1. In its broadest sense, MEAT may be considered as "any clean, sound,
dressed or properly prepared edible part of animals that are in good
health at the time of slaughter." However, the flesh of carnivorous
animals--that is, animals that eat the flesh of other animals--is so
seldom eaten by man, that the term meat is usually restricted to the
flesh of all animals except these. But even this meaning of meat is too
broad; indeed, as the term is generally used it refers particularly to
the flesh of the so-called domestic animals, and does not include
poultry, game, fish, and the like. It is in this limited sense that meat
is considered in these Sections, and the kinds to which attention is
given are beef, veal, lamb, mutton, and pork. Meat, including these
varieties, forms one of the principal sources of the family's food
supply. As such, it is valuable chiefly as a food; but, in the form of
broths and extracts made from it, meat stimulates the appetite and
actually assists the flow of gastric juice. Therefore, so that the
outlay for meat will not be greater than it should be and this food will
provide the greatest amount of nourishment, every housewife should be
thoroughly familiar with the place it occupies in the dietary.
2. In the first place, it should be remembered that the food eaten by
human beings comes from two sources--animal and vegetable. The foods of
animal origin, which include milk, eggs, and meat, have a certain
similarity that causes them to be classed together and this is the fact
that they are high-protein foods. Milk is the first protein food fed to
the young, but a little later it is partly replaced by eggs, and,
finally, or in adult life, meat largely takes the place of both. For
this reason, meat has considerable importance in the dietary. In
reality, from this food is obtained the greatest amount of protein that
the average person eats. However, it will be well to note that milk and
eggs, as well as cheese and even cereals and vegetables, can be made to
take the place of meat when the use of less of this food is deemed
advisable.
3. As the work of protein foods is to build and repair tissue, it is on
them that the human race largely depends. Of course, protein also yields
energy; but the amount is so small that if one variety of protein food,
such as meat, were eaten simply to supply energy to the body, huge
quantities of it would be needed to do the same work that a small amount
of less expensive food would accomplish. Some persons have an idea that
meat produces the necessary strength and energy of those who perform
hard work. This is entirely erroneous, because fats and carbohydrates
are the food substances that produce the energy required to do work.
Some kind of protein is, of course, absolutely necessary to the health
of every normal person, but a fact that cannot be emphasized too
strongly is that an oversupply of it does more harm than good.
Scientists have been trying for a long time to determine just how much
of these tissue-building foods is necessary for individuals, but they
have found this a difficult matter. Nevertheless, it is generally
conceded that most persons are likely to use too much rather than too
little of them. It is essential then, not only from the standpoint of
economy, but from the far more important principle of health, that the
modern housewife should know the nutritive value of meats.
4. In her efforts to familiarize herself with these matters, the
housewife should ever remember that meat is the most expensive of the
daily foods of a family. Hence, to get the greatest value for the money
expended, meat must be bought judiciously, cared for properly, and
prepared carefully. Too many housewives trust the not over-scrupulous
butcher to give them the kind of meat they should have, and very often
they do not have a clear idea as to whether it is the best piece that
can be purchased for the desired purpose and for the price that is
asked. Every housewife ought to be so familiar with the various cuts of
meat that she need not depend on any one except herself in the purchase
of this food. She will find that both the buying and the preparation of
meats will be a simple matter for her if she learns these three
important things: (1) From what part of the animal the particular piece
she desires is cut and how to ask for that piece; (2) how to judge a
good piece of meat by its appearance; and (3) what to do with it from
the moment it is purchased until the last bit of it is used.
5. Of these three things, the cooking of meat is the one that demands
the most attention, because it has a decided effect on the quality and
digestibility of this food. Proper cooking is just as essential in the
case of meat as for any other food, for a tender, digestible piece of
meat may be made tough and indigestible by improper preparation, while a
tough piece may be made tender and very appetizing by careful,
intelligent preparation. The cheaper cuts of meat, which are often
scorned as being too tough for use, may be converted into delicious
dishes by the skilful cook who understands how to apply the various
methods of cookery and knows what their effect will be on the
meat tissues.
6. Unfortunately, thorough cooking affects the digestibility of meat
unfavorably; but it is doubtless a wise procedure in some cases because,
as is definitely known, some of the parasites that attack man find their
way into the system through the meat that is eaten. These are carried to
meat from external sources, such as dust, flies, and the soiled hands of
persons handling it, and they multiply and thrive. It is known, too,
that some of the germs that cause disease in the animal remain in its
flesh and are thus transmitted to human beings that eat such meat. If
there is any question as to its good condition, meat must be thoroughly
cooked, because long cooking completely eliminates the danger from
such sources.