BEEF SLAUGHTERING, CUTTING, PRESERVING, AND COOKING ON THE FARM TEXT

older carcasses, whose blade bone cartilage would have become ossified and thus impede the knife cut. Counting the rib closest to the neck as number one, locate the sixth and seventh ribs. Insert the knife between these two ribs (fig. 74) at about the midpoint of their length and cut towards the brisket. From the outside (skin side) of the forequarter, (fig. 75) insert the knife through the previously made cut. Holding the blade perpendicular to the outer surface, cut toward the back line until you meet the bone. After reaching the backbone, continue forward in a flat, circular motion, cutting all the flesh. [Illustration: Hanging forequarter, foreleg facing down] Figure 73.—Forequarter. [Illustration: Hanging forequarter with slit between two ribs] Figure 74.—Knife cut between sixth and seventh ribs. [Illustration: Man pushing knife to extend slit to backbone] Figure 75.—Knife cut through the meat to the bone. Saw through the backbone keeping the saw blade parallel to the surface of the knife cut. The crosscut chuck will then drop down approximately a foot (fig. 76), so make certain you have plenty of clearance from the floor. The chuck portion of the forequarter of a 1,000-pound steer will weigh approximately 100 pounds. Call on your strongest helper to hold the chuck while you saw through the brisket edge (fig. 77), completing the separation of the two parts of the forequarter. [Illustration: Front portion of forequarter hang from rear portion] Figure 76.—Forequarter separated between sixth and seventh ribs. [Illustration: Man sawing through brisket while helper holds chuck] Figure 77.—Sawing through the brisket edge. The crosscut chuck is then placed on the cutting table, bone side up, and divided into two pieces. First make a saw cut through the ribs. This cut begins on the first rib about 1 inch (fig. 78, top) from the inner curve of the split surface of the backbone and parallel to the top line. After sawing through the ribs, with the knife blade held perpendicular to the table, make a knife cut between the sawed ends of the ribs through the meat to the shoulder blade (fig. 78, bottom). Saw through the shoulder blade, separating the crosscut chuck into a blade and arm section. The fourth, fifth, and sixth rib portions of the arm are removed by cutting between the third and fourth ribs and sawing through the brisket edge (fig. 79). These rib portions may be made into short ribs, cut for stew, or boned and made into ground beef. [Illustration: Sawing across ribs; finishing cut using a knife] Figure 78.—Separating the arm and blade sections. [Illustration: Sawing between two ribs] Figure 79.—Removing the fourth to sixth ribs from the arm section. The shoulder joint and first arm roast are then removed. The shoulder joint extends from the cut surface 2 to 3 inches toward the foreshank. Press over the rounded joint until you locate where it sharply declines and make a knife cut through that point over the bone and through the meat. Saw through the arm bone (fig. 80), cut through the flesh to the rib bones, and saw through them to remove the shoulder joint and first arm roast. The short ribs and most of the underlying fat are removed by cutting through the natural fat seam (fig. 81). [Illustration: Man sawing across section of armbone] Figure 80.—Sawing through armbone. [Illustration: Slicing off short ribs using a knife] Figure 81.—Removing the shortribs. The large round knuckle bone is separated from the first arm roast by cutting between the two bones (figs. 82 and 83). This bone, with its marrow exposed, is an excellent flavor enhancer for soups and stews. Either arm steaks or arm roasts may be made by parallel cuts across the arm section until you reach the foreshank (fig. 84). [Illustration: Slicing off armbone using a knife] Figure 82.—Removing the armbone. [Illustration: Finished armbone and short rib displayed] Figure 83.—Removing the armbone. [Illustration: Three arm roasts displayed] Figure 84.—Arm roasts from arm section. The foreshank is separated from the brisket by a knife cut approximately midway between these two parts (fig. 85). The brisket bones and underlying fat are removed from the brisket by cutting through the natural seam between the thick meaty part of the brisket and the bones (fig. 86). The fat over the outside of the brisket is about the thickest located anywhere on the forequarter, and some of this fat should be trimmed away. Remember to follow the rounded surface of the lean. The foreshank may be boned and the meat made into ground beef or stew. Cross-sectional cuts across the muscle and bone will greatly enhance soup and stews (fig. 87). [Illustration: Slicing off foreshank using a knife] Figure 85.—Separating the foreshank from the brisket. [Illustration: Slicing off part of brisket using a knife] Figure 86.—Removing the deckle. [Illustration: Finished foreshank and brisket displayed] Figure 87.