I' of Beef
Prepared by the American Meat Institute
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SPECI AL COLLECTIONS & R ARE B OOKS
WALTER CLINTON jACKSON L IBRARY
T HE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
ti<mte- E~P<M>I?Jhlet!-Gift
of Paul Hess ling
Meat as a Source of Protein,
All RATINGS • • d I
BASEDDN B V1tam1ns an ron
COOKED VALUES
KIND OF MEAT COMPLETE B VITAMINS
PROTEIN THIAMINE CB, l RIBOFLAVIN IB, l NIACIN
E E F E
E F E E
~ E F G E LAMB
E G G E
E E E E
E G G G
E =EXCELLENT G:GOOD F:FAIR
All meats also contain the minerals copper
and phosphorus in significant quantities
FOOO
IRON
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Beef Through The Ages.
The Story of a Steak. . .
From Cattle Range to Kitchen Range .
A Tale of Two Steers ..
Cattle Are Not All Beef.
Wholesale and Retail Cuts of Beef .
Beef Cookery . . . . . • •
How Many People Does It Take to Produce
A Steak .•..•..
Some Like It Old: Aged Beef.
Beef Facts and Figures.
Veal For Your Meal. ..
Department of Public Information
American Meat Institute
59 East Van Buren St.
Chicago 5, Illinois
Additional copies 10~ each
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Beef
Through The Ages
From the giant aurochs drawn on the caveman's
wall to the sizzling steak on the back yard grill, beef
animals have been an important factor in man's existence.
Three or four million years is the age s .cholars
give to some fossil remains of cattle, and it was somewhere
farther back in the earth's history that the
shaggy, big family of Bos made its appearance. They
were grass eaters, endowed with a series of stomachs,
with females who nursed their young and bulls who
fought viciously. Many skeletons of Bos primig enius
are six or more feet in h eight and measure ten to
eleven feet between the tips of their horns -- a far cry
from the sleek, short horned descendant of today.
Millions of years down the line some of the Bos
family became the first animal domesticated by man,
and the animals have been a part of his language and
living ever since. The New Stone Age races of about
8000 B. C. are credited with bringing cattle with them
on their migrations. Drawings in tombs show us the
Egyptian equivalent of today's meat market, and passages
from the Old Testament mention all phases of
man's daily contact with cattle.
From the Latin and Greek words, bos and
bovine we derive our words bovine, beeves, and beef.
From Teutonic we get the German Ochs, the Danish oxe,
and the Saxon and English "ox. " The word, "cattle, "
originally meant property of all kinds, similar to
"chattel" and "capital."
Cattle played an active role in the mythology and
religion of man. Ancient Egyptians had gods in the form
of cows and bulls, as well as the Cretans, Greeks,
Romans, and peoples the world over. Remember the
Golden Calf in the Bible? Cattle were also used in
sacrificial rites and treated with superstitious respect
in some societies. Even today in India there are "old
cows' homes" for the revered animal, and more money
is spent on the comfort of cattle than is spent for the
human population.
Early English history seems to indicate that our
love of beef comes naturally. The Yeomen of the Guard,
the permanent military corps in attendance to English
king-s, consmned such a large ration· daily that they earned
the nickname, "beef-eaters." Legend has it that a
British monarch became so enthused with a succulent
loin roast that he pulled out his sword and dubbed it "Sir
Loin." When it comes to which king performed the ceremony,
the legend becomes fuzzy -- Henry VIII, James I,
and Charles II have all received the credit. There are
those who reject this romantic tale and tell us that sirloin
comes from the French word, surlonge, i.e., over
the loin, but the point is that English speaking peoples
have long been identified with the appreciation of a good
beef dinner.
