Beef Miscellaneous.
—The rising value of all flesh foods makes it imperative to carefully conserve all kinds of products and this chapter is devoted to a description of the care and handling of these products.
Livers.
—There is no edible part of the animal which becomes stale as quickly as the liver. The large proportion of water in its makeup together with the presence of blood and the residual matter from its function in the body all contribute to this rapid decay, and only by the most careful attention will they keep a very great length of time unless they are frozen. The vital point in handling livers successfully is to promptly send them to a proper cooler.
As soon as they are taken from the animal they should be trimmed, care being taken that in cutting the gall bag from the liver they are not contaminated with gall, the trimming consisting of cutting around the lower lobe so as to permit the blood contained therein to drip out.
The cooler in which they are stored should be of the same character as a beef cooler with an overhead loft and a positive and good circulation. The livers should be separated so that warm ones will not come in contact with cold ones. The temperature of the cooler should be about 32° F. In hanging, the cooling racks are preferably metal, frequently cleansed by scalding and should be arranged so that livers do not drip on those below.
At certain times of the year it is profitable to freeze them for the winter trade. Where this is done it will be found that if they are first properly dried and chilled, they freeze in much better condition than if put into the freezer when they are full of moisture. They should be frozen at a temperature as near zero Fahr. as possible, for if frozen quickly they retain their natural color, whereas, if they are put into a higher temperature and the freezing is delayed, they will have a dark appearance when thawed.
Sweetbreads.
—This is a delicate piece of meat and practically the only one in the packing house that improves by being kept in water. The sweetbread should be cut out before the animal is stuck, thereby avoiding their becoming bloody and discolored. After washing and fat is trimmed off, they should be put in ice water in the coolers and held over night; the next day they are ready for shipment and should be packed in cracked ice.
If they are to be frozen they should be allowed to drain properly before placing them in the freezers. A low temperature is very essential for the preservation of sweetbreads, in order to obtain the best possible appearance. When frozen quickly they retain a bright appearance when thawed. If they are frozen slowly they turn slate color when thawed and have an undesirable and unwholesome look, which operates against their being disposed of to advantage.