Western or range cattle, yield a very small proportion of sweetbreads, they being undeveloped by the animal when living in their natural state. Cattle which have been fattened in feed lots, however, yield much larger sweetbreads.
Beef Hearts.
—This piece of meat is generally used in sausage and canning, largely in the former. The hearts after being taken from the animals are trimmed and washed and should be hung in a cooler where there is a temperature of from 33° to 36° F. After they are thoroughly chilled they are used for sausage purposes, either fresh or cured.
Tails.
—There is little to be said on the handling of tails, except that they should be kept clean, for if handled carelessly and allowed to become stained it is impossible ever to get them clean afterward, and it is always preferable not to wash them, as this has a tendency to discolor them when chilled. If they are to be frozen they should be put into the freezer under a low temperature in order to have them come out in desirable condition.
FIG. 78.—MECHANICAL WASHER.
Weasand Meat.
—This is a meat taken off the weasands. It is a low grade of meat and is at times “tanked” rather than saved. When cured it should be packed in tierces, and to a tierce of 400 pounds sprinkle through thoroughly a mixture of twenty pounds of salt and one pound of saltpetre. The goods should be held in storage at from 36° to 38° F. during the process of curing.