The New World brought new opportunities for beef
cattle to make their mark on history. When Hernando
Cortez, Spanish conquistador, landed in Mexico in the
16th century, he brought a few Andalusian cattle. After
the first warlike successes, Cortez' men ceased to be
soldiers and settled down to raising livestock and thereby
founded the wild Texas "Longhorn" strain. The
sheep and cattle empires of the open range owe their
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beginnings to the conquistadors and to the patient
mission fathers who were responsible for the survival of
these first herds.
On the eastern side of the continent, settlers found
cattle to be their most highly prized domestic animal.
The first considerable shipment was in 1610, although
some cattle reached the British colonies in 1609, and
these shipments assured the success of the new settlements.
In Plymouth, there was a ruling that one cow must
serve six families, and this scarcity was responsible
for a national custom. The celebration of the English
feast of Martinmas in late fall included livestock slaughter
and the subsequent meat feasts. The meat shortages
forced the colonists to substitute wild turkey for the
first Thanksgiving menu, and turkey became the traditional
entree.
By the middle of the seventeenth century an
important cattle industry had developed in the Connecticut
River Valley. From the pastures of New Hampshire
and V ermont large droves were annually driven south to
be sold at Boston or to feeders and dairymen in the three
southern New England states. By about 1772, settlers
from Virginia and Pennsylvania had reached the Mononhagela
Valley where herds of 400 or 500 were soon
common. The need for more and better land for pasturage
was a prin;tary reason for founding most of the new
settlements, and when New Englanders headed for "Ohio
or Bust," they took their livestock with them. It was
about this time that the new nation improved its breeding
stock through cross breeding with imported strains.
In 1849, when the California Gold Rush skyrocketed
food prices, hundred of herds crossed the continent to
fill the West Coast's empty meat platters. The cattle
industry continued its westward move and with it the
nation grew and prospered not only in commerce but in
folklore as well. Legends of cowboys, cattle drives,
and cattle rustlers have a firm place in our heritage, and
the outdoor grill and barbecue are a part of our daily
lives. The Bos family has come a long way and perhaps
even greater days are in store.
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The
Story
o£a
Steak
1.
This ce.lf we.s born on e. Texas ranch.
Several acres of grazing land e.re required
to support each cow and calf.
Jefore you have a tfeolr (wlterlter lr't
porlerhaute or clropped), a cow hat ro ltave a call.
n.lt it rite ttory ol 011e particular call.
At the packing plant, the "beef crew"
turned beef on the hoof into meat for the
store. Beef we.s inspected, chilled e.nd
graded, prepared for shipment.
Under refrigeration, the quarters of beef
were shipped to New York's wholesale
meat district-1500 miles from Texas,
where the calf we.s born.
AI! e. yearling, the calf we.s sold to e.n
lowe. fanner for "finishing" in feed lot.
Proper feeding of com e.nd protein supplements
adds many extra pounds e.nd e. Owner of e. Brooklyn meat market, after
lot of extra eating quality to our beef. comparing prices e.nd quality, selected e.
~lfj quarter of our steer.
,~or (a ~ 3-~·~~. a.V After several months in the feed lot, our
calf, now e. full-grown steer, was sent by In the . store, the quarter of beef we.s
rail or truck to the stockyards e.nd con- turned mto s~, roe.sts, stew and ham-signed
to e. marketing firm for se.le. burger; we.s displayed for customer's
, selection competing with other meats.
4.
Buyers for several local e.nd out-<Jf-town
meat packing companies put in bids
be.sed on the going consumer price of
beef. This steer we.s one of e. ce.rloe.d
bought by e.n Ohio meat packing oompe.ny.
Yesterday, e. housewife looked over
everything in the counter, compared
values, decided on steak, porterhouse or
chopped, depending on what she wanted
to spend.
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From Cattle Range
To Kitchen Range
Beef means many things to many people. It may
mean the Sunday pot roast, the teen-ager's quick hamburger,
the dietician's base for menu planning, the outdoor
chef's barbecued delight -- but to ranchers,
farmers, feeders, retailers, meat packers, and countless
others, beef is a vital part of their livelihood.
