Manual for army cooks

The contracts for fresh mutton require that the carcasses shall be trimmed as follows : The heads shall be cut off at first vertebral joint, the shanks of forequarters at the knee joint, and of hind quarters at the hock joint. Method of cutting. No. 1. — The leg or haunch. No. 2.— The loin. No. 3. — The fore quarter. No. 4.— "The neck. No. 5. — The breast and fore leg. A chine is two necks. A saddle is two loins. PORK. Hogs make the best bacon when they weigh about 150 pounds. They should be fed on corn six weeks before killing time. Method of cutting. Nos. 1 and 2. — Head and snout. No. 3. — Hock, for boiling. No. 4. — Fore leg, for boiling. No. 5.— Shoulder, for steaks. No. 7. — Side meat or bacon. No. 8. — Loins, for chops or roast. No. 9. — Ham, to fry, boil, or bake. No. 10. — Feet, for jelly or pickle. No. 6. — Top of neck, for sausage. A chine is two loins undivided. METHOD OF CUTTING VEAL. No. 1. — End of loin, for roasts. No. 2. — Loin, for roasts or cutlets. No. 3. — Rib, for roasts or chops. No. 4. — Neck, for stew or soup. No. 5. — Head, for soup or jelly. No. 7.— Breast, for stew. No. 8. — Shank, for stew or soup. No. 9.— Feet, for jelly. No. 10. — Fillet, for roasting. No. 11. — Knuckle, for stewing. No. 6. — Sweetbreads, located between the neck and stomach, on each side of the windpipe, between the fore legs. The fore quarter is divided into two pieces called tlie brisket or breast, and rack. HOW TO SAVE DRIPPINGS. A nutritions and palatable soup can be made from the drippings of roasted meats. Mutton fat is not suitable for drippings, being too strongly flavored. When meat has been roasted there is always a mixture of juice and fat at the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour the grease which is on the top into a sauce pan, keeping the juice underneath, to serve with the meat. Place the grease on the fire and let it cook until it stops sizzling. The sizzling indicates that there is still liquid in the fat which must be thoroughly evaporated or it will prevent its preservation. Pour through a fine strainer into an earthen jar, and it will keep indefinitely, if in a cool place. The grease of different meats can be kept in the same jar just as they may happen to be cooked ; in fact their mixture is an improvement. Not only can soup be made from these drippings, but they may also be used for frying or cooking in most all cases where lard or butter is used for those purposes. Three jars of drippings should be kept constantly on hand — one for frying fish, one for vegetables, and one for soup and meats. This number is necessary, so the grease left from frying can always be strained back into the jar from which it was taken without injuring the other fat. About once a month, unless entirely used, all the grease should be removed, melted, and strained anew back into the jars, after they have been thoroughly cleansed and scalded. BUTTER. When butter has become rancid it may be rendered again eatable by melting it and shaking it repeatedly with boiling water for the purpose of removing the free fatty acids. Slightly rancid butter may be made fresh for immediate use on the table by rechurning it in fresh milk, and then washing and salting as in the original process for making butter.