preserve the fibrin from becoming hard, but it gives to it softness and
delicacy. The influence of boiling water upon albumen is well known.
The best method of boiling meat intended for food is to introduce it
into boiling water ; if the boiling be kept up for five minutes, and then
so much cold water be added as to reduce the temperature to 165', and
the whole kept at this temperature long enough, all the conditions are
united which give to the flesh the quality best adapted for its use as
food. When it is introduced into the boiling water, the albumen im-
mediately coagulates from the surface inwards, and in this state forms
a crust, which no longer permits the external water to penetrate into
the interior of the mass of flesh. But the temperature is gradually
transmitted to the interior, and there effects the conversion of the raw
flesh into the state of boiled. The flesh retains its juiciness, and is
quite as agreeable to the taste as it can be made by roasting. When
the temperature of the interior of a piece of meat has not reached 144°,
it presents a blood-coloured or underdone appearance,’ ‘ The principle
of both boiling and roasting,’ says another excellent authority, ‘ is the
same, to endeavour as quickly as possible to surround the joint with a
hard film of meat, in order to keep the flavour in,’ not to dissolve it out
with a cold-water bath. Cold water extracts from the meat two most
important elements of the gastric juice — lactic and phosphoric acids.
In boiling meat, however, a certain proportion of the nutritious
qualities are sure to escape into the water and steam, for which reason
the quantity of water should not be moire than suffices to cover the
meat, nor the saucepan an inch larger than it must needs be to hold
it. Boiled too long or too fast, meat becomes indigestible and hard.
Hard water is better than soft water for boiling meat in, more of its
tenderness and richness being retained in the former than in the latter.
Too rapid boiling tends to overdo the exterior portion of the meat,
while the interior remains undone. Bor this reason, after the meat
has been in water kept at the boiling-point (which is always of course
the same) about five minutes (the time usually required for coagulating
the albumen), the temperature should be reduced, aud the rest of the
process be more slowly conducted. Salted meat, in particular, should
be very slowly cooked, kept simmering, and allowed to grow cool in the
pot. The scum which rises to the surface of the water should be care-
fully removed while the water is near the boiling-point, as otherwise it
sinks, and looks very unsightly attached to the meat.
Baking.
In the opinion of Sir Henry Thompson, baking is not a desirable
form of preparing food. He says, ‘ Baking at best in a half- ventilated
oven has long usurped the function of the spit, thanks to the ingenuity
of economical range-makers. And the joint, which formerly turned in
COMMON -SENSE COOKERY.
21
Page 7
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
preserve the fibrin from becoming hard, but it gives to it softness and delicacy. The influence of boiling water upon albumen is well known. The best method of boiling meat intended for food is to introduce it into boiling water ; if the boiling be kept up for five minutes, and then so much cold water be added as to reduce the temperature to 165', and the whole kept at this temperature long enough, all the conditions are united which give to the flesh the quality best adapted for its use as food. When it is introduced into the boiling water, the albumen immediately coagulates from the surface inwards, and in this state forms a crust, which no longer permits the external water to penetrate into the interior of the mass of flesh. But the temperature is gradually transmitted to the interior, and there effects the conversion of the raw flesh into the state of boiled. The flesh retains its juiciness, and is quite as agreeable to the taste as it can be made by roasting. When the temperature of the interior of a piece of meat has not reached 144°, it presents a blood-coloured or underdone appearance,’ ‘ The principle of both boiling and roasting,’ says another excellent authority, ‘ is the same, to endeavour as quickly as possible to surround the joint with a hard film of meat, in order to keep the flavour in,’ not to dissolve it out with a cold-water bath. Cold water extracts from the meat two most important elements of the gastric juice — lactic and phosphoric acids.
In boiling meat, however, a certain proportion of the nutritious qualities are sure to escape into the water and steam, for which reason the quantity of water should not be moire than suffices to cover the meat, nor the saucepan an inch larger than it must needs be to hold it. Boiled too long or too fast, meat becomes indigestible and hard. Hard water is better than soft water for boiling meat in, more of its tenderness and richness being retained in the former than in the latter. Too rapid boiling tends to overdo the exterior portion of the meat, while the interior remains undone. For this reason, after the meat has been in water kept at the boiling-point (which is always of course the same) about five minutes (the time usually required for coagulating the albumen), the temperature should be reduced, aud the rest of the process be more slowly conducted. Salted meat, in particular, should be very slowly cooked, kept simmering, and allowed to grow cool in the pot. The scum which rises to the surface of the water should be carefully removed while the water is near the boiling-point, as otherwise it sinks, and looks very unsightly attached to the meat.
Baking.
In the opinion of Sir Henry Thompson, baking is not a desirable form of preparing food. He says, ‘ Baking at best in a half- ventilated oven has long usurped the function of the spit, thanks to the ingenuity of economical range-makers. And the joint, which formerly turned in