and (2) they are quickly cooked.
Is it advisable to buy the cheaper cuts of meat? Are the
tender cuts more nutritious than the tough cuts? In answer
to this question we again quote McCollum and Becker.
35°
Dinner
These authorities say : “ The nutritive value of the cheaper cuts
is in every respect comparable to the more expensive cuts.” 1
Thus we gain nothing as far as nourishment is concerned by buy-
ing the more expensive tender cuts.
It was mentioned that tender cuts were liked because they
taste good. Is it possible to make the tough cuts taste good ?
The answer to this question is “ Yes.” In fact the tough muscles
contain more flavoring materials or extractives than the tender
cuts. These flavoring materials make tough meats taste good.
However, we cannot notice or appreciate the taste of tough meat
when the meat remains tough. It must be cooked long enough
to make it tender before we can enjoy the taste. In order to
make tough cuts tender, it is necessary to cook them a long time
or to chop them.
There are some ways of cooking tough cuts of meat whereby
the meat has a delicious taste and becomes tender enough to
cut with a fork. It is wise to learn of ways of making the
tough and cheaper cuts of meat taste good. By learning how
to do this, one’s family can have good meat at much less cost
than if the more expensive cuts are used. A girl has the op-
portunity of proving helpful to her family if she learns how to
make inexpensive cuts of meat taste good.
What makes some cuts of meat tougher than others? Cattle
stand much of the time. They use the muscles of their legs
almost continually. A cow’s leg muscles thus become strong
and well developed. The muscles that are used most become
the toughest. Meat from the legs, neck, and shoulders are
among the toughest cuts. Along the backbone of the animal,
there is a muscle which is less used than some other muscles.
This muscle makes the most tender meat. Knowing that much-
used muscles make tough meat and little-used muscles make
more tender meat helps us to learn to locate the tough and ten-
der cuts of meat.
See page 70 of Food, Nutrition, and Health by McCollum and Simmonds.
Meats for Dinner — Buying Beef 351
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butcher once said to a home-economics teacher : 11 Do teach girls
that there are some good cuts of meat other than porterhouse.”
The customers of this meat dealer made it difficult for him to
sell all parts of the animal. When he bought porterhouse steaks
or roasts, he had to buy other cuts of meat also. For some of
these cuts he had little demand.
In beef, mutton, pork, and many of the other animals used as
food, there are certain parts which are tender and other parts
Redrawn from. U. S. Department of Agriculture Chart
Figure 102. Composition of the Edible Portion of Beef Steak
Notice the percentage of protein. The protein of meat is of excellent
quality. Because meat contains a high percentage not only of protein but
of fat, it is considered a concentrated food. Meat muscle is poor in
vitamins except B and G. Lean beef contains vitamins A + , B ++, C — to -J-,
G +-+- (see Note 1, page 37).
which are tough. For the more tender parts, a higher price is
charged. Why do people like tender cuts of meat when they
are so high in price ? There are at least two reasons for this :
(i) the tender cuts taste good, and (2) they are quickly cooked.
Is it advisable to buy the cheaper cuts of meat? Are the
tender cuts more nutritious than the tough cuts? In answer
to this question we again quote McCollum and Becker.
35°
Dinner
These authorities say : “ The nutritive value of the cheaper cuts
is in every respect comparable to the more expensive cuts.” 1
Thus we gain nothing as far as nourishment is concerned by buy-
ing the more expensive tender cuts.
It was mentioned that tender cuts were liked because they
taste good. Is it possible to make the tough cuts taste good ?
The answer to this question is “ Yes.” In fact the tough muscles
contain more flavoring materials or extractives than the tender
cuts. These flavoring materials make tough meats taste good.
However, we cannot notice or appreciate the taste of tough meat
when the meat remains tough. It must be cooked long enough
to make it tender before we can enjoy the taste. In order to
make tough cuts tender, it is necessary to cook them a long time
or to chop them.
There are some ways of cooking tough cuts of meat whereby
the meat has a delicious taste and becomes tender enough to
cut with a fork. It is wise to learn of ways of making the
tough and cheaper cuts of meat taste good. By learning how
to do this, one’s family can have good meat at much less cost
than if the more expensive cuts are used. A girl has the op-
portunity of proving helpful to her family if she learns how to
make inexpensive cuts of meat taste good.
What makes some cuts of meat tougher than others? Cattle
stand much of the time. They use the muscles of their legs
almost continually. A cow’s leg muscles thus become strong
and well developed. The muscles that are used most become
the toughest. Meat from the legs, neck, and shoulders are
among the toughest cuts. Along the backbone of the animal,
there is a muscle which is less used than some other muscles.
This muscle makes the most tender meat. Knowing that much-
used muscles make tough meat and little-used muscles make
more tender meat helps us to learn to locate the tough and ten-
der cuts of meat.
See page 70 of Food, Nutrition, and Health by McCollum and Simmonds.
Meats for Dinner — Buying Beef 351