FREEZING AND FROZEN STORAGE

PN-4661Figure 112.—Sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone and club steaks from loin.

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Figure 112.—Sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone and club steaks from loin.

The beef round is turned over with the skinned side down (fig. 113). The rump is removed by a cut made approximately parallel to the long axis of the split pelvic bone and about 1 inch towards the hindleg from the innermost curve of this bone (fig. 114). The tail bone is removed by cutting along its edge (fig. 115). The hip joint is removed from the rump by a saw cut just below and close to the pelvic bone (fig. 116). The saw should be heldparallelto the outer skinned surface of the rump. The trimmed rump roast may be divided by first sawing through the pelvic bone and then cutting through the lean to make two approximately equal roasts (fig. 117).

PN-4662Figure 113.—Beef round (sirloin tip removed).

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Figure 113.—Beef round (sirloin tip removed).

Man slicing across hindlegPN-4663

PN-4663

Man sawing across hindlegPN-4664Figure 114.—Removing the rump.

PN-4664Figure 114.—Removing the rump.

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Figure 114.—Removing the rump.

PN-4665Figure 115.—Removing the tail bone.

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Figure 115.—Removing the tail bone.

Man slicing through rumpPN-4666

PN-4666

Man sawing through rumpPN-4667Figure 116.—Removing the hip joint.

PN-4667Figure 116.—Removing the hip joint.

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Figure 116.—Removing the hip joint.

Sawing rump in halfPN-4668

PN-4668

Two rump roasts displayedPN-4669Figure 117.—Dividing rump into roasts.

PN-4669Figure 117.—Dividing rump into roasts.

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Figure 117.—Dividing rump into roasts.

To fabricate the round, make a knife cut parallel to the surface where the rump was removed and across the round just in front of the knee cap. Saw through the round bone to separate the heel and shank from the round (fig. 118). Remove the round bone from the round (fig. 119). Separate the top and bottom parts of the round by starting at the surface where the rump was removed and cutting along the fat seam across the center of the round (fig. 120). Slice the top round into steaks or roasts (fig. 121). Top round steaks and roasts from young well marbled beef may be broiled or oven roasted. Muscles of the bottom round are less tender than those of the top round and should be cooked with moist heat for longer period of time (fig. 122).

PN-4670

PN-4671Figure 118.—Separating heel and shank from round.

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Figure 118.—Separating heel and shank from round.

PN-4672Figure 119.—Removing round bone.

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Figure 119.—Removing round bone.

PN-4673Figure 120.—Separating top and bottom round.

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Figure 120.—Separating top and bottom round.

PN-4674Figure 121.—Top round steak and roasts.

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Figure 121.—Top round steak and roasts.

PN-4675Figure 122.—Bottom round steak and roasts.

PN-4675

Figure 122.—Bottom round steak and roasts.

The heel of round or “Pike’s Peak” roast is removed by cutting just in front of the major tendon at the hock straight across until you reach the shank bone. Then cut along the shank bone and around the knee or stifle joint to remove the heel of round roast (figs.123and124).

Start of slicing heel of round offPN-4676

PN-4676

Slicing heel of round offPN-4677Figure 123.—Removing heel of round roast.

PN-4677Figure 123.—Removing heel of round roast.

PN-4677

Figure 123.—Removing heel of round roast.

PN-4678Figure 124.—Heel of round and hindshank.

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Figure 124.—Heel of round and hindshank.

Sawing through the knee joint to expose the bone marrow will add flavor to soups or stews (fig. 125).

PN-4679Figure 125.—Sawing through knee joint.

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Figure 125.—Sawing through knee joint.

Meat trimmed from roasts and steaks, the neck portion, parts of the plate not made into short ribs, the flank, and the shanks may be made into stew meat and ground beef.

The neck bones, the “deckle,” shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee joints add flavor to soups and stews especially if the joints are split to expose the bone marrow.

Immediately after chilling and cutting, meatmustbe properly wrapped, quickly frozen, and stored at 0°F or lower until needed. Proper wrapping is essential to maintain meat quality. Therefore, one should:

Five step drawing on proper wrapping foldsFigure 126.—Wrapping procedure.

Figure 126.—Wrapping procedure.

For large quantities of meat, it is best to use a commercial establishment for quick freezing. A home freezer may be used if it will maintain a temperature of 0°F or below. When using the home freezer, be sure to:

The curing process enhances meat flavor and improves shelf life by retarding bacterial growth. Salt and nitrites inhibit bacterial growth and enhance flavor and color; sugar counteracts the hardening effect of salt and also enhances flavor. Beef is generally cured by making corned beef or dried beef using the above-mentioned ingredients.

Corned beef is generally made from cuts of the round, brisket, plate, or chuck.

Remove all bone from the cuts and slice pieces into uniform thickness and size (approximately 3 inches thick). To prepare the pickle dissolve 8 pounds of salt, 3 pounds of sugar, 4 ounces of baking soda and 4 ounces of saltpeter in 4 gallons of water. This will cure 100 pounds of beef. Pack meat in a clean stone crock or stainless steel tub, and cover it with the pickle. If cuts have not been rolled and are approximately 3 inches in thickness, they will be ready to use in 2 weeks. Thicker cuts will require longer curing. After curing, remove meat from the pickle; wash and dry or smoke.

During curing the temperature of the pickle should remain below 38° to 40°F, otherwise the brine may become ropy due to growth of bacteria. Ropiness looks like partially cooked egg white. If ropiness occurs, the meat should be removed, washed, and repacked in a clean container.

