Meat for broiling should be cut from an inch to an inch
and a half thick ; the surface should be scraped with the
back of a knife, to remove sawdust and bonedust, and then
wiped with a wet cloth, but not washed. It is useless to
attempt to broil well with a poor fire ; for the meat will be
smoked, and will lose part of its valuable juices. When the
fire is clear, put the meat over it, as close as possible to it,
and crisp first one side and then the other ; if thfe fire is very
hot, it will not be necessary to turn the meat repeatedly
while it is being browned. After both sides of the meat are
brown, hold it far enough away from the fire to prevent
burning, and finish cooking it to the desired point; when
the fire is hot, and the meat cut as directed above, it will
cook medium-rare in from fifteen to twenty minutes. A
good way to hold the meat away from the fire, after the first
browning, is to place two bricks on either side of the open-
ing in the stove which contains the fire, and lay the ends of
the gridiron upon them ; the distance can be regulated by
changing the position of the bricks.
After the meat is browned on both sides, it can be tested
without cutting into it, or removing it from the gridiron, by
METHODS OF COOKING. 45
quickly pressing the tip of one finger upon it : if, when the
pressure is removed, the meat springs up again, the fibre is
still elastic because it is uncooked, and if the meat were cut
it would be found to be very rare ; when, after the pressure,
the surface of the meat slowly returns to its original level,
the meat is medium-rare ; when the meat retains the mark
of the pressure, it is well done. While the meat is being
broiled, heat a dish to receive it : after it is laid upon the
hot dish, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, on both
sides, and serve it at once. Broiled meat always deterio-
rates by being left standing near the fire any length of time
after it is cooked.
FRyiNG.
Frying proper is performed by entirely immersing any
edible substance in enough smoking-hot fat to cover it ; but
a form of half-frying is sometimes used for steaks and chops
when broiling is out of the question. When this kind of fry-
ing is properly done, the meat will be juicy, well-flavored, and
will closely resemble broiled meat. It is necessary to make
the frying-pan very hot over the fire, before putting the meat
into it. Any kind of frying-pan can be used without danger
of burning the meat and gravy, except a marbleized-iron
pan, which is unsuitable for use over intense heat. When the
frying-pan is so hot that it will siss when the meat touches
it, put in the meat, and brown it quickly, first upon one side
and then upon the other, as in broiling ; then finish cooking
it to the desired degree, and season and serve it : in fact, the
process is similar to broiling, save that the hot frying-pan
replaces the fire. If gravy is desired for fried meat, stir a
tablespoonful of dry flour with the little drippings in the fry-
ing-pan, and when the flour is brown stir into it a pint of
boiling water ; season the gravy with salt and pepper, stir it
until it boils, and then serve it in a gravy-bowl. No butter
or fat need be put into the pan unless the meat is absolutely
46 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
lean : in that case, use only enough to prevent the burning
of the meat.
Page 33
Presented as published in 1885. 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
Meat for broiling should be cut from an inch to an inch and a half thick ; the surface should be scraped with the back of a knife, to remove sawdust and bonedust, and then wiped with a wet cloth, but not washed. It is useless to attempt to broil well with a poor fire ; for the meat will be smoked, and will lose part of its valuable juices. When the fire is clear, put the meat over it, as close as possible to it, and crisp first one side and then the other ; if the fire is very hot, it will not be necessary to turn the meat repeatedly while it is being browned. After both sides of the meat are brown, hold it far enough away from the fire to prevent burning, and finish cooking it to the desired point; when the fire is hot, and the meat cut as directed above, it will cook medium-rare in from fifteen to twenty minutes. A good way to hold the meat away from the fire, after the first browning, is to place two bricks on either side of the opening in the stove which contains the fire, and lay the ends of the gridiron upon them ; the distance can be regulated by changing the position of the bricks.
After the meat is browned on both sides, it can be tested without cutting into it, or removing it from the gridiron, by
quickly pressing the tip of one finger upon it : if, when the pressure is removed, the meat springs up again, the fibre is still elastic because it is uncooked, and if the meat were cut it would be found to be very rare ; when, after the pressure, the surface of the meat slowly returns to its original level, the meat is medium-rare ; when the meat retains the mark of the pressure, it is well done. While the meat is being broiled, heat a dish to receive it : after it is laid upon the hot dish, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, on both sides, and serve it at once. Broiled meat always deteriorates by being left standing near the fire any length of time after it is cooked.
FRYING.
Frying proper is performed by entirely immersing any edible substance in enough smoking-hot fat to cover it ; but a form of half-frying is sometimes used for steaks and chops when broiling is out of the question. When this kind of frying is properly done, the meat will be juicy, well-flavored, and will closely resemble broiled meat. It is necessary to make the frying-pan very hot over the fire, before putting the meat into it. Any kind of frying-pan can be used without danger of burning the meat and gravy, except a marbleized-iron pan, which is unsuitable for use over intense heat. When the frying-pan is so hot that it will hiss when the meat touches it, put in the meat, and brown it quickly, first upon one side and then upon the other, as in broiling ; then finish cooking it to the desired degree, and season and serve it : in fact, the process is similar to broiling, save that the hot frying-pan replaces the fire. If gravy is desired for fried meat, stir a tablespoonful of dry flour with the little drippings in the frying-pan, and when the flour is brown stir into it a pint of boiling water ; season the gravy with salt and pepper, stir it until it boils, and then serve it in a gravy-bowl. No butter or fat need be put into the pan unless the meat is absolutely
lean : in that case, use only enough to prevent the burning of the meat.