Foods, their selection and preparation

Pork Loin Roast. It is much easier to carve a pork loin roast if the backbone is separated from the ribs. This may be done if the butcher saws across the ribs close to the backbone. During roasting, the backbone becomes loosened and is easily removed by cutting between it and the rib ends before carving. The roast is placed for carving so that the rib side faces the carver. This makes it easy to follow the rib bones as guides for slicing. Also, the attractive side of the roast is toward the guests, if the carving is being done at the table. Insert the fork firmly in the top of the roast. Make sure of the slant of the ribs before beginning to slice, since the ribs are not all perpendicular to the platter. Cut close against both sides of each rib and alternately make one slice with a bone and one without. In a small loin, each slice may contain a rib. In a large loin it is possible to make two boneless slices between ribs. Whole Ham Roast. A whole fresh or smoked ham may be carved the same way as a leg of lamb or mutton. Leg-of-Lamb Roast. The roast leg should be placed before the carver so that the shank bone is to his right and the thick meat sec¬ tion, or cushion, on the far side. Roasts from [215] National Live Stock and Meat Board Carving Leg of Lamb the two sides of the carcass will not have the same surface uppermost. This, however, does not affect the method of carving. Insert the fork into the large end of the leg and carve a few slices lengthwise from the near, thin slide. Turn the roast so that it rests on the surface just cut. The shank bone now points up from the platter. With the fork in the left of the roast, be¬ gin at the shank end and slice down to the leg bone, making parallel slices of about onefourth inch thick. Continue slicing until enough slices are made, or until the aitch¬ bone is reached. With the fork still in place, run the knife along the leg bone, releasing the slices. Other Cuts. For a thick center-cut ham slice, divide into thirds and turn one of the sections on its side, slicing across the grain. Carve each section the same way, removing the bone from the end section before slicing. A cushion shoulder of lamb or pork is boneless and easy to carve. Make slices about three-eighths inch thick through the meat and stuffing. A picnic shoulder may be carved in the same way as a ham or lamb leg. A half ham (shank-end) is carved by re¬ moving the cushion section, turning it on the cut side and making slices, beginning at the large end. For additional servings, sepa¬ rate the remaining section from the shank by cutting through the joint. Remove the bone, turn, and slice. A beef brisket is placed for carving with the round side away from the carver. Excess fat may be trimmed off before carving. Make thin slices in rotation from the three sides, carving at a slight angle, thus making all cuts across the grain. To carve a beef tongue, slice off excess tissue and cartilage from the large end. Then make thin parallel slices lengthwise from the small end and crosswise of the thick portion. The crown roast of lamb is made from the rack or rib section. A crown roast of pork is made from the rib sections of two loins. These roasts are carved similarly to a pork loin roast.