pamjd > wrote:

> Why is only the front half of the cow used?

Because the back half contains the sciatic nerve which the Kashrut laws
forbid to eat. It is certainly possible to remove it, together with the
adjacent tissues and blood vessels - and some kosher
butchers/slaughteres do it - but this requires additional work and time,
as well as a waste of some meat, so many other kosher slaughteres just
prefer not to deal with the added bother and costs and sell the back
halves to non-kosher butchers.

Victor