Foods, their selection and preparation

Cooked meats, drippings, gravies, and meat soups should be chilled immediately, after the meal, covered closely, and stored under refrigeration. Frozen meats should be kept frozen, and stored at as near 0° F. as possible. They should not be defrosted and refrozen. When only a part of a container of frozen meat is needed, this amount should be removed, and the remainder left in freezing storage. Frozen meats may be defrosted in the refrigerator, at room temperature, or during cooking if the cooking temperature is very low. Home Freezing. For preservation of fresh or cooked meat in the home freezer, the meat should be wrapped and sealed in moisture-proof cellophane, and carefully labeled as to kind, cut, weight, and method of cooking. Uncooked meats should be prepared for cooking before wrapping for the freezer. Meats should always be frozen below 0° F. Lower temperatures are desirable. After meat is frozen solid it may be stored at 0° F. PREPARATION FOR COOKING As brought out before, there is a growing tendency to prepare meat in the processing plant so that it will be ready for cooking. This eliminates any preliminary preparation for cooking in the home. Meat cuts which have not been completely prepared for the oven, broiler, or cooking pan may need some trimming. Meats killed on the farm for home consumption will have to be cut and trimmed for cooking. Trimming and Cutting. Thin or ragged pieces should be trimmed from the thick or chunky cuts to eliminate waste during cooking. Tender meat should be separated from the less tender in order that proper cooking methods can be used. The meat should be so prepared for cooking as to make carving easy. For example, if it is a shoulder cut, the shoulder blade should be boned out so that the meat may be sliced in attractive servings. With rib or loin cuts, the backbone should be separated from the ribs by sawing the ribs close to the back¬ bone. The backbone then becomes loosened during cooking and may easily be removed for carving. Although meat cuts need a covering of fat to prevent evaporation and keep them juicy during cooking, it may make for economy to trim off excess fat before cook¬ ing. Lean trimmings, with some of the fat, should be ground for use in meat loaves, pat¬ ties, meat balls, meat sauces, and various casserole dishes. Lean trimmings also may be added to the soup kettle for use in soups, gravies, or sauces. [191] Fat trimmings should be ground or chopped and rendered at low temperature, then strained through clean cloth, cooled at room temperature, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator for use in cooking. Bones taken from meat should be sawed in three-or four-inch lengths and used for soup. Even well-trimmed bones give both flavor and food value to soup and never should be wasted; they are paid for in the market; they should be taken home and used. If the meat is properly handled it needs no cleaning before cooking. Meat never should be washed, as this results in a loss of both flavor and soluble nutrients. If necessary, it may be wiped with a damp cloth. Defrosting Frozen Cuts. There are three ways of defrosting frozen meat cuts: (1) in the refrigerator, wrapped, (2) at room temperature, wrapped, and (3) during cooking.