Cookery for every household

To Choose the Joint. — The sirloin and the ribs are two of the finest joints for roasting. The round and the aitch bone can also be cooked in this way, but to be successful the meat requires to be well hung and of good quality. The sirloin with a good undercut is the joint par excellence for a large or moderate-sized family. If the cut is a very large one, it is a good plan to cut a piece off the thin end and either stew or cook it in some other way, as if roasted with the rest of the joint, it is apt to become overcooked before the other part is ready. The ribs also make a very good joint, and these are often better if boned and rolled before roasting. This makes a neater and a more economical joint, as the bones with all their goodness can be used for soup. It is perhaps the best joint for a very small family, as one or two ribs can be bought, and when boned and rolled they will make quite a compact little joint. When a large and cheaper joint is wanted, a piece from the round or the aitch bone should be asked for. Very careful basting and cooking will be necessary to make those parts tender and successful. To Prepare the Meat. — Wipe it well with a damp cloth and scrape the skin with a knife. Examine it carefully to see that there are no tainted or discoloured parts, and trim it where necessary. Make the joint as tidy-looking as possible, using, if required, wooden skewers to fix it into shape. Then weigh it. To Roast. — Follow the general directions given on p. 207. To Serve. — When the meat is ready, lift it on to a hot dish and remove any skewers or string that may have been holding it together during the cooking, and which may be replaced, if liked, with a silver skewer. Make the gravy (see p. 207), strain a little of it round the meat, and serve the remainder in a sauce boat. Garnish the meat with some shredded horse-radish and some small sprays of parsley. A little horse-radish sauce (Recipe 752) may also be served separately. Yorkshire pudding and roasted or mashed potatoes are the usual accompaniments. 827. Pot Roast (Boeuf au Jus) 3 or 4 lbs. round or top- 1 breakfast-cupful stock side of beef. or water. Salt. Pepper. Wipe and trim the meat, and if necessary bind it into a neat shape with a piece of tape. Take a stewpan large enough to hold the meat, and grease it with a piece of suet, or fat from the meat. Lay in the meat, and brown it quickly on all sides. Pour in the stock or water, season with pepper and salt, and put the lid on the pan. Now cook slowly until the meat is tender, basting frequently with the stock. Tf necessary a little more stock may be added, but on no account must a large quantity of liquid be used, or the character of the dish will be quite altered. Success will depend upon slow and steady cooking. Serve the meat garnished with horse-radish and, if liked, a few baked or fried potatoes, or baked tomatoes. Tomato or brown sauce may be served separately. This meat is very good served cold. Note. — A few small onions may, if liked, be cooked along with the meat. Time to cook, 2 to 3 hours. Probable cost, 3s. to 4s. 828. Stewed Beef with Dumplings 2 lbs. stewing beef. 2 oz. beef dripping. 2 oz. flour. 1 onion. 1 pt. stock. 2 bay-leaves. Salt. Pepper. 1 table-sp. mushroom ketchup. Dumplings. J lb. flour. 1 tea-sp. baking powder. § tea-sp. salt.