Principles of cooking

Rump. — This cut contains the end of the hip bone and joint. There is considerable bone, but the remainder * i SW ito, ei" — Ris, Ris. Loin. Rump. BD CHUCK. Cuts OF BEEF. (From Conley’s Nutrition and Diet.) makes very good steaks and roasts. It is also excellent for pot roast, boiling, braizing, stews, and mincemeat. Chuck. — This cut is next to the prime ribs cut and similar to it, but contains more bone and gristle and is not so tender. It makes a very good, though large, roast and is sold sometimes as steaks, and by some preferred to the ‘round, because it is mottled with fat. It is excellent for stews, pot roast, boiling, braizing, and mincemeat. Clod. — This cut is back of the brisket and below the chuck. It is sold for boiling, stews, braizing, and mincemeat. Flank. — This cut comes from below the loin. It is boneless and coarse, but of good flavor. Flank steak is sometimes cut from the lean muscle on the inside of the flank. This steak may be scored across the grain and broiled. It is also rolled and braized. Flank cut is used for stews, boiling, and rolled and corned. Neck. — This cut contains juicy, tough meat. It is used in stews, soup, and Hamburg steaks. Plate. — This cut comes from below the ribs. It has layers of fat and lean and the ends of the ribs. It is used for boiling and corning. Shank. — These cuts are the fore and hind legs. They are tough, and contain bone and tendons. They are used for soup, cheap stews, and mince meat. PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE COOKING OF MEAT But three principles are involved in the cooking of all meats, and a statement of these principles is made before recipes are given which apply them. I. Tender cuts of.meat are broiled, fried, or roasted: The meat is first subjected to strong heat which coagulates the albumin, and this formsa crust which retains the juices in the meat. If the cut is thick enough, the meat will then cook in its own juices, and if this cooking is continued long enough, it will soften the connective tissue also. If the cut is thin, dry heat will harden the connective tissue. Strong heat is needed at first, to form the crust and to develop flavor, but the heat should be reduced somewhat after this is accomplished or the meat will cook at too high a temperature and be dry and tasteless. This method of cooking should not be applied to tough cuts of meat, because it does not soften the tough connective tissue. II. Tougher cuts of meat are boiled, stewed, or cooked by some method that combines the stewing and roasting. Meat is cooked in either a large or small quantity of water, at a temperature of 170°-180° F. for several hours. This long, slow cooking in water softens the elastin and collagen, forms of connective tissue which occur in muscle fiber, and coagulates the proteins, and this method of cooking makes tough meat tender. The meat should be started in boiling water, but after the first fifteen minutes, the heat should be reduced, and the meat allowed to cook slowly. Low heat softens the connective tissue, while boiling dissolves it and leaves a stringy mass of fibers. Sometimes the first method and second are combined, and meat is subjected to strong heat at first to sear over the outside and develop flavor, and then the meat is stewed. III. Very tough cuts of meat are used for soup making because they are apt to be juicy, and it is more economical to use cheap cuts for this purpose. Meat is placed in cold water and allowed to stand; the cold water draws out the soluble albumins, extractives, and other soluble compounds. The meat is then slowly heated to about 160° F. and al-