Roasting in the oven of ordinary coal stoves or ranges. Of the two this mode of cooking is considered inferior to the first : never- theless it may be safely said that the greatest part of meat-roasting is done in close ovens. It appears, from various experiments, that m^jte:oasted or baked in a close oven loses rather less of its weight th^Kf roasted by an open fire. Roasting in a gas stove (under a sheet of flame). This method has of late become popular, and the results obtained are, as a rule, very satisfactory. Most of the modern gas stoves are so constructed that there is a constant supply of fresh air circulating through them, whereby one of the elements which we get by roasting in front of a fire is obtained. It matters little how the roasting of a joint of meat or poultry is effected, so long as the points previously named are observed, the main objects of which are to preserve the nutritive qualities, and to retain the juices, but the joint must be sufficiently seasoned and dressed just before serving. Elementary Rules for Roasting. — By way of supplementing the former remarks, it cannot be sufficiently insisted upon that the excellence of a roast depends to a very great extent upon the amount of basting it receives. Basting should be performed at least ^once every 15 minutes whilst a joint is cooking. It is wise to add a little dripping at first, so that this may be used for basting until the fat from the meat melts. Some cooks wrap their joints in oiled paper, others flour the joint before roasting. Neither of these plans is recommended, because thorough basting will do all that is wanted. Some cooks season a joint before it is cooked, whilst others season it with salt and pepper just before it is served. There is a difference of opinion as to which is the correct way of the two. I am inclined to hold with the latter. To ensure proper and careful roasting the fire must in the first place be in the right condition — clear, bright, and giving out a uniform but not too fierce a heat. In the case of an open fire its breadth and depth should be regulated according to the size of the joint to be roasted, so that the weight of a joint to be 74 THE NEW CENTURY COOKERY BOOK roasted, the condition and form of the meat, as well as its propor- tions of fat and lean, must be considered. Meat of newly killed beasts requires longer cooking than meat which has been hung for a time. In warm weather joints require slightly less time for roasting than in cold. Boned and rolled or stuffed meat requires longer cooking than the same joints would if not rolled, and unstuffed. The meat of young animals and that of old ones requires different treatment. As a rule young flesh, containing less fibrine, requires longer cooking. White meat, such as pork, veal, and lamb, should always be well cooked, and must never be served underdone. It is almost impossible to fix the exact time required for roasting each joint of meat, because so much depends upon circumstances, that no uniform thumb rule can be given. The proper time and process of roasting must be left to the good judgment of the cook, who must be guided by circumstances and conditions. The cook’s business . is to serve the joint as full of nourishing qualities as possible.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Roasting in the oven of ordinary coal stoves or ranges. Of the two this mode of cooking is considered inferior to the first : nevertheless it may be safely said that the greatest part of meat-roasting is done in close ovens. It appears, from various experiments, that meat roasted or baked in a close oven loses rather less of its weight than if roasted by an open fire. Roasting in a gas stove (under a sheet of flame). This method has of late become popular, and the results obtained are, as a rule, very satisfactory. Most of the modern gas stoves are so constructed that there is a constant supply of fresh air circulating through them, whereby one of the elements which we get by roasting in front of a fire is obtained. It matters little how the roasting of a joint of meat or poultry is effected, so long as the points previously named are observed, the main objects of which are to preserve the nutritive qualities, and to retain the juices, but the joint must be sufficiently seasoned and dressed just before serving. Elementary Rules for Roasting. — By way of supplementing the former remarks, it cannot be sufficiently insisted upon that the excellence of a roast depends to a very great extent upon the amount of basting it receives. Basting should be performed at least ^once every 15 minutes whilst a joint is cooking. It is wise to add a little dripping at first, so that this may be used for basting until the fat from the meat melts. Some cooks wrap their joints in oiled paper, others flour the joint before roasting. Neither of these plans is recommended, because thorough basting will do all that is wanted. Some cooks season a joint before it is cooked, whilst others season it with salt and pepper just before it is served. There is a difference of opinion as to which is the correct way of the two. I am inclined to hold with the latter. To ensure proper and careful roasting the fire must in the first place be in the right condition — clear, bright, and giving out a uniform but not too fierce a heat. In the case of an open fire its breadth and depth should be regulated according to the size of the joint to be roasted, so that the weight of a joint to be roasted, the condition and form of the meat, as well as its proportions of fat and lean, must be considered. Meat of newly killed beasts requires longer cooking than meat which has been hung for a time. In warm weather joints require slightly less time for roasting than in cold. Boned and rolled or stuffed meat requires longer cooking than the same joints would if not rolled, and unstuffed. The meat of young animals and that of old ones requires different treatment. As a rule young flesh, containing less fibrine, requires longer cooking. White meat, such as pork, veal, and lamb, should always be well cooked, and must never be served underdone. It is almost impossible to fix the exact time required for roasting each joint of meat, because so much depends upon circumstances, that no uniform thumb rule can be given. The proper time and process of roasting must be left to the good judgment of the cook, who must be guided by circumstances and conditions. The cook’s business . is to serve the joint as full of nourishing qualities as possible.

The new century cookery book