The Rural cook book

Canning Meat in Tins. — Trim off all surplus tallow from meat, and either boil or roast the beef, using but little salt and pepper, preferably none al all, as these will attack the tin; meat can be spiced, etc., when removed from can to serve. When cooked remove from liquid and trim off from bones. If liquid is too greasy let it get cold and then remove tallow. While again heating liquid and meat boiling hot get the cans and covers ready, the covers to be pierced by an awl in the center. Use the friction top tin can only, for keeping meat through the Summer and dog days. You can use glass jars to keep same till May, but they are risky during warm weather. When meat and liquid are hot pack meat into the cans — any size you wish — not quite full, and pour liquid over same so as to cover meat somewhat, then place on the covers good and tight. Put cans into oven and bake one to two hours. If cans are too full, liquid will ooze through vent. The baking will drive out every particle or atom of air through vent, and is absolutely necessary iot safety. When nearly done baking liquefy some paraffin or sealing wax, and heat a soldering iron. The paraffin is to seal cover airtight around edge, and the soldering iron to use with solder to close up vent opening in center. Take out of oven a can at a time and solder vent opening as quickly as possible, then paraffin the edge of cover. Place cans — after finishing job — where it is <\ry and cool. A steer can be packed into about 50 or 60 quart cans. Chicken Baked in Milk, — Dress and joint a chicken of four to six pounds, dust each piece with salt and pepper, and roll in flour. Put the chicken in a roasting pan or casserole that it will half fill, then pour over it enough sweet milk to cover the chicken completely. Put a close-fitting iid on the baker, and put it in the oven, cooking the chicken until tender; it will take from two to two and a half hours. This requires but little attention while cooking, the meat is tender and juicy, and the gravy delicious. It is an excellent way to cook an elderly fowl ; a young bird will, of course, cook in a shorter time. As it really gains in flavor by being warmed over, it can be cooked on Saturday for the Sunday dinner, thus lessening work. Broiled Chicken.— Take broilers of suitable age or size, dress in the usual way, split down the back and remove breast bone, which can be easily done by running finger along it. Place right side up in dripping pan, season with plenty of butter, pepper and salt ; put in a hot oven for 20 minutes to "draw" or beat well through. Take out; if cooking with gas turn, and put under flame a few minutes to brown ; then brown the lop, but do not burn. If cooking on stove with fuel proceed the same way on toaster or gridiron. Broiled Chicken, O. W. Mapes's Recipe,— The first essential of course is to have a nice fat chicken. This should be split through the back and laid in a shallow basin. Now place the basin containing the chicken in a steamer and steam for an hour and a half. The basin will catch all the juices which drip from the meat. These should all be saved and used in making the gravy. As soon as it is steamed sufficiently place in a well-buttered pan and fry until well browned ; remove the meat and add the juices from steaming to make a good gravy. This method never has failed to bring satisfaction to both cook and guests. Possibly it would be equally as good with older birds by allowing more time in the steaming. Spring Chicken Fried in Cream, — Put a pint of rich cream in a frying pan over a moderate fire till it begins to color, dip the different parts of the chicken in fiour, fry in the cream on each side till it is a delicate brown. When done put it on a hot platter, pour another half pint of cream into the pan, let it boil one minute, add a saltspoonful of salt, a dash of pepper, then pour it over the chicken.