DURING COOKING Before Cooking After Cooking 250° F. . 300° F. . 375° F. . Pounds 14 14 14 Pounds 12 11 10 158° F. 158° F. 158° F. Pounds 2 3 4 Per cent 15 21 28 Table XXXVI . Effect o on Shrinkage o f Roasting Temperature f Lamb Legs2 OVEN TEMPERA¬ TURE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF THREE LAMB LEGS (IN ONE PAN) TEMPERA¬ TURE OF LAMB LEGS WHEN DONE SHRINKAGE DURING COOKING Before Cooking After Cooking Pounds Pounds Pounds Per cent 250° F. . 16* 12 180° F. 26 300° F. . 16 11 180° F. 5 31 350° F. . 15* 10* 180° F. 5 33 Seared at 500° F. Finished at 300° F. 16 lOf 180° F. 5* 33 When meat is cooked slowly, it is more tender, juicier, and more flavorful. High temperatures toughen protein and cause ex¬ cessive evaporation with loss in flavor and juiciness. Searing does not hold in meat juices. (See Table XXXVI.) Meat cooked at low temperature is more uniformly cooked than that cooked at high temperature. The protein is more tender and easily digested. There is less loss of fat and there is better retention of the important B vitamins. Less fuel is required to cook meat slowly, even though the cooking time is longer. This is particularly true of roasting. Furthermore, low cooking temperatures mean easier and more economical carving. Not only is meat cooked at low temperature more tender than that cooked at high, but the muscle fibers hold together better and there is less crumbling and falling apart. High temperatures harden the outside of the meat and make it difficult to slice. Stage of Doneness. The internal tempera¬ ture to which meat is cooked also influences its shrinkage. At the same oven temperature the loss in weight will increase with the in¬ ternal temperature to which the roast is cooked. Pork must be cooked well done, but pork roasts become dry and shrink unduly when overcooked. When cooked to exactly the correct degree, pork roasts are juicier and more flavorful, and there is more meat to serve. The temperature, as shown by a ther¬ mometer inserted in the meat, is the most accurate measure of its stage of doneness. Cooking Time. The time of cooking any particular piece of meat depends upon sev¬ eral factors: (a) The cooking temperature. In general, the higher the cooking tem¬ perature the shorter the total cooking time and also the time per pound. ( b ) The inte¬ rior temperature or stage to which the meat is cooked. It requires a longer time to cook meat well done than to cook it rare. ( c ) The distance from the surface to the center of the thickest portion of the meat. The longer the distance that the heat must travel to reach the center of the thickest part of the meat, the greater the total time required for cook¬ ing, although the time per pound may be less. A thin piece of meat, long and wide, requires a shorter cooking time than a com¬ pact one of the same weight. A rolled rib roast requires a longer cooking time than the same roast cooked with the bone in, !Study made at the University of Missouri, 1939. 2Study made at the University of Texas, 1942. [196]

AI-modernized reading of the original text

DURING COOKING Before Cooking After Cooking 250° F. . 300° F. . 375° F. . Pounds Pounds 158° F. 158° F. 158° F. Pounds Per cent Table XXXVI . Effect of Roasting Temperature on Shrinkage of Lamb Legs2 OVEN TURE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF THREE LAMB LEGS (IN ONE PAN) TURE OF LAMB LEGS WHEN DONE SHRINKAGE DURING COOKING Before Cooking After Cooking Pounds Pounds Pounds Per cent 250° F. . 16* 180° F. 300° F. . 180° F. 350° F. . 15* 10* 180° F. Seared at 500° F. Finished at 300° F. lOf 180° F. 5* When meat is cooked slowly, it is more tender, juicier, and more flavorful. High temperatures toughen protein and cause ex¬ cessive evaporation with loss in flavor and juiciness. Searing does not hold in meat juices. (See Table XXXVI.) Meat cooked at low temperature is more uniformly cooked than that cooked at high temperature. The protein is more tender and easily digested. There is less loss of fat and there is better retention of the important B vitamins. Less fuel is required to cook meat slowly, even though the cooking time is longer. This is particularly true of roasting. Furthermore, low cooking temperatures mean easier and more economical carving. Not only is meat cooked at low temperature more tender than that cooked at high, but the muscle fibers hold together better and there is less crumbling and falling apart. High temperatures harden the outside of the meat and make it difficult to slice. Stage of Doneness. The internal tempera¬ ture to which meat is cooked also influences its shrinkage. At the same oven temperature the loss in weight will increase with the in¬ ternal temperature to which the roast is cooked. Pork must be cooked well done, but pork roasts become dry and shrink unduly when overcooked. When cooked to exactly the correct degree, pork roasts are juicier and more flavorful, and there is more meat to serve. The temperature, as shown by a ther¬ mometer inserted in the meat, is the most accurate measure of its stage of doneness. Cooking Time. The time of cooking any particular piece of meat depends upon sev¬ eral factors: (a) The cooking temperature. In general, the higher the cooking tem¬ perature the shorter the total cooking time and also the time per pound. ( b ) The inte¬ rior temperature or stage to which the meat is cooked. It requires a longer time to cook meat well done than to cook it rare. ( c ) The distance from the surface to the center of the thickest portion of the meat. The longer the distance that the heat must travel to reach the center of the thickest part of the meat, the greater the total time required for cook¬ ing, although the time per pound may be less. A thin piece of meat, long and wide, requires a shorter cooking time than a com¬ pact one of the same weight. A rolled rib roast requires a longer cooking time than the same roast cooked with the bone in, !Study made at the University of Missouri, 1939. 2Study made at the University of Texas, 1942. [196]

Foods, their selection and preparation