Steeling the Knife. There is a technique to
handling the steel. It should be held firmly
in the left hand, thumb on top of the handle,
with the point held upward and slightly
away from the body. With the knife in the
right hand, place the heel of the blade (where
the blade enters the handle) against the top
of the steel on the side away from the body.
With a swinging motion of the wrist and fore¬
arm the blade is brought down and across the
steel toward the left hand, continuing until
the point of the blade has passed over the
steel. Then the knife is again brought into
position, this time on the side of the steel
next to the body, and with the same motion
drawn up across the steel. This brings both
sides of the knife blade in contact with the
steel. The edge of the knife should make
about a 25-degree angle with the steel. Five
or six strokes on each side should be sufficient.
Importance of Cooking. With the proper
tools, the next thing for successful carving is
proper cooking of the meat. Both under¬
done and overdone meat are difficult to
carve. Meat cooked at low temperature is
[213]
more easily and economically carved than
that cooked at high.
Skewers and strings should be removed
from roasts in the kitchen. When carving is
done at the table, the meat should be placed
on a hot platter sufficiently large for easy
carving, with an extra hot plate for placing
the carved slices, if needed. Overgarnishing
the meat platter should be avoided, if carving
is to be easy.
When carving is done in the. kitchen, the
meat should be carved on a cutting board
placed in a shallow pan to catch the drip¬
pings.
Principles of Carving. A sharp knife and
properly cooked meat make a good beginning
of the job of carving. In addition, the carver
must know the meat to be carved — the loca¬
tion of the bones and joints and the direc¬
tions in which the muscle fibers run. This
knowledge can be acquired by studying the
meat both before and after cooking, with the
help of some good directions on carving.
Even when carving at the table the carver
may either sit or stand. Convention does not
forbid standing when it is easier to carve
that way.
Across the Grain. When meat is bone¬
less, the carving is very simple. The principal
rule to follow is to cut across the grain of the
meat whenever possible. This shortens the
muscle fibers and makes the meat seem more
tender. With most roasts and pot roasts,
Carving Rolled Roast
U.S.D.A.
carving across the grain is accomplished
by slicing parallel to the cut surface, since
the market man cuts across the grain in
preparing the cut. Steaks, however, are
carved with the grain, unless they are very
thick.
Parallel Slices. After the first slice is
made, the angle at which the knife is held
should not be changed. Each stroke with
the knife should be drawn the full length of
the blade, making parallel cuts.
Good carving, then, means (1) knowing
where to make the first cut, and (2) continu¬
ing to make parallel cuts until enough por¬
tions are carved to serve everyone. The de¬
tails of carving various cuts follow. The
methods suggested are easy ways to obtain
the greatest number of attractive uniform
servings.
Page 190
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Steeling the Knife. There is a technique to handling the steel. It should be held firmly in the left hand, thumb on top of the handle, with the point held upward and slightly away from the body. With the knife in the right hand, place the heel of the blade (where the blade enters the handle) against the top of the steel on the side away from the body. With a swinging motion of the wrist and forearm the blade is brought down and across the steel toward the left hand, continuing until the point of the blade has passed over the steel. Then the knife is again brought into position, this time on the side of the steel next to the body, and with the same motion drawn up across the steel. This brings both sides of the knife blade in contact with the steel. The edge of the knife should make about a 25-degree angle with the steel. Five or six strokes on each side should be sufficient.
Importance of Cooking. With the proper tools, the next thing for successful carving is proper cooking of the meat. Both under¬ done and overdone meat are difficult to carve. Meat cooked at low temperature is
[213]
more easily and economically carved than that cooked at high.
Skewers and strings should be removed from roasts in the kitchen. When carving is done at the table, the meat should be placed on a hot platter sufficiently large for easy carving, with an extra hot plate for placing the carved slices, if needed. Overgarnishing the meat platter should be avoided, if carving is to be easy.
When carving is done in the kitchen, the meat should be carved on a cutting board placed in a shallow pan to catch the drip¬ pings.
Principles of Carving. A sharp knife and properly cooked meat make a good beginning of the job of carving. In addition, the carver must know the meat to be carved — the location of the bones and joints and the directions in which the muscle fibers run. This knowledge can be acquired by studying the meat both before and after cooking, with the help of some good directions on carving.
Even when carving at the table the carver may either sit or stand. Convention does not forbid standing when it is easier to carve that way.
Across the Grain. When meat is boneless, the carving is very simple. The principal rule to follow is to cut across the grain of the meat whenever possible. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes the meat seem more tender. With most roasts and pot roasts,
Carving Rolled Roast
carving across the grain is accomplished by slicing parallel to the cut surface, since the market man cuts across the grain in preparing the cut. Steaks, however, are carved with the grain, unless they are very thick.
Parallel Slices. After the first slice is made, the angle at which the knife is held should not be changed. Each stroke with the knife should be drawn the full length of the blade, making parallel cuts.
Good carving, then, means (1) knowing where to make the first cut, and (2) continu¬ ing to make parallel cuts until enough por¬ tions are carved to serve everyone. The de¬ tails of carving various cuts follow. The methods suggested are easy ways to obtain the greatest number of attractive uniform servings.