Lucy M. Alexander & Fanny Walker Yeatman, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Home Economics, Foods and Nutrition Division

“ The leaner grades of meat are less expensive than the well-fatted ones. United States grade marks are a great help in selecting meat. In general, U. S. Commercial grade is medium fat beef, and the U. S. Utility grade is thin beef. Not all beef is marked with a Federal grade stamp, but when consumers demand it, most retailers will arrange to provide graded meat. Lamb and veal as well as beef are graded by the Government when the meat packer or distributor asks for the service and pays for it. At present the Government is grading pork on contract orders only. ”

“ To cut down fuel costs, select meat that can be cooked on top of the stove, that is, unless you are using a coal or wood stove for heating the kitchen, or for some other purpose, and your oven is hot anyway.
Ready-to-eat meats and canned meat have an important place on the carefully planned shopping list. Canned meat is already cooked and, like left-over meat, can be quickly turned into many a good dish. ”

“ Liver has a delicate flavor if properly handled. Scald or pour boiling water over lamb and hog liver before cooking, and drain. Beef and calf liver do not require scalding. Do not overcook liver; use moderate heat and cook only long enough to change the color.
Fried with bacon.–Lay strips of bacon in a cold or moderately hot frying pan, and cook slowly, turning frequently. As soon as the bacon is done, drain on paper to take up the fat, and keep hot. Sprinkle slices of liver with salt, pepper, and flour and cook in the bacon fat at moderate heat until the liver is lightly browned. ”

“ In plump young lamb and pork all cuts are tender. With veal, rib and loin are generally more tender than the rest of the carcass. The cheaper cuts of lamb, pork, and veal—that is, shoulder, breast, and shank meat—make good chops, roasts, pot roasts, and stews.
Learn the cuts of meat so you can name them when you see them. The best teacher is the reliable meat dealer. Arrange to do your marketing at the time of day when he can help you. ”

“ Boil the mixture for about 10 minutes and take out the spices. Serve the sauce hot with ham.
QUICK DISHES WITH LEFT-OVERS AND CANNED MEAT Every good cook knows the value of left-over meat. Many a one has made quite a reputation for her smart ways of turning left-overs to good account. And in her home, the family looks forward with pleasure to the savory hash or scallop or some other excellent dish that follows yesterday's roast or steak or stew. Often times the second or third "edition" is enjoyed even more than the first. ”

“ Some stews are made of all meat, some are part meat and part vegetables. For 5 to 6 generous servings, 2 pounds of lean raw meat without bone makes a good all-meat stew. Browning the meat gives it richer flavor. For meat and vegetable stew, combine meat and vegetables in any desired proportion. Vegetables are at their best when cooked quickly, so do not add them until the meat is almost if not altogether tender. ”

“ Add melted fat for richness—about 1 tablespoon for a cup of crumbs. Then use any seasonings desired—savory or thyme, or onion, celery, parsley. Dried fruits, sausage, diced salt pork fried crisp, or tart candied apples may also be added to stuffings. If desired, rice, potato, or some other starchy base may be used instead of the breadcrumbs.
Stuffing swells as it absorbs meat juice so pile it in lightly, don't pack. If the roast is to be cooked prompdy, put the stuffing in hot. ”

“ Regardless of seasonings which you may or may not be able to get, combine meat with other foods, as in croquettes, or hash, or meat pie. Skill in combining foods plus knowledge of food values is the key to interesting, appetizing, balanced meals. Meat is a very flavorful food. Make it go as far as possible in toning up bland foods.
Be Thrifty With Left-overs
Save all left-over meat, gravy, or drippings. Make broth of the bones. Keep left-over cooked meat cold, and serve as sliced meat or in salad. ”

“ If you have a cold place for left-overs, you save time and fuel by cooking a larger piece of meat than is needed for one meal. Cooked meat is excellent sliced cold, and every tidbit can go into tasty dishes, hot or cold. ”

“ Meat Turn-Overs Season chopped cooked meat with onion and celery or parsley, moisten slightly with gravy, broth, tomatoes, or chili sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make a rich dough, following the biscuit recipe above, but using twice as much fat. Roll out portions of the dough in rounds about 6 inches in diameter. On each round place some of the meat filling, fold the dough over and pinch the edges together to make turn-overs. ”

“ This bulletin gives suggestions for selecting and cooking the cheaper cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal.
MEAT TO FIT THE BUDGET Meat is one of the more expensive foods to produce, so guard against waste at every step from butcher's block to serving platter. And to make your own meat dollars go further, learn to be a thrifty meat shopper. ”

“ In addition to salt and pepper, try tomatoes or chopped parsley, or chopped celery and leaves, or chopped onion, or grated horseradish, or any favorite seasoning herbs. Some cooks like to add a bouillon cube for an extra touch of flavor and color. Browning the flour is another way of improving flavor and color of gravy. Also, the barbecue sauce described below adds zest to gravy. Always serve gravy piping hot.
Savory Brown Gravy To make gravy in a roasting pan, start by pouring the drippings out into a bowl or cup. Skim off the fat that rises to the top of the meat juice and set it aside. ”

“ As soon as fresh meat, ground or in the piece, arrives in the kitchen, take off the wrapping paper and store the meat loosely covered in a cold place. If you do not have a refrigerator or some other place just as cold, cook the meat promptly. Ground meat is very perishable. ”

“ Make gravy from the pan drippings.
Roast Shoulder of Lamb With Mint Stuffing Select a 3- to 4-pound shoulder of lamb, plump and well-fatted. Remove the fell or thin papery covering; take out all the bones and save them for broth. According to the way the shoulder blade is taken out, the shoulder may be stuffed and rolled, or stuffed to make a cushion. The cushion-style shoulder holds more stuffing and is easier to sew together than the roll. Either of these completely boned stuffed shoulders can be carved straight through in attractive slices of part meat and part stuffing. ”

“ All measures given are level. only simple equipment is called for, and top-of-stove cooking is given the preference because of economy in fuel. No distinction is made in the method of cooking fresh meat that has been chilled and thawed, frozen meat—both are cooked slowly with moderate heat.
TENDER ROASTS PORK shoulder and spareribs, lamb shoulder and breast all make excellent roasts in the moderate price range. If you bone the shoulder, the roast will be as easy to carve as a loaf of bread. ”

“ Remove the croquettes and drain on paper to take up the fat.
Or bake croquettes instead of frying, if preferred. Make a stiffer texture by adding about 1⁄2 cup soft bread crumbs or mashed potatoes to the above ingredients. Mold the croquettes into flat cakes, coat with crumbs and egg as described. Bake in a greased pan in a hot oven (400° F.) until browned on the bottom; then turn the croquettes to brown them on the other side. ”