Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

305. Cuts of mutton and lamb. — Mutton and lamb are usually quartered like beef. The loin is cut into chops. Hip chops, corresponding to sirloin steaks, are sold as loin chops, but are inferior, containing bone. The neck and shoulder sell cheap ; the latter is cut for roasting with the fore leg, and if desired, with two or more ribs left on. " Leg-of-mutton '^ is the hind leg together with what corresponds to the round in beef. A sheep be- tween two and three years old furnishes the best mut- ton. The age of mutton may be told by breaking the joint of the fore leg ; the bones in a lamb are ridged, the less distinct these ridges, the older is the animal. By what signs would you know good beef ? Good mutton ? 306. Cuts of veaL — Of the forequarter cuts of veal, the breast and shoulder furnish stew meat or second- quality roasting pieces, and the ribs are sold together as rack of veal, or separately as chops. As in beef, the hindquarter cuts are choicer. Roasting pieces or steaks and chops are cut from both loin and leg, slices from the leg being called cutlets. These contain a section of the round leg-bone. Breast and leg, tough in the full- grown animal, are tender in the calf. Hard mutton-fat purified makes tallow. 307. How good veal looks. — The best veal, that of a calf about two months old, is pale pink or flesh-colored, with clear white fat. White lean veal is unfit to eat. 308. Cuts of pork ; the appearance of good pork. — The ribs and loin of pork are sold for roasting, or as 176 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY chops. Hams are the hind legs, salted and smoked ; bacon, the flank similarly prepared. The thick layers of fat on the back and flank are commonly salted. The strips or '' leaves " of kidney fat are " tried out," or rendered, and jDurified, to make leaf -lard; fat from other parts of the hog yield lard of poorer quality. Fat salt pork of good quality is white, or faintly tinged with pink, and has a thin rind. Fresh pork should be pale red and firm, Avith white fat. Trimmings of fat and lean chopped and packed in cleaned intestines form sausages. 309. Diseased pork. — Pork is more likely than any other kind of meat to be diseased. Diseased or measly pork looks lumpy or speckled. The specks are coiled-iip worms {tri- chince), which make their way into the muscles of the hog, remaining there inactive until taken into the human body, where they produce trichinosis, a disease often fatal. Smok- ing does not kill trichina, but thorough cooking kills this as well as other disease-producing forms of life in food. To be safe, never buy speckled pork. 310. Internal organs used for food. — The tongue, liver, kidneys, heart, and some other organs of the ox and sheep are used for food. Tripe, the lining of a beef's stomach, is sold boiled. The brains, pancreas, and thymus gland of calves are considered dainties ; the latter two are termed sweet-breads. 311. Economy in marketing ; the cheapest meat not al- ways the most economical. — Since less than one-fourth of the weight of a dressed beef consists of very tender meat, these tender portions are necessarily expensive. The less tender cuts, being more nutritious, are more THE FLESH OF ANIMALS 177