The Beef with Beef

big institutions

It's disappointing how some big institutions serve meals.

'Big institutions' are large groups, companies or programs.  Notice the following:

1. Almost nobody knows each other at big institutions.
   
2. He started out at a small company, but soon was working for a big institution.
   

certain kinds

They give you certain kinds of meals.

A 'certain kind' of meal is one that is determined by specific criteria, such as healthy, inexpensive or fast.  Notice the following:

1. They have certain kinds of food at their house that we never have at ours.
   
2. She only eats certain kinds of meat.
   

mostly

They give you a bowl that's mostly onions.

If a food is 'mostly' made of one ingredient then that is the main or most obvious ingredient.  In the example, the bowl may have a few other things like carrots or celery, but it is almost all onions.  Notice the following:

1. It seems like this cake is mostly frosting.
   
2. Even though I ordered pepperoni, this pizza is mostly just cheese.
   

old beef

One bowl has one or two little strips of very old beef.

"Beef' is meat that comes from a cow and if it is 'old' it means it is not fresh and probably not the best tasting or the healthiest to eat.  Most of the time when we say food is 'old' it means that it is not good and we shouldn't eat it.  Notice the following:

1. We gave the old bread to the birds to eat.
   
2. All that was in the refrigerator were a few old apples.