Of the various kinds of meat used in soup-making, beef is the most valuable and, generally speaking, the cheapest. All the tough and coarse parts can be used. Those parts containing a good deal of gelatine are es- pecially desirable if the stock is to be kept for several days, because the stock, upon cooling, becomes a rather solid mass, through which the air will not pass freely, and therefore fermentation is not likely to ensue. The soup, too, will have the deceptive appearance of being much richer than that made with clear, lean meat. But many people enjoy a gelatinous soup when one rich, but clear, would seem to them to be light. Every part of the beef contains some gelatine, and if the meat be cooked for several hours in water which is kept at 200°, or even a little higher temperature, the gelatine will be dissolved, and if there be a pound of meat to each pint of water the stock will jelly on cooling. But should the clear meat and water be kept at about 170° during the cooking, the stock will remain liquid when cold, and very little trace of gelatine will be found in it. This point always should be remembered when making bouil- lon to be served cold, as the soup should be rich, and icy cold, and yet perfectly clear like water. The parts of beef used for soup are — for bouillon or consomme, the round, shoulder, flank, or brisket; for a clear beef soup, the neck, cheek, leg, shin, and any scraggy, rough part, besides the bones. The cheek, leg, and shin all will give a soup rich in gelatine. A shin or leg of beef will be found to be an economical 110 MISS PARLOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION. piece for making stock. Butchers seldom break these parts into small enough pieces. The bones of a leg should be broken into eight or ten pieces, and these should be washed in cold water. Be very careful that the part which was separated from the hoof is perfectly sweet and clean. Sometimes it is necessary to cut off and throw away bits of tendon which appear to be u trifle tainted. When the cheek and neck are used, they should be washed. The round should not be washed, but should be wiped well with a wet towel. A Word about Poultry. Poultry is of great value in making stock. One of the most economical ways of getting a light white stock is to clean and truss a fowl, put it, breast down, in as small a stew-pan as will hold it, cover it with cold water, and heat it slowly to the boiling-point. Skim carefully, and simmer until the fowl is tender ; then take up the fowl and set it away to cool. Strain the water in which it was boiled, and set that away to cool. When it becomes cool, the fat may be skimmed from it. The fowl will be ready for any kind of a dish for breakfast, luncheon, or tea, or may be made into an entree for dinner. The stock will serve as the foundation of cream soups or white sauces, or may be used with made dishes. Do not use a fowl for stock unless it be plump and sweet and not more than two years old. The dark, lean birds, which can be bought for a few cents a pound less than a fat, rich chicken, will prove a dear purchase if one be tempted to take them. Many persons are so foolish as to think that because the meat is to be used for soup, it is not necessary to have a good quality. Just as good meat is wanted for this purpose as for anything else.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Of the various kinds of meat used in soup-making, beef is the most valuable and, generally speaking, the cheapest. All the tough and coarse parts can be used. Those parts containing a good deal of gelatine are especially desirable if the stock is to be kept for several days, because the stock, upon cooling, becomes a rather solid mass, through which the air will not pass freely, and therefore fermentation is not likely to ensue. The soup, too, will have the deceptive appearance of being much richer than that made with clear, lean meat. But many people enjoy a gelatinous soup when one rich, but clear, would seem to them to be light. Every part of the beef contains some gelatine, and if the meat be cooked for several hours in water which is kept at 200°, or even a little higher temperature, the gelatine will be dissolved, and if there be a pound of meat to each pint of water the stock will jelly on cooling. But should the clear meat and water be kept at about 170° during the cooking, the stock will remain liquid when cold, and very little trace of gelatine will be found in it. This point always should be remembered when making bouillon to be served cold, as the soup should be rich, and icy cold, and yet perfectly clear like water. The parts of beef used for soup are — for bouillon or consomme, the round, shoulder, flank, or brisket; for a clear beef soup, the neck, cheek, leg, shin, and any scraggy, rough part, besides the bones. The cheek, leg, and shin all will give a soup rich in gelatine. A shin or leg of beef will be found to be an economical piece for making stock. Butchers seldom break these parts into small enough pieces. The bones of a leg should be broken into eight or ten pieces, and these should be washed in cold water. Be very careful that the part which was separated from the hoof is perfectly sweet and clean. Sometimes it is necessary to cut off and throw away bits of tendon which appear to be a trifle tainted. When the cheek and neck are used, they should be washed. The round should not be washed, but should be wiped well with a wet towel. A Word about Poultry. Poultry is of great value in making stock. One of the most economical ways of getting a light white stock is to clean and truss a fowl, put it, breast down, in as small a stew-pan as will hold it, cover it with cold water, and heat it slowly to the boiling-point. Skim carefully, and simmer until the fowl is tender ; then take up the fowl and set it away to cool. Strain the water in which it was boiled, and set that away to cool. When it becomes cool, the fat may be skimmed from it. The fowl will be ready for any kind of a dish for breakfast, luncheon, or tea, or may be made into an entree for dinner. The stock will serve as the foundation of cream soups or white sauces, or may be used with made dishes. Do not use a fowl for stock unless it be plump and sweet and not more than two years old. The dark, lean birds, which can be bought for a few cents a pound less than a fat, rich chicken, will prove a dear purchase if one be tempted to take them. Many persons are so foolish as to think that because the meat is to be used for soup, it is not necessary to have a good quality. Just as good meat is wanted for this purpose as for anything else.

Miss Parloa's kitchen companion