LIBRARY OF UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

N.O.IM CIRCULATING

CHFCK FOR UNBOUND CIRCULAT! iPY

UNIVERSITY OF 11 JNOIS

Agricultural Experiment Station

RELAJ IVF ECONOMY OF I I IF, VARIOUS CUTS OF PORK

FK,. 1. — \YIHH.KS.\I.K Cns OK I'DUK

(;i) feet; (1)) h;iin; (c) lielly. partly under spareril >.- and leaf hit ; (d) >]>;ii'r- rili>; (c) loin; (f) I'; it hack, on outsidi^ of loin; (£) clear plate, on outside of lio>ton: (li) lioston; (i) |iicnic; (j) leaf fat; (k) neck hones, over picnic and t>o.-ton; (|) head.

RKLATIYK FCONOMV OF I I IF YARIOUS CUTS OF PORK

Much is heard about tin- high price of meat-. \Yhile it i> true that certain cuts arc c\pcii-ivc and uneconomical, it is equally true that -nine cuts are cheap. Fiirthermnre a cut that sells for a relatively low price may he uneconomical because of the lo\v proportion ol edible meat present, while a cut that apparently is quite expensive may he economical because it includes a large proportion ol edible meat .

Pork cuts from the same carcass may sell from 10 to 50 cents or more a pound. Both producers and consumers naturally question why there is so much difference in the prices of the different cuts and whether the differences are justified. Is it that the higher priced cuts are more palatable than the cheaper cuts? 1 )o the expensive cuts have a higher nutritive value? Are the cheaper cuts really more economical than the more expensive cuts when the amount ot lean 01- total amount oi' lean and fat is taken into consideration?

Consumer Preference a Large Factor in Prices

The first question that as to palatabilit y is diflicult to answer in any very definite way since individual taste- diller MI greatly. Many people regard beef tenderloin as the acme ol perfection iroin the standpoint of quality, while others preler a chuck steak, 1 he question may therefore be answered only in a very general way, for there will be as many exceptions to any statement as there are individual variations in taste. < lenerally speaking it may be said that the higher priced cuts are more tender and. to most people, more palatable than the lower priced cuts. This is especially true ol meat from low-urade carcasses. Furthermore, the method- usually em- ployed in the home for cooking the more expensive cuts are simpler and easier than those used for the cheaper cuts, tho it miii'lit be mentioned that at least a- much skill is required to cook properly the high-priced, tender cuts as to cook the low-priced cuts.

The fact that the buying public u'enerally recognizes the superi- ority of certain cuts make- them hiu.li priced. In communities where this is not the case, there is far less difference in the price- of the various cut-. In many small-town meat markets, tor instance, porter- house -teak sell- for the same price per pound as round steak simply because the local consumers have no particular preterence lor porter- house.

:•;:;•» BTI.I.KTIN No. :>:>() [.////« .

Carcasses on Which Study Was Based

In connection with recent -wine-type experiments reported in Bul- letins 321. 322. and 323 of this Station data were accumulated that at least partially answer questions as To the relative economy of the different cut> of pork.1

Twelve hogs were slaughtered at live weights of approximately 175 pounds. 101 hogs when weighing approximately 225 pounds, and 13 at approximately 275 pounds. Since most of the pork that goes into the better class of domestic trade comes from hogs within these weight limits, the carcasses may be considered as comparable to those that supply a large amount of the better class of domestic trade.

The Various Cuts and Their Physical Composition

Each eurca.-s in the study referred to above was divided into the wholesale cuts shown in Fig. 1. and the proportion which each whole- -ale cut constituted of the total carcass ascertained. Kach cut wa> then separated as accurately as possible with the knife into lean, fat. skin, and bone, and each constituent weighed. Figures showing the results of This part of The study are given in 'fables 1 and 2.

Practically all the carcasses were good to choice butcher car- casses. Since There were no material differences in the physical com- position of the CUTS from The various weights — that is. The amount of lean. fat. skin, and bone in them — and since the 225-pound hot: represents the average requirement of the market. The graphs and discussion in This bulletin are based on the figures for that group.

