CHOOSE MEAT

Pioneer homemakers had little choice in the matter of their meat : they cooked what the hunter brought home. The modern homemaker on the other hand sees a vast array of meats spread out before her whenever she visits her favorite meat market. her skill as a cook starts with her ability to select not only the right cut of meat for the method of preparation she means to use, but to select meat of good quality of the meat for the quality of the meat it self determines to a large extent the quality of the cooked food. An experienced family meat buyer learns to recognize the characteristics of meat at a glance:; she is aided by knowledge of meat inspection and grading stamps.
Inspection Stamp - All meats processed by packers who ship their product across state lines must past Federal inspection. The round purple federal inspection stamp. guarantees that the meat is from healthy animals slaughtered under sanitary condition and that it is wholesome. Meats handled by packers who market locally must pass city and state inspections These inspection guarantee wholesomeness not quality.
Grade Stamp- quality grading is a separate operation and may be done according to government grade standards or according to packers own standard which are usually closely in line with government grades.  grade  and brand names are stamped on the meat with roller stamp which leaves its mark along the full length of the carcass. The purple ink used for both inspection and grade stamps is a harmless vegetable dye which need not be cut away before cooking.
What to look for in Beef - Beef of good to prime quality, whatever the cut, is thick fleshed and compact implying a plump, stocky animal : in lower grades the flesh is thinner indicating that the animal was rangy and angular   there is a good covering of fat, which become thinner and patchier in lower grades and a generous marbling or flecking of fat through the lean ( almost absent in the lowest grades ). color in all grades varies from light to dark red. Bones of young beef are red and porous as the animal matures they become harder and white.
What to look for in veal - Veal which always comes from a young animal ( calves three months to a year old ) is very different in appearance from beef. the lean is a light grayish pink in color, Has no marbling and very little covering fat. That bones are red and porous in the youngest veal the ends may still be pliable. veal is fine grained and less firm than beef of comparable grade because the animal is young veal is likely to be tender.
What To Look for in Lambs - Ninety three percent of all sheep in this country are marketed as lambs any yearling only seven percent as mutton ( lambs more than one year old ) the bones, fat and color of lean are all indications of the age of lamb. Young lamb has red bones, which become white as the animals matures. the lean is light to dark pink in lambs, darkening to light red in yearling and light to dark red in mutton. Lamb fat is rather soft and creamy or pinkish in color with maturity it become white and much harder even britle.
What to look for in Pork -  pork usually comes from animals under a year old and is almost always tender: the quality of American pork is quite uniform, with fewer grades than other meats. the color of young pork is grayish pink, which becomes pinker, well marbled ( flecked ) with fat and covered with a layer of firm white fat.
Pre Packaged Meats - In recent years it has become possible to buy meats on a self service basis in many supermarkets. The meats are cut, weighed, packaged and priced by the meat dealer and are placed in refrigerated open cases for selection by transparent material, she can see the exact number of pieces she is buying, judge the quality and quickly compare prices and values 



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