[Sca-cooks] Pork Cuts--and beef too

[Phlip]

Johnna skrev:

> Aidells and Kelly have charts in The Complete Meat Cookbook.
> You have to look for the charts as they scattered throughout the text
> and are arranged more by cut of meat, ie., steaks, roasts, etc. Also see
> Schlesinger and Willoughby How to Cook Meat for charts. Your butcher
> should have charts and show you how he will package and wrap the cuts
> for you too.
> Also take a browse through the website: http://www.askthemeatman.com/
> for ideas and tips.

Johnna, why do half the postings I save in my reference file have your name
on them? Jeeze ;-)

You know, a lot of times you folks really complicate things for yourselves.
Many older cookbooks have the cute little diagrams in them, and you can
usually pick them up for a couple of dollars at a flea market. This weekend,
for $5, I acquired:

Pattee's Dietetics (1935) including recipes and special dietary suggestions,
all of which involved cooking with "Real Food" (tm)

The James Beard Cookbook (1959, 10th edition, printed in 1973) Which also
has quite a bit on cooking with "Real Food" (tm)

Joyce Chen Cookbook (1962) Basicly on Chinese cuisine.

While there, I did not pick up an assortment of other books, several of
which I might have collected, had I thought about it, which has the diagrams
you're looking for. But, the information isn't that hard to find.

When I taught the butchering class at Pennsic, I did the fair thing, and
contacted the offices of my local big chain supermarket (In this case
Krogers) told them what I wanted, and why, and a very nice young man in the
office sent me out copies of very detailed diagrams relating to what cuts
come from where, and how to make them, in three species- beef, pork, and
lamb.

I also contacted my local Extension agent (Cooperative Extension in Ohio-
helps towards better farming practices, and is involved with 4H and FFA, as
well as local adults- you'll have equivalents in your state, and likely in
most non-US countries) and they were just thrilled at the information
request- they were ready to loan me their big flip charts through the two
weeks of Pennsic.

It's not hard to get the information, folks. I'm willing to bet that you
could find a local butcher happy to run a class for you on basic meat
cutting, if that's what you wanted. Most of these guys are highly skilled,
and thrilled to teach or demonstrate their craft.

But, you're not going to learn it until you decide that's what you want to
learn, get a carcass, and do it. Is it time for me to do another butchering
class at Pennsic? Muiredach, you want in?

Phlip