Before directing attention To the different CUTS. it. may be well to explain that a certain amount of fat in meat is necessary in order to insure its palatability and quality. Nevertheless, many consumer- object to even a small amount. In bacon and sausage, however, prac- tically all the fat except what is melted out in cooking, is eaten. In some CUT- i ham and picnic for example i a small or large part of the fat may be trimmed off and not eaten. Skin is inedible and hence undesirable. Fortunately none of tin.- cuts have much >kin. Bone i- objected TO by practically all purchasers, since it is practically use- less to them.

Ham. The ham is usually cured, smoked, and sold for roa-tim:. frying, or broiling, altho it is sometimes sold fresh for roasting or frying. It contain- about (13 percent of lean. 24 percent fat. 10 per-

'Thcsc questions with respect to beef nn> an considered in Bulletin l.">v ni tin- Station. "Relative Kcoiioniy. Composition, and Nutritive Value of the Various Cut- of B. , f." by !.. 1). Hail and A. I). Kmmett. 11»1_>. S ••<• also Rest-arch Bulletin V! of tin MI-MMIM Station. "The I'hy.-iral Composition of a Loan, •i Half Fat, and a Fat Be i f Carcass, and tin Pkilativt- Co-t of the Nutrient.- Contained in Kach." bv A. T. F.dinir' r. l!»-'.">.

1 1 •-'

1 1.0

17.it

S. li

I.:, i:; i

338

Bru.KTix No. 330

\J i

cent bone, and 3 percent skin. It is one of the most popular and con- sequently one of the most expensive cuts. Unfortunately only 19 per- cent of the pork carcass is ham. (Fig. 2 I

Loin. The loin is usually sold fresh. It furnishes the most desir- able chops and roasts of the carcass and consequently sells for a high price. It contains (>7 percent lean, ranking next to the boston in this respect. It has no skin, but about 18 percent bone, which is high

considering the market value of the cut. The rest of the cut is made up of fat — 15 percent. The loin constitutes only 14 percent of the car- cass, i Fig. 3 i

Belly. The belly is nearly always made into bacon by being cured and smoked. Bacon is often the most ex- pensive cut but makes up only 12 percent of the carcass or even less when trimmed for fancy bacon. The belly contains more fat than any other cut ordinarily eaten in this country — al- most 50 percent. It has nearly (i percent skin. Inn no bone. I Fig. 4 i

Boston. The boston, which is sold both fresh and cured, may be fried or roasted, and is especially <roo<l for slicing cold. It is one of the cheap cuts and makes up (> percent of the carcass. It is considerably

higher in lean than any of the other cuts, containing 84 percent. It contain- only 11 percent of fat. yet many housewives refuse to buy it saying that it i- too fat. It has no skin but about 5 percent bone, i Fiu\ 5 i

Picnic. The picnic is sold both fresh and cured for frying or boil- ing or roasting. When cured, it is sometimes sold as an imitation ham or "Cala" i an abbreviation for "California ham."i which is much lower in quality than a ham. It is low in price and makes up 8 to 9 percent of the carcass. The picnic contains about (>1 percent of lean, about the same as ham. 4 percent skin, and 14 percent bone. I Fig. 61

Fir;. 2.— HAM

Ham is inucli in demand. Unfortunately only 1!) percent of the \veiirht of a hosi carcass i> ham. and it therefore commands hilih price. Hams are usually Hired.

r\

n;. :>. — (a) LOIN. (1>) RIB ( HOI>. (<•) LOIN ( HOI

loin i.- usually sold Ircsl) ,-i> chops oi1 roa.-is. Both rih ami loin

ops conic imiii tins cut ; sonic people prctcr rih chops, others loin. Loin

in di tlic most cxjicnsivi1 cuts, It inakrs up nnl

Spareribs and Neck Bones. These usually arc sold fresh for l>oil- iim or l>;ikinir. S/;a/v /v7;x arc more popular than neck hours and cos! more: they m;ike up a little more than '2 percent of the carcass. They rank next to neck hones in the amount oi' hone. 41 percent; they have

rc u.-uallv cured and .-nld as haco

no skin. .\<clc boncx make up a little over 1 percent of the carcass; they are quite cheap. They contain practically no fat. about ;i(5 percent lean, no -km. and about 04 percent bone, be- ing the highest of any cut in the amount of bone, i Fiu>. 7 and 8 i

Fat Back and Clear Plate.

