In selecting a piece of beef, see that it is of a bright red colour and not coarse in the grain ; the fat must be of a light yellow appearance, nicely intermixed with the lean and soft to the touch. Us flavour and quality will depend, as a matter of course, entirety on the breed and food of the animal ; but in either case it is advisable that INTRODUCTION. 7 a joint should be hung some days in a cool dranghty place before cooking. Beef of a brown and dull colour, with flaccid fat, but firm and hard to the touch, must be avoided, as these marks are true indications of inferior quality meat. VEAL. Yeal is divided into seven parts, besides the head, tail, and feet — 1. Leg of veal, from which cushions and scallops are cut, otherwise called fillets, and is the best part of the veal for braising and stewing. 2. Loin and kidney, for roasting. 3. Cutlets, for broiling. 4. Breast, for stewing and roasting. 5. Neck, for stewing and boiling. 6. Shoulder, for stewing and boiling. 7. Knuckle, for boiling. Veal must always be chosen of a light colour; the fat must be perfectly white and transparent Yeal of a reddish tint and lean should be rejected, as it is of an inferior quality. For the same reason avoid coarse flesh and big joints of veal, as these are sure signs that the animal was an old one when killed (see the chapter on veal). 8 PRACTICAL HOUSEHOLD COOKERY. MUTTON. Mutton is divided in six parts, besides the head and kidneys : — 1. Leg, for roasting and boiling. 2. Loin, for chops. 3. Best neck or cutlets, for broiling and stewing. 4. Breast, for stewing. 5. Neck end or scrag, for boiling and stewing. 6. Shoulder, for roasting. The quality of mutton is known by the same signs as good beef : its flesh must be of a bright red colour, with white transparent fat; in a like manner, prime mutton depends, for quality and flavour, on the breed and feediog ; sheep with black legs and heads yield the best mutton. Mutton of a dull red colour, with yeUow and opaque fat, is of an inferior quality. Remarks on New Zeajj^d Mutton and Auerican Beef. There is a general prejudice among the well to-do classe.*? against buying fresh meat imported from America and Austiulia. This, however, ought not to be, as both are INTRODUCTION. 9 equal in taste and quality to the ordinary English -bred meat; and if the consumers would only waive their fan- cies, they would soon find that it is a very difficult task to tell one from the other, even amongst would-be con- noisseurs. How many hundred legs of New Zealand mutton are sold daily in Great Britain as English, bred and fed, is beyond my power to tell. Suffice it to say, that out of the several thousand carcasses imported weekly into this country from Australia, not the half of that number is sold as such. What becomes of the others ? That is the question ; and if you cannot guess, I am afraid your butcher will not be able to tell you, for the very simple reason that he does not keep it himself — at least so he will say. The same thing applies to Australian and American beef. Only first quality New Zealand mutton and American beef should, however, be bought; and in either case the meat must be hung for a few days in a cool and dmughty place, previous to cooking. Behakes on Boiled Meat.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In selecting a piece of beef, see that it is of a bright red colour and not coarse in the grain ; the fat must be of a light yellow appearance, nicely intermixed with the lean and soft to the touch. Us flavour and quality will depend, as a matter of course, entirety on the breed and food of the animal ; but in either case it is advisable that a joint should be hung some days in a cool draughty place before cooking. Beef of a brown and dull colour, with flaccid fat, but firm and hard to the touch, must be avoided, as these marks are true indications of inferior quality meat. VEAL. Veal is divided into seven parts, besides the head, tail, and feet — 1. Leg of veal, from which cushions and scallops are cut, otherwise called fillets, and is the best part of the veal for braising and stewing. 2. Loin and kidney, for roasting. 3. Cutlets, for broiling. 4. Breast, for stewing and roasting. 5. Neck, for stewing and boiling. 6. Shoulder, for stewing and boiling. 7. Knuckle, for boiling. Veal must always be chosen of a light colour; the fat must be perfectly white and transparent Veal of a reddish tint and lean should be rejected, as it is of an inferior quality. For the same reason avoid coarse flesh and big joints of veal, as these are sure signs that the animal was an old one when killed (see the chapter on veal). MUTTON. Mutton is divided in six parts, besides the head and kidneys : — 1. Leg, for roasting and boiling. 2. Loin, for chops. 3. Best neck or cutlets, for broiling and stewing. 4. Breast, for stewing. 5. Neck end or scrag, for boiling and stewing. 6. Shoulder, for roasting. The quality of mutton is known by the same signs as good beef : its flesh must be of a bright red colour, with white transparent fat; in a like manner, prime mutton depends, for quality and flavour, on the breed and feediog ; sheep with black legs and heads yield the best mutton. Mutton of a dull red colour, with yeUow and opaque fat, is of an inferior quality. Remarks on New Zealand Mutton and Auerican Beef. There is a general prejudice among the well to-do classes against buying fresh meat imported from America and Australia. This, however, ought not to be, as both are equal in taste and quality to the ordinary English -bred meat; and if the consumers would only waive their fancies, they would soon find that it is a very difficult task to tell one from the other, even amongst would-be connoisseurs. How many hundred legs of New Zealand mutton are sold daily in Great Britain as English, bred and fed, is beyond my power to tell. Suffice it to say, that out of the several thousand carcasses imported weekly into this country from Australia, not the half of that number is sold as such. What becomes of the others ? That is the question ; and if you cannot guess, I am afraid your butcher will not be able to tell you, for the very simple reason that he does not keep it himself — at least so he will say. The same thing applies to Australian and American beef. Only first quality New Zealand mutton and American beef should, however, be bought; and in either case the meat must be hung for a few days in a cool and draughty place, previous to cooking. REMARKS on Boiled Meat.

Practical household cookery