Technically speaking, beef is the flesh from full
grown or nearly full grown cattle which has been
fattened for food, and the beef carcass falls into five
market classes: steer (male unsexed while young),
heifer (young female which has not born calf), cow
(mature female), bull (fully developed male), and stag
(male unsexed after developing secondary physical
characteristics of a bull).
It is hard to know where to begin in the journey
of the steak to the family skillet. We could go back two
years when the calf first appeared on the scene, or back
to the agricultural scientist who developed the grasses
and feed to insure the calf's growth, or to the cattle
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grower who is willing to take a chance on what he will
get for his meat animals when market time comes
around. And yet, if it had not been for the pioneering
of master breeders in England and Scotland in the early
1800 1 s, the T- bone as we know it would not exist.
It wasn't until this time that systematic efforts
were made to develop and maintain breeds of cattle
especially suited to the production of more tender meat.
Today there are many fine breeds, each of them a
favorite with many cattlemen. Some of the better known
breeds are Shorthorn, Hereford, Angus, Brahman,
Santa Gertrudis, and various crosses of these different
breeds.
The Shorthorn, the oldest of the popular breeds,
was first brought to this country from England in 1783.
The cattle adapted well to the existing conditions, and
today are used extensively, especially on general
farms. They vary in color from all red or all white to
any combination of red and white, or a roan, which is a
blending of red and white hairs. Shorthorns produce a
high quality beef with a thick loin and full hindquarter.
Henry Clay introduced the first Hereford cattle
to America in 1817 . This importation came from the
native home of the breed -- Herefordshire, England,
where the animals had been developed to take advantage
of the luxuriant grasses there. The breed is particularly
well adapted to range country and is more widely
used than any other breed in the United States. Not
only do they thrive well under adverse conditions, but
they also respond readily to favorable environment.
They mature early and fatten readily in the feed lot.
The Hereford possess a conformation which represents
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good beef type. The body is low, compact and blocky
with well-sprung ribs, broad loin, and hips that are
wide, yet do not have prominent hip bones. The animals
have a distinctive color of a medium to a deep rich red
with white head, breast, belly, crest, and switch.
Angus cattle originated in Aberdeen County in
northeastern Scotland and were introduced to the States
in 1873, Even though the Angus are comparatively new
in this country, they have become popular in all areas
for their beef-producing qualities. The breed is solid
black in color and has no horns, They have a tendency
to fatten well at any age and are especially suited to
commercial feed lots and baby beef production.
The American Brahman breed was developed in
the southern part of the United States to make more
profitable use of the grasslands and the hot, humid
conditions of that region. Indian cattle were imported
between 1854 and 1926 and crossed with improved
breeds of beef cattle. The two more popular colors of
the breed are gray and red. The animal is characterized
by a prominent hump above the shoulders.
The Santa Gertrudis is the newest of the cattle
breeds and was developed by the owners of the 940, 000
acre King Ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1910
the King Ranch started experiments of crossing Brahman
bulls of about seven- eighths pure breeding and purebred
Shorthorn cows, producing an animal with the best
qualities of both types. The animals are, for the most
part, solid red in color with small white markings,
usually on the head or in the region of the flanks. The
ability of the Santa Gertrudis to adjust to high temperatures
enable them to grow and fatten during the hottest
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seasons. These cattle are heavier at marketing time
than others raised under similar circumstances.
Breeding is not the only area where the alert
and progressive livestock man uses a scientific
·approach. Livestock growing has become a science in
spite of Mother Nature's limiting factors. The producer
puts to use, as grazing land and pasture, acres that
would otherwise produce no food crops, and with improved
grasses and feeds converts his animals into
more pounds of meat in less time. One half of the
total land acres in this country would have no value if
it were not for the livestock producers' application of
engineering skill, modern power machinery, and
knowledge of range prac-tices
to this land.
