Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

Have the oven at first as hot as for bread. ^ Skewer or tie the meat into compact form, place on a rack in a pan, skin side down, and dredge meat and pan with flour. In the pan put one tablespoonful of salt and one-fourth teaspoonful of pepper. If the meat is very lean, put a few bits of fat in the pan. When the beef is seared and the flour brown, reduce the heat, and baste the meat ; that is, dip over it the melted fat from the pan.^ Baste about once in ten minutes until done. After half an hour turn the roast over to brown the skin side. 276. To make brown gravy. — After removing the roast to the plate, take out the rack and pour or skim off most of the fat from the liquid in the pan. Set the pan on the stove, and dredge into this liquid about three tablespoonfuls of flour. Add one and one-half cupfuls of boiling water, and boil five minutes, stir- ring. Taste to see how much salt and pepper are re- quired, add these, and strain into a gravy boat. If not brown enough, add a few drops of "kitchen bouquet." (Browning of flour, § 126.) 1 The smaller the roast the hotter should be the oven. It is well to sear a small roast by holding each part of its surface in turn on a hot frying-pan ; if this is done, less heat is required in the oven. 2 Reason for basting. — The fat and flour, aided by heat, form a crust, imprisoning the juices of the meat, and preventing the lean from charring. 154 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY 277. Experiment to show the effect of cold and of hot water upon meat. — Into each of two test-tubes put two bits of meat of tlie same size. Cover one with cold water, the other with hot water, and boil the latter for two or three minutes. After letting both stand for ten or fifteen minutes, observe («) differences in the appearance of the bits of meat, (b) in the appearance of the water in the two test-tubes. Which piece of meat has lost the most juice? Explain why. Should the cooking water for meat be cold or hot when the meat is put into it? Why? How may we contrive to retain the juice and yet not overcook the meat? Is it strictly correct to call meat properly cooked in water "boiled" meat? Which is higher flavored, roasted or so-called boiled meat? The great heat to which meat is exposed in broiling or roasting decomposes some of its constituents, producing new compounds of richer flavor. A temperature of 212° F. being too low to produce these chemical changes, the flavor of meat cooked in water is, by comparison, insipid. Directions for "boiling" a Leg of Mutton 278. Time. — Fifteen minutes per pound. Cover the leg of mutton with boiling water, let this come to the boiling-point again, and boil five minutes ; skim off the coagulated albumin ("scum"); then sim- mer until the meat is tender. Serve with Caper Sauce, made by adding one-half cupful of capers^ drained, to one and one-half cupfuls of Drawn Butter (recipe on p. 203) made with the mutton liquor. 279. Salt meats. — Corned beef, ham, and tongue, THE FLESH OF ANIMALS 155 which are better for having some of their salt drawn out, shoukl be put to cook in cold water. After this boils, follow the directions for cooking a leg of mutton.