Selection and preparation of food

Compare the above as to odor and taste. Why are the extractives of meat important? What can you say as to the nutritive value of the extracted meat in (2) ? Would the filtrate in (3) gelatinize on cooling? What is the value of flavor in food ? Experiment 57. Effect of Heat on Meat. Extract 25 grams of finely minced lean beef with J c of cold water. Strain through cheesecloth. Add a second portion of water and repeat the treatment until the meat has lost its red color. Heat the filtrate carefully, noting the temperature : (a) At which the small white flakes begin to appear. (b) At which a heavy precipitate forms. (c) At which the red color disappears. (d) At which the solution clears. What deductions can be drawn from these experiments as to the changes which have taken place in rare cooked beef? Is rare cooked beef a safe food? Why? What caused the solution to clear ? Experiment 58. Methods of Cooking Meat. (a) 1. Place 3 or 4 ounces of lean beef in the top of the double boiler in sufficient cold water to cover it. Place over cold water and heat, cooking 30 minutes from the time the water boils in the lower part of the boiler. 2. Duplicate the above arrangement, but have the water boiling when the meat is added. See to it that every Laboratory Manual 33 part of the surface of the meat is covered instantly by the water ; cook for 30 minutes. 3. Remove the pieces of meat, and pour the broths into suitable dishes for comparison. Is there a marked difference between the two? Explain. Is there a difference in the flavor of the two pieces of meat? Compare the original weight and compute percentage of loss. What are some of the constituents lost by cooking meat according to each of these methods ? (b) 1. Sear a small piece of lean beef quickly on all sides in a hot frying pan. Cook 3 minutes. 2. Place a similar piece in a cold frying pan and heat slowly for 5 minutes without turning, then turn and finish the cooking. Remove the meat and add \ c of water to each pan. Heat the water, stirring well until all the dried juices adhering to the pans are taken up by the water. Compare the washings from the two pans. What are the objections to the last method ? What constituents may be lost in part by even the most careful pan broiling? Account for the difference in flavor between meat which has been cooked in water and that which has been broiled. Experiment 59. Preparation of Tender Meat (Beef). Explain use of terms tender and tough as applied to meat. What are the objects in cooking tender meat? (a) Broiling. 1. Complete the following tabulation: Cost of steak. Weight as purchased. 34 Preparation of Food Weight when trimmed for broiling. Weight after broiling. Per cent, of loss in cooking. Weight of refuse. Cost per pound of edible portion. Inner temperature when done. Time required. See that the steak is cut at least i J inches in thickness. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and trim off excess of fat. Broil over live coals or under gas, turning each minute for 3 minutes, after which complete the cooking at a lower temperature. The total time required varies from 8 to 20 minutes, according to the thickness of the steak and the degree of cooking desired.