in bits, should be melted and sizzling hot in the pan — on this, much depends. Put the pieces of meat in the hot fat, add no salt, as that draws the juices, and fry as fast as possible, turning and tossing the meat to keep it from burning; do not leave it a moment. Have a hot platter in readiness and take up the meat when well browned on both sides (which will be in less than 5 minutes) dust on it a little pepper, if liked, and spread it with butter, with a very little salt sprinkled over it very evenly, and send it to the table as hot as possi- ble. Meat done in this way will be tender and juicy, like well broiled steak. A long, slow simmering of fresh meat, salted in the pan, will make it hard and indigestible. Fresh pork, beef, mutton and lamb should each be cooked in its own fresh fat; veal is so dry and lean that it is usually fried in the fat from salt pork, and afterwards seasoned as above. Other meats, if they are lean, can be fried in the fat of a single slice of salt pork, rather than in butter, which burns if brought to the right heat to cook meat without losing the juices. Only enough fat is required to keep the meat from sticking to the pan; if there is more, it can be poured over the meat, or thickened, and with a little water added, used for gravy. BRAISING. —This is a way of cooking by the action of heat above as well as below the article cooked — the effect is somewhat similar to stewing. A braising=pan has a deep cover, on which live coals are placed. The pan is air-tight, and as all evaporation is thus precluded, the food imbibes whatever flavor the cook may wish to give it, in order to effect which, she must place in the pan with the meat, whatever vegetables, etc., her recipe may direct. The ingredi- ents should be very well proportioned, and the stewing should go on very slowly. It is not a common method of cooking in America, although more practiced in Europe. TO STEAM. — Cooking by steam in private families is not as generally practiced as it might be. The steamer fits tightly on a pan Or kettle, and as the water boils, the steam fills the steamer and cooks the articles in it. A tough fowl, filled with a stufiing of bread crumbs, etc., and steamed for 2 hours or so, will be made quite ten- der. Fish and oysters cooked in this way are delicious. Stale bread and biscuit steamed 5 or 6 minutes, is made fresh and good. Plum cake steamed 8 hours and then baked 1 hour, is better than when baked in the ordinary way. Potatoes are often steamed. In steam- ing ]Duddings, etc., do not use water in which anything else has been cooked, as it will give them an unpleasant flavor. Articles being THE PHOCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 121 steamed cannot burn, but do not let the fire get so low that the water stops boiling for an instant, or the supply of steam will be lessened, to the detriment of the article being cooked, SAUTEING. — This is the French name for frying anything quickly in a small pan, with a very little dripping, oil or fat, doing one side at a time. It is the same as the dry frying which we have previously described. The art consists in having the pan and fat very hot at the start, and in doing it very quickly, to save the juices and succulence in the meat. ♦\ TO LARD. — This consists in sticking bacon or other specified

AI-modernized reading of the original text

in bits, should be melted and sizzling hot in the pan — on this, much depends. Put the pieces of meat in the hot fat, add no salt, as that draws the juices, and fry as fast as possible, turning and tossing the meat to keep it from burning; do not leave it a moment. Have a hot platter in readiness and take up the meat when well browned on both sides (which will be in less than 5 minutes) dust on it a little pepper, if liked, and spread it with butter, with a very little salt sprinkled over it very evenly, and send it to the table as hot as possible. Meat done in this way will be tender and juicy, like well broiled steak. A long, slow simmering of fresh meat, salted in the pan, will make it hard and indigestible. Fresh pork, beef, mutton and lamb should each be cooked in its own fresh fat; veal is so dry and lean that it is usually fried in the fat from salt pork, and afterwards seasoned as above. Other meats, if they are lean, can be fried in the fat of a single slice of salt pork, rather than in butter, which burns if brought to the right heat to cook meat without losing the juices. Only enough fat is required to keep the meat from sticking to the pan; if there is more, it can be poured over the meat, or thickened, and with a little water added, used for gravy. BRAISING. —This is a way of cooking by the action of heat above as well as below the article cooked — the effect is somewhat similar to stewing. A braising-pan has a deep cover, on which live coals are placed. The pan is air-tight, and as all evaporation is thus precluded, the food imbibes whatever flavor the cook may wish to give it, in order to effect which, she must place in the pan with the meat, whatever vegetables, etc., her recipe may direct. The ingredients should be very well proportioned, and the stewing should go on very slowly. It is not a common method of cooking in America, although more practiced in Europe. TO STEAM. — Cooking by steam in private families is not as generally practiced as it might be. The steamer fits tightly on a pan Or kettle, and as the water boils, the steam fills the steamer and cooks the articles in it. A tough fowl, filled with a stufiing of bread crumbs, etc., and steamed for 2 hours or so, will be made quite tender. Fish and oysters cooked in this way are delicious. Stale bread and biscuit steamed 5 or 6 minutes, is made fresh and good. Plum cake steamed 8 hours and then baked 1 hour, is better than when baked in the ordinary way. Potatoes are often steamed. In steaming Puddings, etc., do not use water in which anything else has been cooked, as it will give them an unpleasant flavor. Articles being THE PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 121 steamed cannot burn, but do not let the fire get so low that the water stops boiling for an instant, or the supply of steam will be lessened, to the detriment of the article being cooked, SAUTEING. — This is the French name for frying anything quickly in a small pan, with a very little dripping, oil or fat, doing one side at a time. It is the same as the dry frying which we have previously described. The art consists in having the pan and fat very hot at the start, and in doing it very quickly, to save the juices and succulence in the meat. ♦\ TO LARD. — This consists in sticking bacon or other specified

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