The lean of mutton is not so red in colour as beef, but has a darker and browner hue. In fact, when mutton has been well hung the cut surface acquires almost a dark purple colour. The flesh should be firm, close in texture, and not inter- grained with fat like beef. The fat should be hard and very white and waxy. Mutton, like beef, should be well hung. Lamb is paler in colour than mutton, and the fat is pearly white. When fresh, the veins in the neck end of the fore-quarter have a bluish tinge, and when stale these develop a greenish hue. In the hind-quarter the kidneys should be examined ; if they are flabby, with an unpleasant smell, the meat is stale. A piece of the caul, a thin transparent- looking membrane, should be sent with each joint of lamb to wrap round it and protect it when cooking. A lamb of four or five months old is considered the best. SIMPLE AND SAVOURY MEAT DISHES 201 The New Zealand or Canterbury lamb is much cheaper than the home grown, but as far as taste is concerned it is more like mutton, as it seems to lose its characteristic flavour during the process of freezing. The flesh of lamb is tenderer than that of mutton, but it is more watery and not so nutritious. Lamb cannot be hung for very long. Pork. — Pork requires very careful choosing, as it is more subject to disease than perhaps any other animal food, and unless one is sure of its source it is safer to leave it alone. The flesh should be of a pinky white colour, smooth, finely grained, and firm to the touch. The skin must not be too thick. The fat should be pearly white with no black specks or kernels. Small pork is the best. It is much more difficult to digest than either beef or mutton, as it contains such a large proportion of fat. Fresh pork should not be bought in summer. Veal is the flesh of the calf. It should be very pale in colour, firm, and finely grained. When the flesh has a bluish tinge it should be rejected. The fat should be white, and if that which surrounds the kidney is hard and without smell the meat is in good condition. Veal is not so nutritious as beef, and it is also more difficult of digestion, although this is often owing to bad cooking. If cooked slowly and thoroughly it is one of our most useful meats, and will furnish quite a variety of tasty and delicate dishes. Like all other young meats, veal should not be hung very long, as it taints very quickly and becomes quite unwhole- some. The best veal is that of a calf from two to four months old. Ham. — Choose a short thick leg with a moderate amount of fat. The rind should be rather thin and the bone fine. The quality may be tested by running a pointed knife or skewer in close to the bone ; when withdrawn it should not be greasy nor have an unpleasant smell, but, on the contrary, be clean and have a good flavour. Hams vary in price according to the manner of curing and special reputation. In England the Yorkshire and Cum- berland hams are generally considered the finest and still command a good price, although some of the southern counties produce hams by no means inferior. In Scotland, the Dumfries and Galloway hams rank among the best, and Irish hams from Belfast are much prized.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The lean of mutton is not so red in colour as beef, but has a darker and browner hue. In fact, when mutton has been well hung the cut surface acquires almost a dark purple colour. The flesh should be firm, close in texture, and not intergrained with fat like beef. The fat should be hard and very white and waxy. Mutton, like beef, should be well hung. Lamb is paler in colour than mutton, and the fat is pearly white. When fresh, the veins in the neck end of the fore-quarter have a bluish tinge, and when stale these develop a greenish hue. In the hind-quarter the kidneys should be examined ; if they are flabby, with an unpleasant smell, the meat is stale. A piece of the caul, a thin transparent-looking membrane, should be sent with each joint of lamb to wrap round it and protect it when cooking. A lamb of four or five months old is considered the best. The New Zealand or Canterbury lamb is much cheaper than the home grown, but as far as taste is concerned it is more like mutton, as it seems to lose its characteristic flavour during the process of freezing. The flesh of lamb is tenderer than that of mutton, but it is more watery and not so nutritious. Lamb cannot be hung for very long. Pork. — Pork requires very careful choosing, as it is more subject to disease than perhaps any other animal food, and unless one is sure of its source it is safer to leave it alone. The flesh should be of a pinky white colour, smooth, finely grained, and firm to the touch. The skin must not be too thick. The fat should be pearly white with no black specks or kernels. Small pork is the best. It is much more difficult to digest than either beef or mutton, as it contains such a large proportion of fat. Fresh pork should not be bought in summer. Veal is the flesh of the calf. It should be very pale in colour, firm, and finely grained. When the flesh has a bluish tinge it should be rejected. The fat should be white, and if that which surrounds the kidney is hard and without smell the meat is in good condition. Veal is not so nutritious as beef, and it is also more difficult of digestion, although this is often owing to bad cooking. If cooked slowly and thoroughly it is one of our most useful meats, and will furnish quite a variety of tasty and delicate dishes. Like all other young meats, veal should not be hung very long, as it taints very quickly and becomes quite unwholesome. The best veal is that of a calf from two to four months old. Ham. — Choose a short thick leg with a moderate amount of fat. The rind should be rather thin and the bone fine. The quality may be tested by running a pointed knife or skewer in close to the bone ; when withdrawn it should not be greasy nor have an unpleasant smell, but, on the contrary, be clean and have a good flavour. Hams vary in price according to the manner of curing and special reputation. In England the Yorkshire and Cumberland hams are generally considered the finest and still command a good price, although some of the southern counties produce hams by no means inferior. In Scotland, the Dumfries and Galloway hams rank among the best, and Irish hams from Belfast are much prized.

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