This is one of the most popular ways of cooking meat, in fact it might be called our national method. At the same time it is perhaps one of the most expensive methods, as there is always considerable waste owing to shrinkage of the meat, and it is only successful if the best cuts are used. A tough or inferior part of meat should never be roasted, but either braised or stewed. Roasting, properly speaking, is cooking in front of an open fire, but owing to the limited accom- modation and the construction of the stoves in modern houses this method of cooking has become a thing of the past, and baking or roasting in the oven has taken its place. Meat to be roasted should be carefully trimmed, removing from it any gristle and superfluous fat, then weighed and well wiped with a damp cloth. Washing should be avoided unless really necessary. If frozen meat is being used, the joint should be allowed to thaw slowly in a warm kitchen for several hours before it is cooked. The tin used Double Roasting Tin for roasting should, if possible, be a double one, the under one being large enough to hold a little water, which will keep the air of the oven moist and prevent the fat in the upper portion from becoming too hot and acquiring a burnt taste. The meat should be placed on a small stand or trivet in the baking tin to prevent it soaking in the dripping and becoming sodden. The tin should be large enough to hold the meat comfortably without projecting over the edges. The first point in baking or roasting is to expose the meat to a high temperature for 10 minutes or longer, in order to brown the outside and form a coating, as it were, to prevent the escape of the juice. Then the heat may be reduced, and the cooking continued until the joint is sufficiently roasted. If the heat of the oven can be gauged by a thermometer, the temperature should be 310° F. when the meat is first put in, and subse- quently reduced to between 260° and 300°. During the process of cooking the meat must be basted with dripping or other fat at intervals of 10 or 15 minutes to prevent its becoming dried up. If the meat is not sufficiently fat in itself, a little butter, dripping, or other fat should be put into the roasting tin. The spoon used for basting should be a long one, and it ought to be laid on a plate when not in use to prevent the drops of grease soiling the stove. Unless the meat is kept moist with fat during the roasting, the process will not be a success. For this reason game, poultry, and meats that are wanting in fat are very often larded (see p. 206), or barde — that is, covered with slices of fat bacon. Poultry and small joints should be covered with greased paper when they are first put into the oven to prevent them becoming brown too quickly. This covering can be removed a short time before the meat is taken from the oven to allow for browning. It is very important that the oven should be clean and well ventilated, otherwise the operation of roasting will cause a most unpleasant smell. The ventilator must be kept open all the time. ✪ Roasting Meat

AI-modernized reading of the original text

This is one of the most popular ways of cooking meat, in fact it might be called our national method. At the same time it is perhaps one of the most expensive methods, as there is always considerable waste owing to shrinkage of the meat, and it is only successful if the best cuts are used. A tough or inferior part of meat should never be roasted, but either braised or stewed. Roasting, properly speaking, is cooking in front of an open fire, but owing to the limited accommodation and the construction of the stoves in modern houses this method of cooking has become a thing of the past, and baking or roasting in the oven has taken its place. Meat to be roasted should be carefully trimmed, removing from it any gristle and superfluous fat, then weighed and well wiped with a damp cloth. Washing should be avoided unless really necessary. If frozen meat is being used, the joint should be allowed to thaw slowly in a warm kitchen for several hours before it is cooked. The tin used Double Roasting Tin for roasting should, if possible, be a double one, the under one being large enough to hold a little water, which will keep the air of the oven moist and prevent the fat in the upper portion from becoming too hot and acquiring a burnt taste. The meat should be placed on a small stand or trivet in the baking tin to prevent it soaking in the dripping and becoming sodden. The tin should be large enough to hold the meat comfortably without projecting over the edges. The first point in baking or roasting is to expose the meat to a high temperature for 10 minutes or longer, in order to brown the outside and form a coating, as it were, to prevent the escape of the juice. Then the heat may be reduced, and the cooking continued until the joint is sufficiently roasted. If the heat of the oven can be gauged by a thermometer, the temperature should be 310° F. when the meat is first put in, and subsequently reduced to between 260° and 300°. During the process of cooking the meat must be basted with dripping or other fat at intervals of 10 or 15 minutes to prevent its becoming dried up. If the meat is not sufficiently fat in itself, a little butter, dripping, or other fat should be put into the roasting tin. The spoon used for basting should be a long one, and it ought to be laid on a plate when not in use to prevent the drops of grease soiling the stove. Unless the meat is kept moist with fat during the roasting, the process will not be a success. For this reason game, poultry, and meats that are wanting in fat are very often larded (see p. 206), oror barded — that is, covered with slices of fat bacon.ultry and small joints should be covered with greased paper when they are first put into the oven to prevent them becoming brown too quickly. This covering can be removed a short time before the meat is taken from the oven to allow for browning. It is very important that the oven should be clean and well ventilated, otherwise the operation of roasting will cause a most unpleasant smell. The ventilator must be kept open all the time.

Records on this page

Roasting Meat

Cookery for every household