Boned and rolled or stuffed meats require longer cooking
than the same joints would if neither rolled nor stuffed. The
meat of young animals and that of old ones requires different
treatment. As a rule young flesh, containing less fibrine,
requires longer cooking. White meat, such as pork, veal and
lamb, always should be well cooked and never must be served
rare. The exact time and process of roasting must be left to
the good management of the cook, who must be guided by
circumstances and conditions. The cook’s business is to
serve the joint as full of nourishing qualities as possible.
Though roasting is considered one of the easiest and most
simple processes of cookery, it really requires quite as much
attention to obtain perfect results as is necessary to prepare
so-called “‘made”’ dishes, the recognized test for good cooks.
Boiling
Boiling (of fresh meat).—This is cookery by immersion in
boiling liquid, which after a few minutes is reduced to simmer-
ing. The object of the high temperature at first is to harden
the surface albumen and so seal the pores and prevent the
escape of the juices. If continued too long, this degree of
heat would tend to toughen the joint throughout; after the
first few minutes, therefore, the heat must be reduced to
about 180° F. The pan used for boiling meat should be only
just large enough to hold the joint, and the quantity of liquid
no more than is required to cover it. For the boiling of salt
meat the general rule of first hardening the surface is not
to be followed. The salting of meat withdraws a large pro-
portion of its juices, while at the same time the salt hardens
the fibres, and this hardness would be intensified by extreme
heat. Very salt meat sometimes is soaked in cold water to
32
Methods of Cooking
extract some of the salt, but whether this is done or not,
the rule for boiling salt meat is to immerse it in cold or tepid
water and bring slowly to boiling point; boil for five minutes
to seal the pores and prevent any further loss of juice, then
reduce to 180° F., and maintain a uniform temperature till
the meat is cooked. Salt meat takes longer to cook than fresh
meat, and the saltness may be qualified by boiling vegetables
with the meat, turnips especially being useful for this purpose.
Baking
The actual differences between roasting and baking are
not great, the terms being frequently interchanged. Meat
loses rather less weight when baked than when roasted, but
the flavor of meat is inferior and less developed. The heat
of an oven being steadier, baking takes somewhat less time
than roasting. In a gas oven having an open floor the current
of air is not impeded, and such baking very nearly approaches
roasting, and the flavor generally is acknowledged to be the
same.
Stewing
Stewing is cooking slowly with a small quantity of liquid
in a covered vessel. The method ts specially suitable for the
coarser and cheaper parts of meat, which are rendered
tender without loss of their juices. The usual plan is to make
a gravy flavored and colored to suit the stew, and after the
ingredients are well blended and cooked to lay the meat in
the boiling liquid. After about two minutes boiling, the
temperature is reduced to simmering, about 160° F., a lower
temperature than that required for a large joint of “boiled”
meat. The time depends greatly on the quality of the meat,
but none will stew satisfactorily in less than from one and a
half to two hours, and the longer allowance is to be preferred.
Broiling
Page 15
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Boned and rolled or stuffed meats require longer cooking than the same joints would if neither rolled nor stuffed. The meat of young animals and that of old ones requires different treatment. As a rule young flesh, containing less fibrine, requires longer cooking. White meat, such as pork, veal and lamb, always should be well cooked and never must be served rare. The exact time and process of roasting must be left to the good management of the cook, who must be guided by circumstances and conditions. The cook’s business is to serve the joint as full of nourishing qualities as possible. Though roasting is considered one of the easiest and most simple processes of cookery, it really requires quite as much attention to obtain perfect results as is necessary to prepare so-called “‘made”’ dishes, the recognized test for good cooks.
Boiling
Boiling (of fresh meat).—This is cookery by immersion in boiling liquid, which after a few minutes is reduced to simmering. The object of the high temperature at first is to harden the surface albumen and so seal the pores and prevent the escape of the juices. If continued too long, this degree of heat would tend to toughen the joint throughout; after the first few minutes, therefore, the heat must be reduced to about 180° F. The pan used for boiling meat should be only just large enough to hold the joint, and the quantity of liquid no more than is required to cover it. For the boiling of salt meat the general rule of first hardening the surface is not to be followed. The salting of meat withdraws a large proportion of its juices, while at the same time the salt hardens the fibres, and this hardness would be intensified by extreme heat. Very salt meat sometimes is soaked in cold water to
Methods of Cooking
extract some of the salt, but whether this is done or not, the rule for boiling salt meat is to immerse it in cold or tepid water and bring slowly to boiling point; boil for five minutes to seal the pores and prevent any further loss of juice, then reduce to 180° F., and maintain a uniform temperature till the meat is cooked. Salt meat takes longer to cook than fresh meat, and the saltness may be qualified by boiling vegetables with the meat, turnips especially being useful for this purpose.
Baking
The actual differences between roasting and baking are not great, the terms being frequently interchanged. Meat loses rather less weight when baked than when roasted, but the flavor of meat is inferior and less developed. The heat of an oven being steadier, baking takes somewhat less time than roasting. In a gas oven having an open floor the current of air is not impeded, and such baking very nearly approaches roasting, and the flavor generally is acknowledged to be the same.
Stewing
Stewing is cooking slowly with a small quantity of liquid in a covered vessel. The method ts specially suitable for the coarser and cheaper parts of meat, which are rendered tender without loss of their juices. The usual plan is to make a gravy flavored and colored to suit the stew, and after the ingredients are well blended and cooked to lay the meat in the boiling liquid. After about two minutes boiling, the temperature is reduced to simmering, about 160° F., a lower temperature than that required for a large joint of “boiled” meat. The time depends greatly on the quality of the meat, but none will stew satisfactorily in less than from one and a half to two hours, and the longer allowance is to be preferred.
Broiling