Foods and home making

The cuts given in the next recipe are the less tender cuts. We have learned that such cuts should be cooked in moist heat. Hence when we cook one of the less tender cuts in the oven, we place water in the bottom of the roasting pan. We also cover the pan. When the water in the bottom of the pan gets hot, it will boil and steam will be given off. The cover on the pan will prevent the steam escaping. The meat will then cook sur- rounded by steam. Cooking meat in a covered roasting pan with water in the bottom of the pan is somewhat like roasting. It is called braising. Braised meat, however, may be seared in the oven in the same way as roast meat. Before we begin to cook a piece of meat, we need to know the weight of the meat in order to tell how long to cook it. Hence meat which is to be braised should be weighed and then washed. In the beginning of the recipe 4 or 5 pounds of meat are given. This is only a suggestion. Any amount may be braised. However, pieces of meat weighing less than the given amount are not so desirable. They are not so juicy as larger pieces. If gravy is to be made, it is well to save some of the fat MEAT LOAF 1 egg £ cup water or tomatoes pounds chopped beef 1 cup soft bread crumbs 2 teaspoons salt | teaspoon pepper 4 slices bacon Meats for Dinner — Buying Beef 367 for making the gravy. Some fat may be cut from the meat before or after it is cooked. BRAISED BEEF 4 or 6 pounds beef (chuck-rib or 1 cup or more boiling water chuck, rump, English cut, or 1 tablespoon salt round) For braising meat, use a roasting pan with a rack in the bottom. Place the meat on top of the rack in the roasting pan. Do not put the cover on the pan until after searing. Place in a very hot oven — 500° F. — to sear. Let the meat cook at this temperature for 20-30 minutes. Then pour 1 cup or more of boiling water in the bottom of the pan. There should be about i inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle salt on the meat. Cover the pan and reduce the temperature of the oven. If a gas oven is used, the temperature can be lowered at once. If the oven is heat-regulated, the temperature should be regulated according to the weight of the meat. A large piece of meat will need to cook longer than a small piece. The longer the meat cooks, the lower the temperature. The following table gives the temperature for meat of different weights. The table gives also the time of cooking : Weighing less than 6 pounds — 300° F. — 30 minutes a pound Weighing from 6 to 9 pounds — 275° F. — 30 minutes a pound Weighing 10 or more pounds — 250° F. — 30 minutes a pound Some roasting pans have an opening in the cover. The opening, called a valve, may be opened or closed. For braised meat, keep the valve open. The meat will have a better taste. When the meat is tender, remove it from the oven. Place it on a hot platter. If desired, gravy may be made, using the water and meat juice in the bottom of the pan. While the gravy is being made, keep the meat hot. GRAVY Beef fat teaspoon pepper \ cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups meat juice and water Remove the rack from the roasting pan and pour the liquid from the pan. Save the liquid to use in making the gravy. Make the gravy in the roasting pan. Dinner 368