Roasted Meats. — Roasting proper is almost unknown in these
days of stoves and ranges — ^baking, a much inferior process, having
taken its place. In roasting, the joint is placed close to a brisk, open
fire, on a spit or in a tin kitchen, tumea so as to expose every part
to the fire, and then moved back to finish in a more moderate heat.
The roast should be basted frequently with the drippings, and, when
half cooked, with salt and water. To roast in oven, the preparations
are very simple. The fire must be bright and the oven hot. Trim
off any torn or bruised portions from the roast, which will need no
washing if it comes from a cleanly butcher ; wiping with a towel
dampened in cold water is all that is needed ; if washing is necessary,
HEATS. 403
■^-^■^-^—^——^^^——^^^~ — - - - — - - — ■ - - — — _ ^
dash over quickly with cold water axid wipe dry. Washing and
soaking fresh meat draws out its juices and impairs its nutriment.
A large piece is best for roasting, this being especially true of beet
If meat has been kept a little too long, wash in vinegar, wipe dry,
and dust with a very little tiour to absorb the moisture. Place in
!)an, on a trivet, or two or three clean bits of hard wood or bones
aid cross-wise of pan, to keep it out of the fat. If meat is very lean,
add a tablespoon or two of water ; if fat, the juices of the meat will
be sufficient, and the addition of the water renders it juiceless and
tasteless. The oven should be very hot when the meat is put in that
the surface may be quickly searea or browned over and the juices
confined. Keep the fire hot and bright, baste every ten or fifteen
minutes, and when about half done season well with' salt and turn
the roast, also seasoning the turned side, always keeping the thick
part of the meat in the hottest part of the oven. Take care that
every part of the roast, including the fat of the tenderloin, is cooked
so that the texture is changed. If the fire has been properly made,
and the roast is not large, it should not require replenishing, but^ if
necessary, add a little mel at a time, so as not to check the fire, in-
stead of waiting until a great deal must be added to keep up the
bright heat. Most persons like roast beef and mutton underdone,
afid less time is required to cook them than for pork and veal or
lamb, which must be very weU done. Fifteen minutes to the pound
and fifteen minutes longer is the rule for beef and mutton, and twenty
minutes to the pound and twenty minutes longer for pork, veal and
lamb. The directions for beef apply equally well to pork, veal, mut-
ton and lamb. Underdone meat is cookea throughout so that tho
bright red juices foUow the knife of the carver ; if it is a livid purple
it is raw, and unfit for food. When done, the roast should be a rich
brown, and the bottom of the pan covered with a thick glaze Re-
move the joint, and those who do not salt before or while roasting
now sift evenly over with fine salt, and it is ready to serve. Never
salt before cooking, as it drawsout the juices. To keep the roast
hot while making the gravy place it in a pan or on an old platter in
the oven.✪ Roast Meat
Page 340 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. 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
Roasted Meats. — Roasting proper is almost unknown in these days of stoves and ranges — ^baking, a much inferior process, having taken its place. In roasting, the joint is placed close to a brisk, open fire, on a spit or in a tin kitchen, tturned so as to expose every part to the fire, and then moved back to finish in a more moderate heat. The roast should be basted frequently with the drippings, and, when half cooked, with salt and water. To roast in oven, the preparations are very simple. The fire must be bright and the oven hot. Trim off any torn or bruised portions from the roast, which will need no washing if it comes from a cleanly butcher ; wiping with a towel dampened in cold water is all that is needed ; if washing is necessary, dash over quickly with cold water and wipe dry. Washing and soaking fresh meat draws out its juices and impairs its nutriment. A large piece is best for roasting, this being especially true of beet If meat has been kept a little too long, wash in vinegar, wipe dry, and dust with a very little tiour to absorb the moisture. Place in pan, on a trivet, or two or three clean bits of hard wood or bones laid cross-wise of pan, to keep it out of the fat. If meat is very lean, add a tablespoon or two of water ; if fat, the juices of the meat will be sufficient, and the addition of the water renders it juiceless and tasteless. The oven should be very hot when the meat is put in that the surface may be quickly searea or browned over and the juices confined. Keep the fire hot and bright, baste every ten or fifteen minutes, and when about half done season well with' salt and turn the roast, also seasoning the turned side, always keeping the thick part of the meat in the hottest part of the oven. Take care that every part of the roast, including the fat of the tenderloin, is cooked so that the texture is changed. If the fire has been properly made, and the roast is not large, it should not require replenishing, but if necessary, add a little fuel at a time, so as not to check the fire, instead of waiting until a great deal must be added to keep up the bright heat. Most persons like roast beef and mutton underdone, afid less time is required to cook them than for pork and veal or lamb, which must be very weU done. Fifteen minutes to the pound and fifteen minutes longer is the rule for beef and mutton, and twenty minutes to the pound and twenty minutes longer for pork, veal and lamb. The directions for beef apply equally well to pork, veal, mutton and lamb. Underdone meat is cooked throughout so that the bright red juices follow the knife of the carver ; if it is a livid purple it is raw, and unfit for food. When done, the roast should be a rich brown, and the bottom of the pan covered with a thick glaze Remove the joint, and those who do not salt before or while roasting now sift evenly over with fine salt, and it is ready to serve. Never salt before cooking, as it drawsout the juices. To keep the roast hot while making the gravy place it in a pan or on an old platter in the oven.
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Roast Meat