It is possible to roast meat before many of the modem
cook-stoves and ranges, because there is a movable front
before the grate containing the fuel. When this is the case,
meat can be roasted with aid of the tin case open on one
side, called the Dutch- or tin-oven. A clear, hot fire should
be made. The meat, properly prepared, should be hung in
the oven, and placed directly in front of the grate ; the
greatest available heat being required to quickly crisp the
surface, and thus retain the juices of the meat. The tin
ovens are generally provided with a movable hook in the
top, upon which the meat is hung, and by Kieans of which
it can be tumed without changing the positv-an of the oven :
some of the ovens are made with an aut'^.raatic spring, that
keeps the meat constantly revolving upon the hook, and so
favors a uniformly brown surface.
In the various recipes in this volume, for roast meats,
full directions are given for their treatment, so that here it
is necessary only to say that they should be cleansed by wip-
ing with a wet cloth, instead of being washed, because water
extracts their juices ; that no salt should be applied to cut
surfaces until they are brown, because that, too, has a tend-
ency to draw out their juices ; and that no water should be
put into the dripping-pan for basting, li^cause it can never
get as hot as the hot fat upon the surfav^ of the meat, and.
it also generates steam which impairs th« crispness so desir-
able in a roast. Basting should be don< with the drippings
42 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
which flow from the meat, or with butter. After the meat iS:
brown, it may be seasoned ; and, if a " frothed " surface is
desired, flour may be dredged upon it every-time it is basted.
Directions for making gravy are included in each recipe for
the different roasts. Anthracite coal, coke, charcoal, hard-
wood embers, and gas afford good heat for roasting, because
their heat is intense, and they do not impart any unpleasant
odor to the meat.
BXKING.
As is said in the preceding paragraph, baking is not the
most desirable way of cooking meat ; but the ovens are often
available when an open fire cannot be reached. When there
are two or more ovens in a stove or range, they should be
set apart for the baking for which they are specially adapted.
The hottest should be chosen for meats, because equally in
baking as in roasting it is desirable that the first exposure of
meat should be to the greatest obtainable heat, in order to
quickly crisp its surface, and confine its natural juices : be-
sides this, there is the additional fact to be remembered, that
meat put into a cool oven will sometimes become tainted
before it is cooked ; that is, the degree of heat will be high
enough to forward rapid decomposition, but not high enough
to cook the meat. The oven should be too hot to permit
the hand to be held in it even for a moment. It cannot be
too hot at first; for, the more quickly the outside of the
meat is crisped, the more entirely its juices are retained.
The heat can be moderated when it has served this purpose.
Page 31
Presented as published in 1885. 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
It is possible to roast meat before many of the modem cook-stoves and ranges, because there is a movable front before the grate containing the fuel. When this is the case, meat can be roasted with aid of the tin case open on one side, called the Dutch- or tin-oven. A clear, hot fire should be made. The meat, properly prepared, should be hung in the oven, and placed directly in front of the grate ; the greatest available heat being required to quickly crisp the surface, and thus retain the juices of the meat. The tin ovens are generally provided with a movable hook in the top, upon which the meat is hung, and by Kieans of which it can be turned without changing the position of the oven : some of the ovens are made with an automatic spring, that keeps the meat constantly revolving upon the hook, and so favors a uniformly brown surface.
In the various recipes in this volume, for roast meats, full directions are given for their treatment, so that here it is necessary only to say that they should be cleansed by wiping with a wet cloth, instead of being washed, because water extracts their juices ; that no salt should be applied to cut surfaces until they are brown, because that, too, has a tendency to draw out their juices ; and that no water should be put into the dripping-pan for basting, because it can never get as hot as the hot fat upon the surface of the meat, and. it also generates steam which impairs the crispness so desirable in a roast. Basting should be done with the drippings
which flow from the meat, or with butter. After the meat is brown, it may be seasoned ; and, if a " frothed " surface is desired, flour may be dredged upon it every-time it is basted. Directions for making gravy are included in each recipe for the different roasts. Anthracite coal, coke, charcoal, hardwood embers, and gas afford good heat for roasting, because their heat is intense, and they do not impart any unpleasant odor to the meat.
BAKING.
As is said in the preceding paragraph, baking is not the most desirable way of cooking meat ; but the ovens are often available when an open fire cannot be reached. When there are two or more ovens in a stove or range, they should be set apart for the baking for which they are specially adapted. The hottest should be chosen for meats, because equally in baking as in roasting it is desirable that the first exposure of meat should be to the greatest obtainable heat, in order to quickly crisp its surface, and confine its natural juices : besides this, there is the additional fact to be remembered, that meat put into a cool oven will sometimes become tainted before it is cooked ; that is, the degree of heat will be high enough to forward rapid decomposition, but not high enough to cook the meat. The oven should be too hot to permit the hand to be held in it even for a moment. It cannot be too hot at first; for, the more quickly the outside of the meat is crisped, the more entirely its juices are retained. The heat can be moderated when it has served this purpose.