FoodNet

War cook book

1918

Page 8

Presented as published in 1918. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
(3) My using meat less frequently; (4) By paying careful attention to the use of meat bone, fat and small portions commonly trimmed off and thrown away ; (5) By utilizing all left-overs ; (6) By utilizing all cuts and organs of the animal to the best advantage; ( 7 ) By combining meat with other foods in such a way that the meat flavor is extended; (8) By using meat substitutes. TOUGH CUTS OF MEAT. These can be made tender in preparation by using low moist heat for a long cooking period; by hacking as in flank steak; by pounding as in Swiss steak; or by grinding as in Hamburger steak, to break up the connective tissue and muscle fibers. PROCESSES FOR COOKING MEAT. If we reduce meat cooking to its simplest terms, we find there are only three processes for cooking meat. The process w^e choose depends on the cut we have and the results we desire. They are : 1. Application of intense heat to keep in the juices as in broiling and roasting of tender cuts. WARCOOKBOOK 29 2. Use of lower temperature (in almost cold water and heating slowly to less than boiling point) to ex- tract juices as in making soups from soup bones, gristle and very tough cuts. 3. By a combination of these two processes which con- sists in searing meat over and then stewing it. The recipes following illustrate these three pro- cesses and modifications of it. ITALIAN METHOD FOR MAKING A TOUGH STEAK TENDER. Spread a tough steak with oil. Allow to remain several hours. Broil quickly, searing outside first, then allowing it to cook more slowly. When done, moisten it with 1 tablespoon vinegar. This softens the fibers. Meat Substitutes Animal Organs. LIVER. Veal liver is, of course, preferable, but beef liver may be made quite tender by boiling before cooking in the ordinary way. After boiling until tender, cut in half inch slices, remove the outside skin and veins, and dredge with cornmeal. Have ready a hot frying pan and a few slices of the portion of the bacon which 'is not used for the army. Pry out the bacon and re- move to hot platter. Fry the slices of liver in the bacon fat. Serve with bacon. SWEET BREADS. Sweetbreads spoil quickly and should be removed from the paper as soon as possible. Plunge into cold water and let it stand one hour, changing water two 30 WARCOOKBOOK or three times. Put in acidulated salted boiling water and cook slowly thirty minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water to keep white and firm. BROILED SWEETBREADS. After parboiling as above, split crosswise. Season with salt and pepper and broil eight minutes. Serve with lemon butter made by creaming four tablespoon- fuls oleomargarine and adding slowly two tablespoons of lemon juice. KIDNEYS. 1 pair kidneys 2 tablespoonfuls oleomargarine 2 tablespoonfuls corn flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon kitchen bouquet 1 tablespoonful mushroom catsup 2 tablespoonfuls orange juice 1 teaspoonful lemon juice Cayenne pepper