During the late
summer and early fall
nature steps in and the
grass dries. It is at
this time that most of
the grass-fed cattle are
shipped to market by
rail or truck to some
Midwestern market to
be offered for sale. JAN. APR.
lnd..de•••o•onal•upply
llllllllllllllllol 9ran·fedb .. !
JUlY OCT.
Here the commission man or agent who represents the
stockman may sell some of the "range fed" cattle for
beef. Or, the cattle may be purchased by a cattle
feeder who puts them through a course of intensified
feeding to "finish" them to heavier weights for the production
of the most preferred quality of beef. This
later period of feeding usually takes from 60 to 120
days, and these animals are referred to as "feed lot"
cattle.
Sometimes these cattle are sold direct to a
meat packer or at a country auction market.
Before the days of refrigeration, the handling
of beef was c onfined largely to the cold months from
October to April, but now the homemaker is able to buy
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A Tale
of Two
Steers
or-Why we have beef the year round
instead of just at roundup time
~~~~~illiiiil. ..
4. Buck, on the other hand, wasn't so
well "finished" and was bought, along
with some other steers, by a cattle
feeder-a man who runs a "boarding
house" for cattle.
1. Tex and Buck were two steers which
grew up on adjoining ranches. At
roundup time (in late summer and fall,
when the grass began to dry up) they
left their home on the range to go to
the city.
5. Here Buck lives a life of ease-with
nothing to do but eat. (Actually this
is very useful work, because he is turning
grains and grasses that people don't,
or can't, eat into extra pounds of fine
beef that they do want.)
beef the year around.
for cycles of plentiful
July or August.
The smart shopper can still look
beef, beginning usually in late
The amount and quality of beef that the more
than 3, 000 meat packers can compete for depends, of
course, on what is available at the market. This is
determined not only by the season but by other factors
such as the weather, quantity and price of feed grains.
For instance, when there is a big corn crop, and relatively
low feed prices, and a high price for beef, more
cattle are placed in feed lots for proper finishing to be
marketed later in spring and summer. A period of
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2. At the stockyards the steers were
sized up by two kinds of buyers: (1)
Meat packers, who estimated how
much beef they could get out of them;
(2) Cattle feeders, who estimated how
much beef they could put on them.
6 . In 3 to 6 months-after Buck has
put on a lot of weight (200 to 450 lbs. )
-he will return to the stockyards. He
will arrive at the time of year when less
beef iscomingfrom the cowboy country.
3. Tex, and others like him, was bought
by a meat packer, and shortly thereafter
contributed his share of fine pot
roasts, stews, and hamburgers.
7. Because farmers buy many cattle
like "Ruck" and add to their weight
and quality, the supply of beef is
evened out. If they didn't, we'd have
much less beef in the winter, spring and
early summer-and prices of all beef
would be much higher between one
year's roundup time and the next.
drought that dries up grazing land makes expansion of
breeding herds and long term feeding prohibitive, and
a temporary shortage, especially of the higher quality
beef, may result.
At the packing plant, the mass production
principles of the disassembly line come into the picture.
In about an hour 45 processing operations, including
stunning, dispatching, trim.rr.Ung, washing, and inspection,
are performed to prepare the carcass for shipment.
Wrapped in heavy muslin, the carcass is
chilled in a cooler for 24-36 hours before it is ready
for delivery. The cooled carcasses or cuts are then
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shipped under refrigeration by truck or rail to help
fill the meat needs of the nation.
The meat packer's job does not end there because
only from 50 to 60 per cent of a typical steer
actually is beef. The packer performs an important
service by saving and processing important by-products
such as hides, gelatin, pharmaceutical preparations,
and animal feed products. The value of these byproducts
in part offsets the dressing, handling and
sellil'lg expenses so that the beef from a steer generally
sells at wholesale for less than the live animal cost .