—Foreshank crosscuts and brisket. Turning now to the blade section of the forequarter, remove the sixth rib by cutting between the fifth and sixth ribs and sawing through the backbone (fig. 88). This roast, or roasts from the fifth and fourth rib sections, can be used as is (fig. 89) or separated into several usable pieces. The outside muscles may be removed by cutting along the fat seam through the middle of the roast (fig. 90). These muscles are less tender and should be cooked with moist heat like a pot roast or made into stew meat or ground beef. [Illustration: Slicing between ribs using a knife] Figure 88.—Removing blade roast between ribs. [Illustration: Sawing through backbone] Figure 89.—Blade roast. [Illustration: Slicing outer muscles from blade roast using a knife] Figure 90.—Removing the outside muscles. The chuckeye portion may be removed (fig. 91) by cutting along the curvature of the rib to the backbone and along its surface to separate the chuckeye from the bone. The heavy yellow ligament located at the edge of the chuckeye is removed. The chuckeye portion is usually tender and excellent for charcoal broiling. The rib bone and attached meat are excellent in soup or stew (fig. 92). Blade steaks or blade roasts can be made in a similar manner by cross-sectional cuts of the blade section to the first rib area (fig. 93). [Illustration: Slicing away chuckeye portion using a knife] Figure 91.—Removing chuckeye portion. [Illustration: Outside muscles, ribeye, and trim displayed] Figure 92.—Outside muscles, ribeye, and trim. [Illustration: Six blade roasts and one ribeye displayed] Figure 93.—Blade roasts from blade section. The neck bones are removed by cutting along each edge of the vertebra, and then undercutting, lifting, and removing the neck bones with attached meat (fig. 94). The neck bones can be divided into several sections for stew or soup stock. The portions of the blade and knuckle bones and surrounding heavy connective tissue are removed. The boneless neck makes excellent ground beef or stew meat. [Illustration: Slicing out neck bones using a knife] Figure 94.—Removing neck bone. The rib is separated from the short plate by a saw cut across the ribs (fig. 95) approximately 2 to 3 inches from the edge of the ribeye. Rib steaks and roasts (figs. 96 and 97) are made by cutting between the ribs and sawing through the backbone. The protruding edge of the backbone may be removed by sawing through the spinal cord groove. [Illustration: Sawing across ribs and then slicing with knife] Figure 95.—Separating the rib and short plate. [Illustration: Slicing between ribs using a knife] Figure 96.—Removing rib steak from rib. [Illustration: Four pieces of rib displayed] Figure 97.—Rib steaks and roasts. If you prefer, you may make boneless rib steaks and boneless rib roasts by following the same procedure used for the fourth, fifth, and sixth rib portion of the chuck, cutting along the curvature of the ribs to the backbone and along its surface, separating the meat from the bones. The boneless rib may be made into one or more roasts and/or steaks. Also, the outside muscles may be removed and the ribeye made into one or more roasts, or it may be sliced into excellent broiling steaks. Short ribs are made by sawing across the rib ends of the plate at approximately 2-inch intervals (fig. 98) until you reach the white cartilages attached to the ends of the ribs. The 10th, 11th, and 12th rib sections of the short ribs often have a high ratio of fat to lean. Remove these, trim most of the fat away, and use them in soup or stew. [Illustration: Sawing across ribs two inches from ends] Figure 98.—Sawing shortribs from shortplate. Hindquarter The flank is the first part removed from the hindquarter (figs. 99 and 100). This is accomplished by making a cut beneath the cod or udder fat near the center of the round and following the surface of the round to the outer edge, loosening the upper edge of the flank. Holding the knife perpendicular to the outer surface cut towards the backbone at approximately a 45° angle until the hipbone is reached. Then, hold the knife parallel to the split surface of the backbone and cut straight down to the 13th rib. Saw through the rib to complete removal of the flank. [Illustration: Hindquarter hanging by hook from rear leg] Figure 99.—Hindquarter. [Illustration: Man slicing away flank from hanging hindquarter using a large knife] Figure 100.—Removing the flank. Lay the flank on the cutting table with the cod or udder fat up and peel the outer lean muscle back by cutting under the edge next to the cod or udder fat. Then lift and trim close to the lean approximately one-half the length of the flank (fig. 101). Turn the flank over and remove the flank steak. This cut is the hand-shaped muscle at the cod or udder fat end of the flank. First, loosen the edges of the tough membrane overlying the muscle. Lift it up and pull it back to clear the surface of the steak and then cut it off along the edge of the visible lean (fig. 102). Loosen the flank steak muscle at the cod or udder fat end and lift it free from the underlying membrane (fig. 103). Pull it back as far as possible, loosening the edges with the knife. Cut around the lower edge to free the flank steak. [Illustration: Man lifting and slicing away lean muscle using a knife] Figure 101.