Jokes about bada and chhota have always been intrinsic to meat-eating cultures across much of the Indian sub-continent. Just as the divide between the ashraf (the plural of sharif or well-born) and, their polar opposite, the ajlaaf was once sharp and clear so were the demographics of those who ate bada (beef) and chhota (mutton or lamb). The ashraf only ever had mutton (even chicken was considered beyond the pale unless of course it was desi murghi) and the rest of the hoi-polloi made do with the more affordable bada which occupied the lowest rung of meat-eating India.
While most road-side eateries and kababis used bada for their skewered delights, some of the more uppity ones in small provincial towns were known to hang placards proclaiming ‘Allah Qasam Chhote ka Hai’ (I swear to God, it’s the chhota) in plain sight thus assuring their clients of the superiority of their meat!