Red Meat Republic

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Red Meat Republic
Red Meat Republic Cover.jpg
Hardcover edition
AuthorJoshua Specht
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Princeton University Press
Publication date
May 7, 2019
Media typePrint, e-book
Pages368
ISBN 9780691182315

Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America is a 2019 nonfiction agricultural history book written by Joshua Specht and published by Princeton University Press. It covers the history of beef production in the United States, along with cattle ranching, and how the increase and expansion of beef products have been entwined with the rise of American commercial power. The book started as an extension of Specht's doctoral dissertation that he defended in 2014 and his desire to publish an actual historical form of food writing, unlike other books he admired such as The Omnivore's Dilemma . [1] The exterior of the hardcover uses a plain brown wrapping that was applauded by Andrew R. Graybill in his Reviews in American History analysis thanks to it directly "evoking the look and even the feel of the butcher paper used to package a slab of store-bought beef". [2]

Contents

Content

The book has an introduction and then five main sections, each with multiple chapters covering a different period and an important topic of beef production in American history. The first of these sections, "War", discusses the early history of American settlers and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans, particularly throughout the 1800s. This includes the massacre of the buffalo, which was carried out to inhibit their competition with cattle and to hurt the remaining Native American tribes that were highly dependent on their migration. [3]

The background of small-scale and corporate ranching activities is covered in "Ranch" along with a more realistic view of the idealized cowboy. [4] The creation of the cattle market, the development of shipping of animals from the plains to eastern cities and its difficulties are discussed in the "Market" section. The labor system and the modernization of the slaughterhouse is covered in the following section. [5] National-scale meat production lowered its cost significantly, leading to a craze for beef among Americans and an ongoing sense of "entitlement" to meat being a basis for individual choice and ideas about democracy during the early 1900s. This ties into the even greater availability focused on in the final section, "Table", and the introduction of canned beef and long-lasting foodstuffs that allowed meat to be part of any meal. [6] This section focuses on how once expensive cuts such as a porterhouse steak became cheap enough for anyone to buy, and how these eating habits were elevated to a cultural aesthetic in the American consciousness, positing that the consumption of meat was intimately tied into the representation of the American worker and the country itself. [7]

The book also contains a bibliography and 60 pages of research notes on the subjects covered in the text. [8]

Critical reception

The non-profit Practical Farmers of Iowa called the book "very readable", especially as it had relatable anecdotes throughout, ultimately calling it a "worthwhile read for those wanting to better understand the development of the beef industry in the U.S." [8] Writing in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly , Michael D. Wise stated that the book is a "valuable resource for readers in need of a clear introduction to the history and historiography of American beef production", but criticized it for its lack of inclusion of interdisciplinary research, including fields such as environmental studies, animal studies, American Indian studies, and food studies, and for its occasional usage of terminology and claims, especially covering the relationship between Native Americans and bison, that have been heavily disputed by Native historians. [9] Wilson J. Warren in The American Historical Review criticized it for being too narrow and simple and for leaving out broader perspectives on the topic, on the impact of the meat industry, and on how there was far more involved in its rise than just cattle ranching. [10] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writer Thomas Weber described Red Meat Republic as "extremely readable" and said that it conveyed an economic and historical breakdown of American history and the cattle industry without getting bogged down in academic jargon. [11] Australian Book Review reviewer Cameo Dalley wrote that the book's "ambitious historical scope makes it an important contribution in laying bare the foundations of beef in the formation of the United States" and Dalley hoped that a similar such breakdown book would be written about Australia's own issues with their beef-cattle industrial complex. [12]

For Business History Review , Michael S. Kideckel praised the early sections of the book and how it expands upon the work of previous scholars, especially William Cronon's 1991 work Nature's Metropolis, and properly highlights the interconnectedness of ranchers and the meat packing pipeline, but he pointed out that the final section on meat consumption lacks evidence and does not have a proper breadth of viewpoints on the topic from a diversity of authors. Nevertheless, he considered it "useful scholarship" on American history and commercial enterprises. [13] Paul Hockenos in The National positively discussed the "disturbing reading" that the subject matter presents and is supportive of the "unfamiliar, uncomplimentary angle" that the work gives on American history and the "benevolent myth" that has been put together about Midwestern and cowboy history. He suggested, however, that sections on how cattle are raised and how the meat is used, especially in processed meats like sausage, would have benefited the work more. [14] CHOICE reviewer P. Beirne highly recommended the book, especially for readers of graduate level and above, and said that it was an important publication for the understanding of how beef rose to prominence in American society since the 1860s. [15]