When the beef reaches the local market, it is up
to the meat retailer to select the cuts, kinds, and
amounts of meat that fit the needs and budgets of his
customers. His knowledge of bone and muscle
structure and his skill with knife and saw fashion the
sides of beef into attractive cuts that customers want.
As a popular ingredient in many sausage and
meat specialties and as convenient meats-in-a-can,
beef find another welcome spot on the shopper's market
list.
The pot roast that Mrs. Homemaker sees displayed
in the meat counter may have hailed from some
distant point. Her family can enjoy a wholesome,
tasty, protein-rich meal -- all because of the help and
teamwork of many people across the nation.
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~ ---- -------------------------=--==----------
1000 lbs
STEER
sqo lbs
BEEF
5 lbs RETAIL CUT
•
Lbs
Porterhouse, T-Bone :2s
& Club steak ~
Sirloin steak tJ'H 40
Round steak ~ 65
Rib roast ~ 45
Boneless rump roast • 25
Chuc.k roast • 100
Hamburger
Stew meat
& misc. c:uts
~45
.. ~ 110
Bones, fat, w~ 125
Cattle are not all beef ... Beef is not all steak & Shrink
CARCASS
---.... .... .....
RETAIL CUTS
Knuckle
Soup Bone
&~ia
~
Heel of .Round
Cross Cut
Fore Shank
English Cut Arm WHOLESALE CUTS RETAIL CUTS
Triangle Boneless Chuck Shoulder
Pot Roast Pot Roast Fillet
Rolled Neck Boneless Neck
-14-
Beef
Cookery
An easy rule to remember when cooking beef is
that all cuts fall into two categories, tender and lesstender,
and are cooked accordingly. The tender cuts
are cooked by dry heat and the less -tender ones by moist
heat. All beef is tasty and nutritious and an excellent
source of bodl -building proteins and minerals.
Tender cuts are those from the part of the animal
which has been least exercised, the muscles along the
backbone -- rib roast of beef and the broiling steaks.
All are cooked by dry heat.
The remaining cuts of beef need moist heat cookery
(braising or cooking in water) and include short ribs,
stew meat, and pot roasts.
DRY HEAT COOKERY METHODS
How to Roast
Cuts to roast: Standing and boned and rolled rib roasts
High quality rump roasts, whole tenderloin
Place the meat in a shallow open pan, fat side up,
either using a rack or letting the bones of the meat form
a natural rack to keep the meat out of the drippings.
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#
Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the meat,
making sure the point does not rest on fat or bone.
Season the meat with salt and pepper either before or
after cooking. The roast needs no flouring, no cover,
no water, and no basting during cooking. Roast meat at
a constant low temperature of 325° F. to the doneness
preferred. (The exception to the rule of cooking meats
at low temperatures is the case with oven roasted whole
tenderloins. Use lower quality whole tenderloin and
roast it at 450°F. A whole tenderloin, medium done,
requires 45 to 60 minutes . A half tenderloin, medium
done, requires 45 to 50 minutes.)
This timetable is for meats taken chilled from the
refrigerator:
Roast Meat
Minutes Thermometer
Roast Beef Per Pound* Internal Temperature
Rare 22 to 26 140° F.
Medium 26 to 30 160° F.
Well-done 33 to 35 170°F.
*Figures are given for a standing rib roast; for a boned
and rolled roast, add 5 to 10 minutes per pound. When
estimating roasting time for a small roast (3 to 5 pounds)
use the larger figure given.
How to Broil
Cuts to broil: Steaks: club, T-bone, porterhouse,
sirloin, rib; tenderloin filets,
ground beef patties
Preheat oven for broiling. Slash the edges of the
fat in several places to prevent curling during broiling .
Place the meat on a rack so that the top surface of the
meat is approximately 2 to 3 inches from the source of
heat for l-inch thick steaks and 3 inches for thicker
steaks. Broil on one side to the preferred doneness,
season and broil the other side. To test for doneness,
cut a small gash close to the bone and note the color of
the meat. Season and serve.
