A text-book of cooking

Meat from old animals is usually tough. Veal and lamb are more tender than beef and mutton. The muscles that are used most are toughest, because they are developed to a greater extent and contain more connective tissue. Muscles that are constantly used contain more extractives, hence tough cuts of meat have more flavor than tender cuts. This is not always appreciated, however, since all of the flavor of tough meat is rarely extracted because it is so hard to chew. Experiment 53 : Effect of Cold Water on Meat. — Place a bit of meat in a test tube or glass measuring cup and add cold water. Allow it to stand for a few minutes and note the appearance. What has been drawn out into the water ? What practical application as to washing meat can be made from this ? Heat the water in which the meat has been soaked. What does the water contain ? In soup making, should this material be strained out of broth ? Explain. If broth must be strained, should a coarse or a fine strainer be used ? Why ? Experiment 54 : Effect of Boiling Water on Meat. — Pour boiling water over a bit of meat, then heat it. Has the juice been drawn out into the water ? Explain how hot water prevents the juices from being drawn out. Experiment 55 : Effect of Salt on Meat. — Sprinkle some salt on a piece of meat. Let stand for 10 minutes or longer and note results. What practical application as to seasoning meats can be drawn from this? Use of Bone and Fat in Soup Making. — Bone contains a substance which long cooking changes into a jellylike mass called gelatine. In the center of the bone there is a fatty substance called marrow. This fat in the bone and that in and around the muscles liquefies in making soup stock. In cooling, the fat rises to the top, hardens, excludes the air from the stock, and thus prevents it from spoiling readily. Hence, in soup making, it is of advantage to use both the fat and the bone with the lean meat. The fat, however, should be removed carefully from the stock before using. BEEF STOCK 2 pounds meat, bone and fat 2 cloves J teaspoonful celery seed 2 quarts cold water 5 peppercorns J bay leaf 2½ teaspoonfuls salt Cut the meat and fat into small pieces ; crack the bone. Try out some of the fat and brown about £ of the meat in it. Put all the meat in a kettle, add the seasoning and water ; cover, and allow to soak one hour. Then cook below boiling temperature for 3 hours ; strain through a coarse strainer. Pour it through a fat separator or set aside to cool. If the fat has been allowed to solidify, skim it from the surface when the stock is to be used. 1 can of tomatoes, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, and 1 onion (all cut in small pieces) may be added to the ingredients of beef stock. Trimmings and bones of fresh meats or bones and pieces of roasts or unused meat may be cut into small pieces and used for soup stock. No smoked or charred pieces of meat or bone should be used, however. Stock may be colored with caramel, provided the sugar has been cooked sufficiently to lose its sweetness. Other than the differences in cost, what advantages are there in using tough cuts of meat for soup ? Name at least three cuts of meat that would be suitable for ;soup making. Give the price per pound of these cuts. In soup making, what is the purpose of cutting the meat into pieces and of cracking the bone ? Why should salt be added to the water in which meat is soaked ? (See Experiment 5-5. p. 138. ) Cuts of Beef (see Fig. 41). — The feeding, care, and age of an animal have much to do with the quality of its meat. It is considered that good beef is obtained from an animal four or five years old. Beef should be firm, of bright red color, and of fine grain. There should also be a Adapted from diagram In V itttenlCv of lUlnali MUM He. 1SS. Fig. 41.— Cuts of beef.