Kendra Smith-Howard in The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era pointed out that rather than the broad view taken in Nature's Metropolis, Specht's book has a narrower focus that tries to "humanize the creation and maintenance of the 'cattle-beef complex'" by using personal anecdotes and people's real stories, though Smith-Howard noted that this often becomes too lacking in both context and how each vignette relates back to the broader purpose of the book and its connection to beef and American history. [16] History Today's Rebecca Onion noted that the "strength (and weakness) of this book lies in its ambitious scale" where it tries to cover vastly different national-level involvements from the American government to the advancement of capitalism to the impact of nature itself on the entire process of cattle ranching and that although Specht manages to succeed in places, he lacks enough depth in others. [17] For the Financial Times , Brooke Masters jointly reviewed Specht's book and Darren Dochuk's Anointed With Oil: How Christianity and Crude Made Modern America and considered Red Meat Republic to be the "clunkier" of the two as it has an "academic tone", but that it still manages to invite an understanding of the dangers and societal harm that the commercial beef industry had on American culture and the land itself, and that there are hurdles that still have to be crossed in the future with concerns such as climate change. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meat</span> Animal flesh eaten as food

Meat is animal tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistoric times. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals including chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and cattle, starting around 11,000 years ago. Since then, selective breeding has enabled farmers to produce meat with the qualities desired by producers and consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beef</span> Meat from cattle

Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle. Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Longhorn</span> American breed of cattle

The Texas Longhorn is an American breed of beef cattle, characterized by its long horns, which can span more than 8 ft (2.4 m) from tip to tip. It derives from cattle brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas by Spanish conquistadores from the time of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus until about 1512. For hundreds of years the cattle lived a semi-feral existence on the rangelands; they have a higher tolerance of heat and drought than most European breeds. It can be of any color or mix of colors. In some 40% of the cattle it is some shade of red, often a light red; the only shade of red not seen is the deep color typical of the Hereford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corned beef</span> Salt-cured beef product

Corned beef, or salt beef in some Commonwealth countries, is salt-cured brisket of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and spices are added to corned beef recipes. Corned beef is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fajita</span> Tex–Mex dish

A fajita, in Tex-Mex cuisine, is any stripped grilled meat, optionally served with stripped peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish. Popular alternatives to skirt steak include chicken and other cuts of beef, as well as vegetables instead of meat. In restaurants, the meat is usually cooked with onions and bell peppers. Popular condiments include shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, refried beans, and diced tomatoes. "Tacos de arrachera" is applied to the northern Mexican variant of the dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagyu</span> Japanese cattle breed

Wagyu is the collective name for the four principal Japanese breeds of beef cattle. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agriculture in Australia</span> Overview of agriculture in Australia

Although Australia is mostly arid, the nation is a major agricultural producer and exporter, with over 325,300 people employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing as of February 2015. Agriculture and its closely related sectors earn $155 billion a year for a 12% share of GDP. Farmers and grazers own 135,997 farms, covering 61% of Australia's landmass. Across the country, there is a mix of irrigation and dry-land farming. The success of Australia in becoming a major agricultural power despite the odds is facilitated by its policies of long-term visions and promotion of agricultural reforms that greatly increased the country's agricultural industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuckwagon</span> American field kitchen covered wagon

A chuckwagon or chuck wagon is a horse-drawn wagon operating as a mobile field kitchen and frequently covered with a white tarp, also called a camp wagon or round-up wagon. It was historically used for the storage and transportation of food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. They were included in wagon trains for settlers and traveling workers such as cowboys or loggers. In modern times, chuckwagons feature in special cooking competitions and events. Chuckwagons are also used in a type of competition known as chuckwagon racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meat-packing industry</span> Industrial production of food and by-products from animals

The meat-packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally not included. This greater part of the entire meat industry is primarily focused on producing meat for human consumption, but it also yields a variety of by-products including hides, dried blood, protein meals such as meat & bone meal, and, through the process of rendering, fats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle station</span> Large Australian farm

In Australia and New Zealand, a cattle station is a large farm, the main activity of which is the rearing of cattle. The owner of a cattle station is called a grazier. The largest cattle station in the world is Anna Creek Station in South Australia, which covers an area of 23,677 square kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beef cattle</span> Breed of cattle

Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production. The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf operations, backgrounding, and feedlot operations. The production cycle of the animals starts at cow-calf operations; this operation is designed specifically to breed cows for their offspring. From here the calves are backgrounded for a feedlot. Animals grown specifically for the feedlot are known as feeder cattle, the goal of these animals is fattening. Animals not grown for a feedlot are typically female and are commonly known as replacement heifers. While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and beef by-products used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics, and insulin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niman Ranch</span>

Niman Ranch began in the early 1970s on an eleven-acre ranch in a small coastal town just north of San Francisco. They produce beef, lamb, and pork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Ranch</span> Californias largest beef producer

Harris Ranch, or the Harris Cattle Ranch, feedlot is California's largest beef producer, producing 150 million pounds (68 kt) of beef per year in 2010. It is located alongside Interstate 5 at its intersection with State Route 198 east of Coalinga, in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. The ranch is owned by Harris Farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livestock</span> Animals kept for production of meat, eggs, milk, wool, etc.

Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting in order to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals who are raised for consumption, and sometimes used to refer solely to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Horses are considered livestock in the United States. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb (mutton) as livestock, and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are not included in the category. The latter is likely due to the fact that fish products are not governed by the USDA, but by the FDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meat & Livestock Australia</span>

Meat & Livestock Australia (M&LA) is an independent company which regulates standards for meat and livestock management in Australian and international markets. Headquartered in North Sydney, Australia; M&LA works closely with the Australian government, and the meat and livestock industries. M&LA has numerous roles across the financial, public and research sectors. The M&LA corporate group conducts research and offers marketing services to meat producers, government bodies and market analysts alike. Forums and events are also run by M&LA aim to provide producers with the opportunity to engage with other participants in the supply chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle</span> Large, domesticated, cloven-hooved herbivores

Cattle are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus Bos. Mature female cattle are called cows and mature male cattle are bulls. Young female cattle are called heifers, young male cattle are oxen or bullocks, and castrated male cattle are known as steers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texan cuisine</span> Food and drinks from Texas

Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steak</span> Flat cut of meat

A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patties, such as hamburgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo meat</span> Meat of the water buffalo

Buffalo meat, also known as buffalo beef, is the meat of the water buffalo, a large bovid, raised for its milk and meat in many countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia and Egypt.

Crowd Cow is an American online meat delivery marketplace. It connects fisheries and ranchers who raise livestock with consumers who want to buy meat.

References

  1. Pfeifer, Jamison (May 9, 2019). "How America Became the 'Red Meat Republic'". Civil Eats . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  2. Graybill AR (September 2020). "Better (and Worse) Living through Agribusiness". Reviews in American History . 48 (3): 432–438. doi:10.1353/rah.2020.0058. S2CID   226500259 . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  3. Robichaud A (March 1, 2021). "Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America". The Journal of American History . 107 (4): 1015–1016. doi:10.1093/jahist/jaaa505 . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  4. Deutsch C (March 31, 2020). "Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America. Histories of Economic Life. By Joshua Specht". Western Historical Quarterly . 51 (2): 194–195. doi:10.1093/whq/whaa011 . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  5. Herrmann RB (March 12, 2021). "Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America, by Joshua Specht". The English Historical Review . 136 (579): 448–450. doi:10.1093/ehr/ceab009 . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  6. Moyn, Samuel (May 7, 2019). "The Price of Meat: America's obsession with beef was born of conquest and exploitation". The New Republic . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  7. Kennedy, Alicia (June 13, 2019). "Empire of Meat". The Baffler . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Review of: "Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America"". Practical Farmers of Iowa . October 30, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  9. Wise MD (January 2020). "Book Reviews: Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America". Southwestern Historical Quarterly . 123 (3): 371=373. doi:10.1353/swh.2020.0011. S2CID   214417857 . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  10. Warren WJ (April 13, 2020). "Reviews of Books: JOSHUA SPECHT. Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America". The American Historical Review . 125 (2): 665–666. doi: 10.1093/ahr/rhz1099 . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  11. Weber, Thomas (November 5, 2019). "Ausbeutung und billiges Fleisch" [Exploitation and cheap meat]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  12. Dalley C (November 2019). "Beef Stakes: Am Ambitious History Of Beef In America". Australian Book Review . 416: 53–54. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  13. Kideckel MS (August 20, 2020). "Book Reviews: Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America". Business History Review . 94 (2): 456–458. doi:10.1017/S0007680520000392. S2CID   226671210 . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  14. Hockenos, Paul (June 29, 2019). "Exploring the bloody story of how beef changed the United States". The National . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. Beirne P (May 2020). "Specht, Joshua. Red meat republic: a hoof-to-table history of how beef changed America". CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries . 57 (9): 1023.
  16. Smith-Howard K (June 17, 2020). "Assessing the Stakes of the Rise of Steak". The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era . 19 (3): 527–529. doi:10.1017/S1537781420000249. S2CID   225524978 . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  17. Onion R (November 2019). "The Cows Behind the Cowboy". History Today . 69 (11): 98. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  18. Masters, Brooke (June 8, 2019). "How oil and beef shaped America". Financial Times . Retrieved February 6, 2021.

Further reading