- 16 -
How to Pan-Broil
Cuts to pan-broil: Steaks l-inch and less thick: club,
T-bone, porterhouse, sirloin, rib;
ground beef patties, minute steaks
(scored round steak)
Place the meat in a pre-heated heavy skillet and
brown quickly on both sides. (Rub the skillet lightly
with fat before browning meat to prevent sticking.)
Reduce heat and cook slowly, uncovered, until meat is
preferred doneness. During cooking pour off any excess
fat. Season meat before serving.
How to Pan-Fry
Cuts to pan-fry: ground beef patties, minute steaks
Brown the meat in a few tablespoons of hot fat,
reduce heat, and cook slowly until the preferred doneness.
Season meat before serving.
MOIST HEAT COOKERY METHODS
How to Braise
Cuts to braise: Pot roasts -- rump, chuck, heel of
round; round or chuck steaks (Swiss
steaks), short ribs, flank steak, stew
meat, oxtails
Brown meat in a few tablespoons of hot fat, or roll
meat in flour, and then brown in hot fat, if you prefer.
(For Swiss steak, pound the flour into the meat with a
meat pounder or the edge of a heavy saucer to break
down the connective tissue of the meat to make it cook
tender more quickly.) Add seasonings and a small
amount of liquid (1/4 to l/2 cup usually); cover the pan
tightly and simmer over low heat or bake in a 325° F.
oven until the meat is tender. Add small amounts of
liquid during cooking, if necessary. Cooking times vary
with the size and thickness of the meat. A three to five
pound pot roast requires 3-1/2 to 4 hours to cook tender.
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A 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick Swiss steak requires 2 to 2-1/2
hours. Vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and onions
may be added during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking
time.
How to Cook in Water
Cuts to cook in water: Fresh and corned briskets, plate,
stew meat, shanks, oxtails
Cover meat with hot water, add seasonings, cover
pan tightly and cook over low heat unt il the meat is tender.
(To assure a tender product, do not boil.) When preparing
stew meat, oxtails or shanks, flour the meat and
brown in a little hot fat before adding water if you like.
Cooking times vary with the size and thickness of the
meat. Fresh and corned briskets require from 40 to 50
minutes per pound to cook tender. Add vegetables during
the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking, if you wish.
- 18 -
How many people does it take
to produce a steak ?
When you plank the cash on the counter for a slice of sirloin,
some of it may represent your own pay for the part you played
in getting that steak to your table.
We'll make ourselves clear.
It takes a lot of people to help produce that steak in this
mid-20th-century economy of ours.
The people we've put in the picture, for instance.
And many, many others. Though you may not realize it, some
product you, yourself, help make or sell or service may play a
part in producing steaks.
1. The c1»wboy or range hand who
looks after the cattle.
2. The banker who finances land, herd
and equipment.
3. The chemist who makes insecticides,
serums and fertilizers.
4. The oil refiner who p~ovides the fuel
for the power machmery so many
ranchers use.
5. The steel maker who provides a mul·
titude of items, from fencing and
branding irons to filing cabinets. l who furnish
- some of the by-
6. The brewer products used
7. Thesugar refiner t.o make the
8. The coHon ginner hv:estock fe.eds
)
w1th whiCh
9. The flour miller ranchers and
feeders supple.
ment grass.
10. The veterinary who looks after the
health of the cattle.
-19-
11. The blacksmith who shoes the horses
and repairs ranch machinery.
12. The airplane pilot who sprays ranges
and fields, destroying pests.
13. The lumberman who provides the
wood for corrals and barns and pens.
14. The windmiller who makes the machinery
that keeps man-made ranch
water holes working.
15. The feeder who takes lean range cattle
and puts about 25% more beef on
them by intensive feeding.
~ who haul cat -
16. The truck driver tie to market
17. The railroader and meat to
you.
18. The stockyards man who provides
"room and board" for the livest ock,
and the commission man who is
sales agent for the producer.
19. The meat packer who processes and
distributes the beef.
20. The retailer who is the final link hetween
all these people ... and you.
'
Some
Like It
Old: Aged Beef
"Now why can't I fix a steak like that?" This
question occurs to many a homemaker after a dinner at
a fancy steakhouse, and try as she may, she often can't
duplicate the texture and flavor of these steaks.
The lady shouldn't take the failure to heart. The
steak she enjoyed not only was of the highest and most
tender quality, but it also had been treated by a special
process called "aging" that produces tenderness and a
heightened or "slightly gamy" flavor that thrills the
gourmets and adds to the price. The beef is usually
darker in color than fresh beef, and its quality is not
readily apparent to a novice, but a few forkfuls prove
its worth.
Why is aged beef more costly? A lot of tim e and
trouble goes into making the steak extra special.
Actually, it started way back when the animal was on
the hoof because it takes special feeding and breeding
to produce an animal yielding tender meat. There is
little demand for aged beef in tougher meat, and it is
the tender meat that loses less weight and responds be st
to aging.
Then other costs come into the picture -- refrigeration,
loss through shrinkage and trimming, equipment,
time, and supervision. Aging is the breaking
- 21 -
down of the connective tissue in the muscles by enzyme
action. To achieve this, the meat is stored on racks in
an aging cooler where the proper temperature, humidity,
air treatment, and air distribution are rigidly maintained.
All this requires special equipment and care. While the
meat is "ripening," much as aged cheese does, evapora•
tion of water causes shrinkage. Sometimes a harmless
mold forms on the cut which involves trimming. In a
20 pound strip of meat there could be a loss of almost
two pounds.
Some technical information: The temperatures of
the aging cooler are generally between 33° and 35° F.
with relative humidities between 85 and 87 per cent.
The usual length of storage has been from three to five
weeks, although research and new developments may
shorten this time considerably. Ultra-violet light and
air tight packaging are being used to prevent the formation
of mold and to allow variation in required time and
temperature. Cleanliness is of utmost importance.
Beef is not aged today except in limited amounts
by most meat companies because of the small demand
for this specially prepared product. Actually, it is
difficult for the consumer to buy aged beef unless there
happens to be a specialty meat market in the vicinity
that purchases from a packer who specializes in product
customarily sold to hotels and restaurants. And since
the proper aging of meat is a science, doing-it-yourself
is not feasible.
- 22 -
Beef Facts and Figures
Beef is the largest selling meat in the country.
* * * * *
The average American ate about 79. 7 pounds of beef
in 1958,
* * * * *
The total number of cattle dressed commercially in
1958 was 23,570,900.
* * * * *
A recent survey made by the Department of Agriculture
shows that 41 per cent of the average American's meat
diet is beef. The West lead in beef consumption,
followed closely by the North Central section.
* * * * *
Meat animals give farmers the most dollars -- in
1957, 30.5 cents of the farmer's dollar came from
meat animals and 19. 3 cents of this was from cattle
and calves.
* * * * *
The hamburger de rived its name from the seaport of
Hamburg, Germany. The Balts of Estonia, Latvia,
and Finland were fond of red meat, shredded with a
dull knife and eaten raw, and the Hamburgers learned
to like it, too, after years of commerce with these
Russian provinces. The creation of the broiled
hamburger sandwich, as we know it, is credited to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 in St. Louis.
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Seventy-six per cent of the almost four million farms
in the nation produce cattle.
**'***
The first ten cattle producing states in 1957 and pounds
of cattle and calves produced were:
(Millions of Pounds) (Millions of Pounds)
1. Iowa 2,327 6. Minnesota 1,264
2. Texas 2,227 7. Kansas 1,178
3. Nebraska 1,554 8. California 1,132
4. Illinois 1,516 9. South Dakota 1,090
5. Missouri 1 , 286 1 o. Oklahoma 953
* * * * *
Salisbury steak was named for Dr. J. H. Salisbury.
