Last Week's Program - Beef!
Past President Bill West began his Introduction of Rotarian Johnny Matsushima by thanking him for providing the luncheon beef, then noted his role in modernizing our beef production, as well as that of China and Japan, for which he has received numerous awards. Johnny then began by showing pictures of a 2800-pound heifer and a 3000-pound steer and described the simultaneous origins of cattle and humans during the 3000 BC period.
The beef industry, he said, has two segments, ranching and feeding, as seen in Colorado from the early 1540s. Showing pictures of early marketing and transportatation, he noted the use of hot iron branding, ear tags, and by the Japanese, nose imprints.
He then showed pictures of fat in the hides of two steers, a shot of himself and cattle in 1940, and methods of feeding various breeds during the changes of numbers of feedlots. Colorado, Johnny said, feeds more than two million cattle.
"BEEF is BEEF," one picture said, and he noted that beef is unique with its marbling. tastiness, and different grades as opposed to chicken and pork. He then showed the different kind of steaks and offered suggestions for cooking: turn steaks only once when juice comes to the top and don't use a spatula. After listing some indoor problems, Johnny ended his interesting talk with a picture of the largest hamburger ever seen, a proper conclusion indeed.