30 BULLETIN 1246, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
STANDARD WHOLESALE CUTS OF BEEF. 
All beef carcasses are divided, or split, into sides of nearly equal 
weight, as a part of the dressing operation, and are sent to the 
refrigerating rooms, which are known as " chill " rooms, " boxes," 
or " coolers." The right side of the carcass is known as the " closed 
side," because the suet around the kidney is firmly and snugly at- 
tached to the inner curvature of the loin near the backbone and 
can not be removed without danger of injuring the tenderloin 8 
or " fillet." The left side is called the " open side " because the 
ball, or lower end, of the kidney knob 9 hangs free and can be 
removed easily with a knife. The " open " side is about 1 per 
cent heavier than the " closed " side. 
As a part of the dressing operations, after carcasses are split 
into sides, a sawtooth instrument, or " scribe," is drawn heavily 
across the chine bones, which saws them partly through. The 
bones are then cracked by driving the ends backward. The opera- 
tion tends to broaden the " eye " of the rib, and adds to convenience 
in handling the carcass. This is known as " scribing." 
Comparatively few carcasses are offered to the trade in the side, 
most of them being divided into " fores " and " hinds," or fore- 
quarters and hindquarters. This quartering act is known as " rib- 
bing," because the line of severance is determined by the ribs. 
Methods of quartering differ according to local trade customs, the 
number of ribs left on the hindquarter varying from none to five. 
The so-called " Chicago method," which is the most prevalent, 
leaves one rib on the hindquarter. One or more ribs on the hind- 
quarter serve to hold the flank distended, give the hind a full or 
rounded appearance in the region of the flank, and facilitate the 
circulation of air over the inner walls. 
The method of " breaking up " or subdividing the quarters into 
wholesale cuts of primary parts also differs according to local trade 
customs. Variations often are so great that no comparison can be 
made satisfactorily with reference to relative yields, values, or prices, 
of either the wholesale cuts or the retail cuts derived from them. 
For instance, the flank is left on the round in some cities, on the 
loin in others, and is entirely removed in others. Other variations 
are frequent. Many of them are apparent in the tables which fol- 
low on pages 31 and 32 showing the percentage relation of the 
primary parts to the carcass according to the methods of cutting in 
certain cities where tests were made. The Western, or Chicago, 
method of cutting is more generally used than any other, and there- 
fore in the following discussion that method of cutting is under- 
stood unless otherwise specified. 
In the Chicago method, sides are quartered in such a way as to 
leave about 48 per cent of the weight in the hindquarter and 52 per 
cent in the foreqnarter. The loin, round, rump, shank, and flank 
are obtained from the hindquarter, whereas the rib, chuck, plate, 
brisket, and foreshank or shin come from the foreqnarter. Some of 
these cuts, especially the loin and the chuck, often are further sub- 
divided. Among the cuts of local significance, particularly in 
eastern markets, are "cross cuts" (chuck, brisket, and shin), rattles 
■Tenderloin should no! be confused with the coarse muscle of the diaphragm often loft 
banging tn the carcass and generally referred (<> as "the hanging tender." 
) in kidney with its surrounding fat, or suet, is known as the "kidney knob." 