—Removing outside lean muscle from flank. [Illustration: Man lifting and slicing away membrane using a knife] Figure 102.—Lifting membrane from flank steak. [Illustration: Man lifting and slicing away steak using a knife] Figure 103.—Removing flank steak. The cod or udder fat and heavy connective tissue are removed from the rest of the lean by cutting through the flank along the edge of the visible lean (fig. 104). The portion of the 13th rib is also removed (fig. 105) from the flank. The boneless flank meat can be used for stew meat or ground beef. [Illustration: Man slicing through fat using a knife] Figure 104.—Removing the cod or udder fat. [Illustration: Man slicing along rib using a knife] Figure 105.—Removing the 13th rib. The sirloin tip is removed by starting a cut beneath the knee cap. The knee cap (fig. 106) is located approximately 6 to 8 inches below where the lean meat of the shank disappears into the knee joint. Hold a large steak knife parallel to the floor and make several cuts into the fat until you can penetrate the lean. Cut through the lean 2 to 3 inches until you reach the round bone. Turn the knife downward and cut close to the round bone until you reach the hip joint. Turn the knife outward and cut down and out at an approximate 45° angle to remove the sirloin tip (fig. 107). [Illustration: Man slicing into hanging beef side using a knife] Figure 106.—Cutting below kneecap. [Illustration: Man removing large hunk of meat from beef side using a large knife] Figure 107.—Removing sirloin tip or knuckle. The sirloin tip makes an excellent oven roast (cooked by dry heat), particularly if it is from well-marbled young cattle (fig. 108). The sirloin tip may be divided into two approximately equal roasts by cutting lengthwise (fig. 109). Cross-sectional cuts make good steaks for grilling (fig. 110). [Illustration: Sirloin tip displayed] Figure 108.—Sirloin tip. [Illustration: Man slicing sirloin tip into halves using a knife] Figure 109.—Separating sirloin tip into roasts. [Illustration: Sirloin tip halves and one sirloin steak displayed] Figure 110.—Sirloin tip—steaks or roasts. The trimmed hindquarters should be laid on the table with the split surface of the backbone down. Starting at the smaller end of the hindquarter, the club, T-bone, porterhouse, and sirloin steaks are removed by cross-sectional cuts with knife and saw (fig. 111). The last sirloin steak is determined by the cut that passes through the hip joint (fig. 112). [Illustration: Man slicing and then sawing through loin using a knife] Figure 111.—Removing club steak from loin. [Illustration: Steaks displayed] 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 held _parallel_ to 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). [Illustration: Hindleg displayed on table] Figure 113.—Beef round (sirloin tip removed). [Illustration: Man slicing and then sawing across hindleg] Figure 114.—Removing the rump. [Illustration: Man trimming with knife] Figure 115.—Removing the tail bone. [Illustration: Man slicing and then sawing through rump] Figure 116.—Removing the hip joint. [Illustration: Sawing rump in half] 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). [Illustration: Slicing and then sawing off heel and shank] Figure 118.—Separating heel and shank from round. [Illustration: Round bone displayed removed from round] Figure 119.—Removing round bone. [Illustration: Slicing top and bottom round apart using a knife] Figure 120.—Separating top and bottom round. [Illustration: Steaks and roasts displayed] Figure 121.—Top round steak and roasts. [Illustration: Steaks and roasts displayed] 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. 123 and 124). [Illustration: Slicing heel of round off using a knife] Figure 123.—Removing heel of round roast. [Illustration: Heel of round and hindshank displayed] 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). [Illustration] 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. Wrapping Immediately after chilling and cutting, meat _must_ be properly wrapped, quickly frozen, and stored at 0°F or lower until needed. Proper wrapping is essential to maintain meat quality. Therefore, one should: • Use moisture-vapor proof wrap such as heavily waxed freezer paper or specially laminated paper. • Wrap meat closely eliminating as much air as possible. Improper wrapping will allow air to enter and cause “freezer burn” and rancidity. • Use a proper wrapping procedure (fig. 126). • Label packages as to content and date. [Illustration: Five step drawing on proper wrapping folds] Figure 126.—Wrapping procedure. FREEZING AND FROZEN STORAGE 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: • Clean and defrost freezer. • Freeze meat at -10°F or below. • Freeze only the amount of meat that will freeze in 24 hours. • Allow ample air circulation by not over-packing the freezer. Approximately 2 to 3 pounds of meat may be packed per cubic foot of freezer space. FURTHER PROCESSING Curing 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 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 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