These two cuts are cured in dry salt, unsmoked. and <io into the cheap trade, principally Kuro- pean. or they are made into lard. They make up 9 and I] percent respectively of the car- cass. They are largely fat. 90 percent, the highest of any of the cuts. They are also hiii'he-t

in proportion of skin. 10 percent. They contain no bone. i Fiu>. 9

and IGi

Leaf Fat i- used for the highest ui'ade of lard. Heads are trimmed

out and the cheeks cured as a cheat) bacon known as jowl bacon or

bacon squares. Trimmings

are used for >ausage and lard.

Sausage contains about To

percent lean and 25 percent fat.

Calculating the Economy of the Various Pork Cuts

From the foregoing para- graphs it is seen that certain cut- are better sources of lean or fat t han are other cuts. The price- of the different cuts. however, vary with the de- mand ot the consumers rather than with t he amount of lean, or fat . or total edible meat in them. The picnic and ham. lor example, contain practi- cally the same amount- of lean and total edible meat; F"' 6.— Pirxi<

nevertheless the ham usually . T1'"..lli'''m; * -""";"""'; -)M •'* "(';' ., . . lortiia ("( ala > or picnic ham. In real it v

r('t;lll~ lur ;ll)("" Uvl('(' ;l- it is thr lower part of the shoul.lcr It

much per pouml as the picnic. sells at a low price, both fresh and rnreii.

342

BI.-I.I.KTIX Xo. 330

FK;. !).— FAT BACK

The fat back is a very cheap cut. It is almost clear fat. It is cured in dry salt and exported to the cheap European trade or rendered to make lard.'

/**

Fill. 10.— Cl.KAK Pl.ATK

i' ['late.- are ciii'ed in dry salt ami <io into the ch trade or are rendered into lard. Most of the pork d beans" is clear plate. It is almost clear fat.

7 .''.': -I RKI.ATINK KCONO.MY OK THK Y\iam s CITS oi I'OKK :iT.>

lations in order to arrive at a common basis. By properly constructed chart- it i- possible to short-cut the-e calculation- so that the matter of making comparisons becomes extremely simple and direct and a matter of mechanics rather than mathematics. In Fies. 12 and 13 \ve have such charts.1 By u-iim' the-e chart- the cost ot edible meat or of lean meat in any niven cut at any prevailing market price or any prices likely to prevail, may be quickly and easily ascertained.

10 ZO 50 40 bO fcO "70 80 90

Fl'.. 11. — 1'KOI'OKTIONS (IK I.KAN. F\T. SklN, AM) BnNK IN THK

V \iaors ( YTS OK POKK

Tin- urniph i- l>a-ed upon the ii-rurc.- for tlic 22")-]inuiul Imus shown in tin mi. Ml.' column of TaMi '2. Thr prii'cs of difiVivni ].ork cuts arc di- Icniiincil liy the demand of the consumer rather than by their content of han and of i-dililc meat. Thus ham and loin usually sell for nearly twice as much as Imston. picnic, and sall-aue in spite of the tact that the last three named cuts contain us much or more lean and total ediMe meat than the lirst two.

\Yhile theoretically the term "edible meat" means the entire edible part, of each cut. that i-. the total amount of lean and tat. in many case> the consumer eat- only the lean or the lean and a part ol the fat. Part of the fat also melt- out in cooking, tho the housewife may recover a lame part of such lo.--e- in the form of drippings that are

34 i

Bru.K.Ti.N Xo. 330

N Bon«» _

I''n;. 12. — Fn;ri;i\(, THK COST IT.K POIMI OK THK. I.K\\ MK.AT IN THK \". \iuors POUR CITS

I o a.-certam the cost per pound <>I lean meat in any ol the pork cuts listed, place a straight cd<rc arms-; the face of the cliaft. Connect the pom' on the left-hand perpendicular scale representing the particular cut with the point on the proper diagonal scale representing the price per pound. The point where the straight ediie crosses the riirht -hand perpendicular scale will then indicate the cost per pound of the lean meat. For those cuts thvil are valued for their fat as well as for their lean, as is lucon (Kelly), this chart siiii'iresls little of value; Fin'. 13 has more practical appli- cation in such cases.