At the latter part of the last century, Dr. Salisbury
devised a diet which began with meat three times a
day, lean, minced, and broiled, supplemented only
with a warm beverage and quantities of water. The
diet caused controversy because of its uniqueness
but, nevertheless, was popular enough to cause
"Salisbury steak" to appear on the menus of better
hotels and restaurants in America and in Europe.
**'***
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Veal
For Your Meal
Veal scaloppine, blanquette veal, wiener
schnitzel and breaded veal cutlets -- these and many
more gourmet delights have as their basis the pleasing,
delicate flavor of veal. This finely grained and velvety
meat stirs the imagination of cooks of many nationalities
and caters to the budget of thrifty homemakers
everywhere.
DEFINITION
Veal refers to meat produced by beef animals
that are generally less than one year old -- vealers and
calves. The difference between the two is mainly a
matter of age.
A vealer is defined by the United States Department
of Agriculture as an immature bovine animal
usually not over three months old. They are marketed
and produced largely from dairy areas. The meat _is a
light greyish pink with little surface fat and no marbling.
The fat, if any, is firm and milk white; the bones are
porous and red. The milk diet which most vealers are
fed contributes greatly to the light color of the meat.
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A calf is a more mature animal that has not yet
taken on all the beef characteristics. Compared with
the vealer, the flesh of the calf is coarser in texture;
its grain is more pronounced; and its color is deeper
red, inclining to a brownish tinge. The fat has more of
a yellowish cast.
In the southern and western parts of the country,
it is not uncommon to allow the calves to mature even
longer, making the beef characteristics more perceptible.
Many are finished on grass or p l aced in feed lots
for further finishing. The meat from the latter group is
frequently referred to as "baby beef" and is featured
under this name by many of the meat merchandisers in
these areas.
PREPARATION FOR MARKET
Calves require unusually careful handling during
shipment, in driving, and while in pens. The dispatching,
trimming, and inspection processes for a calf
carcass is similar to the beef operation. Because most
calves are dressed and chilled with the skin on, special
care must be given to the cleaning. The skin remains
on the animal to preserve the bright, moist appearance
the consumer expects.
STATISTICS
The total production of veal in 1958 was about
1. 2 billion pounds or about 4. 7 per cent of total meat
production. This averages
out to 4. 1 pounds
of veal on every American
dinner plate.
JAN. APR. JULY OCT.
Because vealers
as a class are closely
associated with the dairy ~~~'---..~~~~~---~~.J-industry,
most of our
veal comes from dairy
states - Wisconsin,
Minnesota, New York,
The heaviest receipts of
- 26 -
calves at livestock markets occur from June to November.
The peak is usually reached in September and
October.
NUTRITION
Veal is not only a tasty boost to your meal, but
also is a valuable addition to your diet. The proteins of
veal contain all of the essential amino acids - those
needed for building the body and those essential to the
repair of body tissue. It is high in B vitamins - those
necessary for growth, appetite, and protection against
certain diseases and nervous disorders. Iron, copper,
and phosphorous are important minerals obtained from
this meat. Weight-watchers appreciate veal's low
calorie content.
VARIETY MEATS AND BY-PRODUCTS
The variety meats could be called "a storehouse
of vitamins and minerals," and lend themselves to
exciting menu planning. Among some of the more popular
variety meats are brains, liver, hearts, kidneys,
sweetbreads, and tongue. The most important by-product
of the veal carcass is the skin. In addition, the
animal yields tallow and animal feed protein supplement,
VEAL IN THE KITCHEN
To obtain the best results in cooking veal, there
are certain facts to keep in mind. This meat has less
fat and a greater proportion of connective tissue than
most. For this reason, veal should not be broiled but
should be given long, slow cooking to tenderize it and
bring out its best flavor.
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25M459 . LITHO IN U. S. A.