Dried beef is made from the defatted round separated into the top round, bottom round with eye muscle, and sirloin tip. For each 100 pounds of meat use 8 pounds of salt, 3 pounds of sugar, and 4 ounces of saltpeter.

The curing process is the same as that for corned beef. After curing remove meat from the brine, wash, and hang up to dry for 24 hours. After drying, smoke at 130° to 140°F for 70 to 80 hours or until the meat is very dry. The meat should then be stored in a dry, well-ventilated room that is protected from insects and rodents.

Smoking gives the meat a more desirable color and flavor and probably aids in its preservation. The wood used to generate the smoke should be non-resinous, such as hickory, apple, plum, oak, beech, or ash. The same smoke-house procedures used for curing pork work well for beef.9

9For further information on smoking see Farmers Bulletin No. 2138, “Pork Slaughtering, Cutting, Preserving, and Cooking on the Farm.”

Beef can be satisfactorily preserved by canning if the proper procedures are used. Meat is a low-acid, high-protein food that allows for good bacterial growth. The use of a pressure canner is vital when canning meat. Sterilization temperature should be held at 240°F for the proper length of time. A water bath or a steamer isnot recommendedsince neither results in a sufficiently high temperature to produce effective sterilization. Meat may be canned soon after chilling since aging has little effect on the flavor and tenderness of canned meats. For complete canning procedures see Home and Garden Bulletin No. 106, “Home Canning of Meat and Poultry.”

All lean trim can be ground as ground beef. Palatable ground beef should have from 15 to 30 percent fat. Most retail ground beef ranges from 20 to 25 percent fat.

Tender cuts of meat are best cooked with dry heat, as by broiling, roasting, or pan broiling. Less tender cuts of meat are tenderized by cooking with moist heat. Connective tissue is softened and tenderized by cooking slowly in moisture.

Temperature control is very important in meat cookery. Meat loses moisture, fat, and other substances during cooking. However, some of the meat juices and fat may be retained in pan drippings.

Cooking losses can be minimized by controlling the oven temperature and final internal temperature of the meat. Shrinkage is increased when higher oven temperatures are used for cooking and when meat is cooked to a higher internal temperature.

The meat thermometer is the most accurate guide to the degree of doneness of meat. Cooking time can be used as a guide to the degree of doneness, but cooking time is affected by fat and moisture content and shape or size of the cut.

Broiling is recommended for tender steaks from the loin and rib and for ground meat patties. Blade steaks from the chuck may also be broiled if from a high-quality carcass (U.S. Choice or higher). For best results:

The same tender cuts suitable for broiling may also be pan broiled if they are 1 inch or less in thickness. For best results:

When fat is added or allowed to accumulate during cooking, the method is called pan frying. Tender cuts that are 1 inch thick or less are usually cooked by this method.

This method is best suited to less tender cuts such as round or chuck steak, flank steak, pot roast, stew beef, and shortribs. For best results:

This method is recommended for large, tender cuts. Some beef cuts suitable for roasting are rib roast, sirloin top roast (USDA Choice or better), ribeye roast (delmonico), and boneless rolled rump roast (USDA Choice or better). For best results:

Timetable for roasting beef1Cut of meatApproximateready-to-cookweightApproximateroasting timeat 325° F2Internal temperatureof meat when donePoundsHours°F°CBeefStanding ribs3Rare4 to 62¼ to 2½14060Medium4 to 62½ to 3⅓16070Well done4 to 62¾ to 417075Rare6 to 82½ to 314060Medium6 to 83 to 3½16070Well done6 to 83½ to 4¼17075Rolled ribRare5 to 72⅔ to 3¾14060Medium5 to 73¼ to 4½16070Well done5 to 74 to 5⅔17075Rolled rump(choice grade)4 to 62 to 2½150 to 17065 to 75Sirloin tip(choice grade)3½ to 42⅓140 to 17060 to 756 to 83½ to 4140 to 17060 to 751Source: Adapted from Home and Garden Bulletin No. 118, “Beef and Veal in Family Meals.”2Meat at refrigerator temperature at start of roasting.3Eight-inch cut. For 10-inch ribs allow about 30 minutes less time.

Variety meats include liver, brains, heart, kidneys, sweetbreads, and tongue. Variety meats are very perishable and should be frozen or cooked as soon as possible.

Beef liver is usually braised or fried. Calf liver is frequently broiled, pan broiled, or pan fried. The outer membrane (skin) may be removed from liver before cooking.

Brains are soft and very tender and have a delicate flavor. They may be broiled, fried, braised, or cooked in liquid.

Heart is flavorful but not very tender. Braising or cooking in liquid is recommended.

Beef kidneys should be cooked in liquid or braised. Before cooking, remove membrane and hard parts. Slice or cut kidney in pieces, if desired.

Sweetbreads are the two lobes of the thymus gland located in the neck and are a tender meat. Veal, calf, and young beef furnish nearly all of the sweetbreads. As the animal matures, the thymus gland disappears. Sweetbreads may be broiled, fried, braised, or cooked in liquid.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C. 20402Stock Number 001-000-03579-7Class #A 1.9:2261

☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1977 O-217-437

Transcriber’s Notes.Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.The original was printed in two column text with illustrations sometimes spanning both columns. In order to reduce ambiguity, the illustrations have been moved adjacent to the paragraph that refers to them.The cover/title page image has been retouched to remove flaws.The table of contents entry “Cutting the carcass” has been replaced with “Cutting” to match the actual text heading.Footnotes have been renumbered.Figures 65 and 66 were mislabeled. They have been swapped.Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/CAT78693456

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