Boncs_

Loin Picnic

_ Cl PUT*

|*l ly Bo»fon ~

Sausage -

EDIBLE HEAT

i- u.-i il in tin Mime way MS i- I-'ii:. 12. It nivrs tin priri uf eat tli tin inn/ jut) instead uf inrn-lv lean, :nnl i.- liascd «\\ i tli.-it nil tin !• mi .-UK! I'M! \\ill In i Mti n. A~ M iiiMtti r nl fact.

il 1- II-U;i]]\' trmillliil [iff. Siillli IllfltS 111 riinklllli alltl 1~ Ildl

Minn \\ill In ili-c:iri|i cl liy iiiii^i c<in>iiiiicr>. 'l'ln- trui \alur

iii mo.-! fiUlslllIUTS lii-S tlii-n I'uri ln-t\vccll tin Vallli > >1I1I-

' HVn charts.

;?46 BULLETIN No. 3o() \Ju>if,

used for gravy or arc later used in cooking. Thus it becomes im- possible to give exact figures as to the amount of edible meat that each consumer will use from each cut. For the1 purposes of this study the costs of the various cuts are therefore calculated on two different bases: (1) on the lean, assuming that the consumer eats only this part; and |2) on the lean and fat, assuming that the consumer eats all the lean and fat. As a matter of fact, the amount usually eaten is somewhere between the figures obtained by these two assumptions.

Relative Cost of Lean Meat in Various Cuts

Suppose, for example, that the various cuts of pork are selling at the following prices:

linn	S .40	Picnic . . .	s, .25
Loin . .	40	Sparcribs	. . . .20
Brllv	50	Nock bones	10
Boston. .	.30	Sausatrc. .	.25

Take a ruler, string, or any straight edge and place one end on the mark for neck bones, on the left side of the chart. Then swing the straight edge to the mark .10 (the market price I on the right- hand diagonal scale. With the edge so placed read the figure on the right side of the chart where the straight edge crosses the scale. This is the cost per pound of the lean meat in the neck bones — 28 cents.

The cost of the lean in the belly (bacon) is obtained in the same manner by using the same diagonal scale. For the other cuts the diagonal scale at the left is used instead of the one at the right; this is the only difference.1

Following out this procedure for each cut, we would find that at the prices stated above the lean of the various cuts would cost per pound as follows:

HMIM $ .64 Picnic S .40

Loin.. .60 Span-ribs.. .34

Thus neck bones, sausage, spareribs, boston, and picnic, at tin- prices stated, are much more economical as sources of lean than are ham and loin. Picnics, however, are not so economical as bostons. While the lean in the belly I bacon I costs much more than in any of the other cuts, it is to be remembered that the- bacon is usually purchased for the fat as well as the lean, and any comparison on the basis of the lean alone is rather meaningless.

RKI. VHVK KCONOMY or THK Vutmrs Cns OF I'UKK o!7

Relative Cost of Edible Meat in Various Cuts

To ascertain the cost per pound of the total edible meat (lean and fat i in any cut. Fi<i. 13 is employed in the same \vay as explained for Flu'. 12. With the same market prices as assumed above. \ve find the cost of a pound of edible meat in the various cuts of pork to be as follows:

.? .4(5 Picnic. . . . lit S|>:ii'iTi!>-

.:>:* NVck l.ui

Thus assuming that the consumer eats all the lean and fat in the cut. saiisauv. neck hones, boston, picnic, and spareribs are all much more economical than ham. loin, and bacon at the prices mven. Of course, different results miu;ht be obtained under different market condit ions.

It has been mentioned that most consumers do not eat all the fat in some cuts. In ease of sausage, neck bones, spareribs. boston.-, and bacon, practically all the edible portion of the cooked meat is eaten. It will be noted that all of these cuts, except bacon, are eco- nomical sources ot tood as compared with ham and loin. In fact, con- sidering the amount of fat wasted, ham in most cases is by far the most expensive of the pork cut-.

OF

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA