FoodNet

Food study

1917

Page 92 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1917. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Also U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. Farmers' Bulletin No. 526. "Mut- ton and Its Value in the Diet." QUESTIONS 1. Why is casserole cookery especially adapted to the preparation of tough meat ? 2. List good ways of preparing different left-over meats. 188 FOOD STUDY 3. Make a table showing the cost per pound of the best, of a fairly desirable, and of a cheap cut of beef, veal, mutton, lamb, and pork. Also show the cost of liver, kidney, tripe, heart, sweetbreads, tongue, brains, ham, and sausage. 4. Read up on the subject and debate the question of vegetarian- ism. XXXVII MEAT SOUPS A. Class Experiment. THE SOLUBLE CONSTITUENTS OF MEAT. 1. Place a two-inch cube of beef in a third of a cup of cold water. Let it soak half an hour, then heat slowly to boiling, noting (1) the temperature at which coagu- lation takes place and (2) that at which the color changes. Continue heating ten minutes. 2. Cook a second cube of exactly the same size as in (1), but do not soak it. ; 3. Take a third cube like the others, grind or chop it into very small pieces, and cook as in (1). Compare the resulting broths. B. PREPARE SOUP. Allow a pint and a half of water for each pound of meat and bone. Remove the fat by passing a small piece of ice, wrapped in a cloth, around on the surface of the soup. Divide into two portions. 1. Clear the first portion with the white of an eggMeat Soup. Beat the egg slightly and crush the shell, allowing one egg white and shell to each two quarts of soup. Add to the soup, bring slowly to the boiling point, and skim, or strain through cloth. MEAT SOUPS 189 2. Serve the second portion with vegetables, or rice, macaroni, or barley. C. Class Experiment. THE USE OF BONES IN SOUP. Examine the structure of a piece of bone. Put two pieces as nearly alike as possible to soak, one in dilute hydrochloric acid, the other in water. Let them stand in a cool place for several days. Compare the results. On what has the acid acted ? Examine the ossein which is left. Now cook each bone separately in just enough water to cover and until the water is boiled down to one- half the amount. Let cool. Compare the consistency. MEAT SOUPS Liebig, who is sometimes called the father of organic chemistry, taught that protein was the sole source of muscular energy, and that meat extracts were of great nutritive value. Even Liebig afterwards realized that this last was wrong, that the meat extract was a stimulant instead of a food. But notwithstanding, the notion was held in popular opinion for a long time, and some people to-day still believe the meat extract gives strength to invalids. True meat extracts are mainly composed of the flavoring matter of meat with some mineral salts. Practi- cally no fat, no gelatine, or other proteins are present. We can see readily that this means no real food value. The extracts may have then- place, however, as stimulants. They are often fed to invalids under special conditions, or used to flavor soups or sauces. Only slightly more nutritious are the home-made meat broths and beef tea. They contain some protein, partly gelatine, and a little fat, but are, after all, mostly water. A pint of beef broth made from a pound of beef and a half 190 FOOD STUDY