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PrintBook Review: Raising Steaks
Author Betty Fussell's new book takes a comprehensive and tasteful look at the history and impact of beef in America and the transformation of an industry
To food historian Betty Fussell, steak is quintessentially American. A hybrid of British and Spanish traditions — not to mention cattle — it is much like our hybrid national identity. As Fussell points out, steak evokes a sense of freedom, independence, and camaraderie, a touch of the "savage and the civilized." In search of both the origin and the impact of that porterhouse on your plate, the 81-year-old author takes a brisk journey into the world of everything beef and the vast industry it has become. As in her 1992 classic, The Story of Corn, the former journalist leaves no stone unturned in her exuberant quest. From Vermont to Oregon to the southern tip of Texas, Fussell studies her subject from breeding through pasturing, slaughtering, processing, marketing, cooking, and finally eating, while offering up generous slices of history and humor along the way. She investigates such issues as the ongoing question of land use, the burgeoning buffalo and grass-fed beef markets, and the innovations present-day ranch pioneers are making to maintain their lifestyle and survive in the ever-competitive big business of beef.
But steak is for the eating, and Fussell doesn't disappoint there. She includes an entire chapter on cooking tips and recipes from around the country. Whatever your dining pleasure, Raising Steaks presents an enjoyable and informative read.
