All the food nutrients needed by that body our found in our vegetables and fruits. As has been stated before, the body needs substances to build muscular tissues as well as to furnish heat and energy. The lean tissue of animals is one of the prin- cipal foods for this purpose. The tissue is made of bund- les which can be divided into smaller and small bundles until finally the division comes down to a singe fiber, which is an irregular shaped tube, but so small as to be invisible to the naked eye. magnified group of fibers and connecting tissue is shown IN the accompanying diagram. Structure of meat: A. Muscle fibre. B. Connective tissue. 0. Fat cells. 90 Bulletin of the University of Texas These muscular tubes have a distinct wall, are filled with a semi-fluid content, and are bound together in bundles by means of a thread-like sujbstance called connective tissue. How to Cook Meat. To cook any substance intelligently it is necessary to know of what it is composed, and at what temperature the material is best cooked to give the desired results. In the case of the meats we have in the muscular fibers substances called protein (pro'- te in), while the connective tissue binding these fibres together is a substance similar to gelatin. If protein is subjected to high temperature, as high as the boiling temperature, it toughens and shrinks. A high temperature, or the boiling temperature, is therefore not the best suited to keep the meat juicy and tender. Also a long continued boiling temperature melts the gelatin in the meat to such an extent that it runs out into the water, leaving a stringy, dry, shrunken mass .of fibres. For these reasons then, meat should not boil, but be cooked at a temperture just below the boiling point, or about 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is very tough, it should be cooked below the boiling point for a long period of time. Here the fireless cook- er is an excellent means of cooking, as a temperature below the boiling point is in this way maintained for a long time. If the meats are too tough add a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to the water in which they are cooked. The acid acts upon the connective tissue and softens it. Meat may also be made more tender by keeping it for a few days. Protect meat from spoiling by rubbing it with a mixture of salt and a little ginger and pepper, and keep in a cool place several days before cooking. When meat is thus kept for a few days, the muscles grow less rigid and an acid forms in the tissues which tenders and softens the fibres. In cooking meats, this further consideration should be borne in mind; when it is put into cold water and slowly brought to the boiling point, a large amount of nourishment is extracted in the water, while if it is quickly seared on the outside cut surface by plunging into boiling water or placing in hot skil- let or oven and turning quickly for a few minutes, the juices Simjjle Courses in Home Economics 91 are kept in. The proper method to pursue in cooking meat is therefore entirely determined by the end in view. In making a soup, the object is to extract as much as possible of the nutri- ment. In making a stew some of the nutriment should be ex- tracted into the gravy and a part left in the meat ; in broiling a steak, all the nutriment possible should be left in the steak. Cuts of Beef.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

All the food nutrients needed by that body are found in our vegetables and fruits. As has been stated before, the body needs substances to build muscular tissues as well as to furnish heat and energy. The lean tissue of animals is one of the principal foods for this purpose. The tissue is made of bundles which can be divided into smaller and small bundles until finally the division comes down to a singe fiber, which is an irregular shaped tube, but so small as to be invisible to the naked eye. [illustration: A magnified group of fibers and connecting tissue is shown in the accompanying diagram.] Structure of meat: A. Muscle fibre. B. Connective tissue. 0. Fat cells. 90 Bulletin of the University of Texas These muscular tubes have a distinct wall, are filled with a semi-fluid content, and are bound together in bundles by means of a thread-like substance called connective tissue. How to Cook Meat. To cook any substance intelligently it is necessary to know of what it is composed, and at what temperature the material is best cooked to give the desired results. In the case of the meats we have in the muscular fibers substances called protein (pro'- te in), while the connective tissue binding these fibres together is a substance similar to gelatin. If protein is subjected to high temperature, as high as the boiling temperature, it toughens and shrinks. A high temperature, or the boiling temperature, is therefore not the best suited to keep the meat juicy and tender. Also a long continued boiling temperature melts the gelatin in the meat to such an extent that it runs out into the water, leaving a stringy, dry, shrunken mass .of fibres. For these reasons then, meat should not boil, but be cooked at a temperature just below the boiling point, or about 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is very tough, it should be cooked below the boiling point for a long period of time. Here the fireless cooker is an excellent means of cooking, as a temperature below the boiling point is in this way maintained for a long time. If the meats are too tough add a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to the water in which they are cooked. The acid acts upon the connective tissue and softens it. Meat may also be made more tender by keeping it for a few days. Protect meat from spoiling by rubbing it with a mixture of salt and a little ginger and pepper, and keep in a cool place several days before cooking. When meat is thus kept for a few days, the muscles grow less rigid and an acid forms in the tissues which tenders and softens the fibres. In cooking meats, this further consideration should be borne in mind; when it is put into cold water and slowly brought to the boiling point, a large amount of nourishment is extracted in the water, while if it is quickly seared on the outside cut surface by plunging into boiling water or placing in hot skillet or oven and turning quickly for a few minutes, the juices Simjjle Courses in Home Economics 91 are kept in. The proper method to pursue in cooking meat is therefore entirely determined by the end in view. In making a soup, the object is to extract as much as possible of the nutriment. In making a stew some of the nutriment should be extracted into the gravy and a part left in the meat ; in broiling a steak, all the nutriment possible should be left in the steak. Cuts of Beef.

A simple course in home economics for rural schools