The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-03-29
ROUsEKEEPERS COLUMN
IafopRnti.n Of Vuins Regarding Meat
Cookery.


W. B. Tegetmeir, has mucA general in
formation ..oi vital interest to house
keepers. The following extract OH the
composition of meat is portion OF the
second chapter of the volume:
'sMeat, or the flesh of animals u ed :or
rood, consists of several very distinct
substances, each of which possesses DIFF
ferent qualities. Some of these sub
stances are hardened, others soiteDed, by
heat; some dissolved and others rendered
tough by boiling water. 1t is therefore
necessary to understand the nature OF
these different substances, in order to
perform the different operations of
cooking in the best and most economical
manner. II we take some small shreds
of lean meat and wash them repeatedly
in clean water, rubbing them at the
same time, We shall wash away all the
soluble part, and at last there will re-
main nothing but some white threads,
which constitute the ibrous part of the
flesh of the animal from which they
were obtained. We could in this man
ner obtain about fifteen pounds from
every one hundred pounds of flesh. This
substance of which these threads are
composed is termed fibrin; it is an al /
1umenoid article of food. Fibrin also .
exists dissolved in the blood of living /
animals, and when the fresh blood of
rfg or other animal is stirred as is done
IN making black puddings the fibrin
separates and adheres to the stick in
iong tbres. The action of heat on fibrin
= very important. 1t is hardened and
contracted by a neat as great as that of
'roiling water. This is easily shown by
occurring boiling water on the threads
obtained by washing meat, or by cutting
& thin shred OF meat in the direction OF
the flores, boiling it for few minutes,
and then noticing the alteration in it's
s,1e and the hardening it has undergone {
In water that is considerably less hot :
than boiling, the fibres of meat become {
soft; consequently, any meat, even if &
odd and tough, can be rendered use I
tnl for food by long. continued stewng. f
ri heat much less than that of boiling
water a
when meat is thoroughly washed to T
obtain the fibrin, a soluble substance, 8
rimilar to the white of an egg, passes j
away in the water. This is termed d
aIbumen. There are from three to five f
rounds OF albumen in every hundred {
POUNDS of meat it also forms a very t.
large proportion OF the brain and of the t
BLOOD, In cold or warm water it is easily u
dissolved, but If heated to nearly the Il
boiling point OF water it becomes solid Fl
II a piece OF fresh meat is suddenly u
plunged fora few minutes into water
quite boiling thealbumen at the outside
= hardened, and becoming sold pre- S
rents the escape OF the juices which form 81
he gravy. Exposed to heat greater is
han that Of boiling crater albumen be- C.
'omes very horny and indigestible, but Ell
when properly cooked it is one of the bl
most valuable articles of diet. in
The tendinous or gristly parts of the at
iesh such as cows heel. the sinewy parts ar
bout the joints, also the skin and the II
'ntlitive parts Of the bones, consist as
hiefy of peculiar substance termed pl
elatin. This is valuable albumenoid
rticle of food when used with other sub m
tances. Gelatin and gelatinous articles pr
flood may be dissolved by boiling, and ST.
he solution becomesta jelly when cold. on
ielatin is rendered hard and horny by ST.
ny heat, and therefore the sinewy and ak
parts Of meats are better 81,
dapted for stewing or boiling than fer BIO
casting, bioiling or frying. IF Gu
nantity of lean meat be chopped up its
mall and placed in a closely covered mi
arthern pot, without water, and the pot bI,
e then put in saucepan of water by co
he side of the fire, SO as to be very .o,
radually heated, the juice OF the flesh
'ill escape. AT first this will be of a Az
dior, being tiLged with little blood, q
nut if heated to greater degree it will no
'ecome brown. The juice OF the flesh an,
ontains many substances of the greatest III
alue as food, and meat from which it is a.,
xtracted is of very superior value. All fo,
perations OF cookery should be con nm
ucted so rs 10 prevent, as far as possible.
ny loss of this valuable fluid. When :