Myra's cookery book

XI. EGGS, OMELETS, AND CUSTARDS XII. SAUCES AND FORCEMEATS XIII. PASTRY XIV. PUDDINGS XV. CREAMS AND MOULDS XVI. JELLIES XVII. CAKES AND BISCUITS XVIII. COMPOTES OF FRUIT ... XIX. PRESERVES XX. SAVOURY DISHES XXL PICKLES P.\GE lii. vii. I 35 65 86 108 127 134 147 173 201 239 252 275 295 317 327 335 360 373 390 404 METHODS OF COOKING. ROASTING. TO CASTING is the simplest and most generally adopted way of cooking fresh meat ; it may be done in the oven, or before the fire on a spit, or suspended from a bottle-jack — most people prefer this method, as tending less to deteriorate the flavour of the meat. For a large joint the fire should be strong and even ; for a smaller joint it should be brisk — in either case the length of the fire should be a little longer than that of the meat, so that the ends of the joint may be roasted equally with the centre. Large joints are improved if they are allowed to lie in the dripping pan near the fire until warmed through, before they are hung up to roast. Great care must be used in roasting meat on a spit not to run this through the best part of the joint, as the gravy escapes by the holes made by the spit — the same remark holds good with skewers : string should be used as much as possible instead of skewers, to prevent the loss of gravy. The time generally allowed for roasting is a quarter of an hour to each pound of meat, and the joint is tender in proportion with the slowness of the roasting. There are, however, some points to be noted with regard to time that should be remembered ; fresh meat takes longer to roast than does meat that has been hung for some time ; young meat requires less cooking than that of older animals ; and fat meat takes longer than lean meat, which should be covered with buttered paper before roasting, to prevent burning and dryness. Small — and especially thin — joints may be put down to a vm MYRA'S COOKERY BOOK. brisk fire, which causes the fibres to contract and prevents the gravy from escaping. Large joints should not be put close to the fire at first, but gradually brought nearer to it, so that the heat may penetrate to the centre of the joint without scorching and burning the outside of it. Salt may be sprinkled over the joint while it lies in the pan before the fire, or when it is partially cooked : basting should be continued the whole time the joint is before the fire. It should be sheltered from draughts while roasting, and when the steam rises from the joint it is time to take it off the spit. The outside of a well-cooked joint is well browned, but not burnt : the inside is filled with natural gravy, the juice of the meat. Some joints, such as a fillet of veal, have flour dredged over them and browned, just before taking the meat from the fire. The cook must consult the taste of the family as to the amount of roasting that is required : veal, pork, and lamb should always be thoroughly done, but many people prefer beef and mutton rather underdone. To secure great tender- ness, keep the joint at a distance from the fire, and allow half an hour to each pound of meat, and put it closer to the fire to brown it for the last half hour before serving. Roasted in this way the joint will be tender and thoroughly done. BAKING.