Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-16
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FRIDAY EV4N'G., NOVEMBER IT,
Rules for Marketing-HOw to (hOOs c
Cheap and Good Food.

whitish fat, laid moderately thick upon the
back and about the kidneys; the flesh is close
grained, having but few streaks of tat running
through it, and is of pale red color, and GOV
cred with q rough yelowish skin. Poor beef
is dark red, gristly and tough to the touch,
| with scaDty layer Of soft, oily fat. Buy meat
as cheap as you can, but be sure it is fresh;
slow and long cooking will make tough meat
| tender, but tainted meat is only fit to throw
away. Never use il. You would by doing so
invite disease to enter the home where smiling
health should reign. The best way to detect
taint in aDy kidd OF meat is to 1un sharp,
thin knife blade close to the bone, and then
smell it to sce if the oder is sweet. Wipe the
knife after ycu use it, a small, sharp, wooden
skcRer will answer. but it must be scraped
every time it is used. If, when you are doubt
tul about piece Of meat, the butcher refuses
to let you apply this test carefully enough to
avoid iDiuripg the meat you will be safe 10
thinking he is airad of the result.
Mutton. The flesh Of the second quality OF
mutton is dark red aud close grained, with very
| few threads Of fat running through it; the tat
| is rather soft and is laid thin on the back and
| kidneys, closely adhcriug to them. The poor
est healthy quality has very pale flesh and thin
white far. and The meat paris easily from the
bone. Diseased mutton has decidedly yellow
lat and very soft flesh, of loose texture. Tainted
mutton smells bad; test it as you would beef
Lamb.-A carcass ofamb should weigh about
twcntv.tiy pounds before ii Is old enough to be
wholesome and nourishiDg food; before it has
reached that age it is Watery and deficient IN
the elements OF strength; at any age 1t is more
suitable food Tor women and children than Tor
healthy men. The flesh Of tho second quality
oil lamb is soft and rather red, compared With
the piukish white meat Of choice kinds; the fat
is more scanty and the general appearance
coarscr. The poorest lamb has yellow tat and
lean, fabby red meat, which keeps but short
timc Test the freshness OF lamb by touching
the kidney fat; if it is soft and moist the meat
is on the verge OF spelling; bad smcll indi.
Gates that it is already taintcd it Is utterly un
fit for use.
Veal. The flesh OF the second quality OF veal
is red ia contrast with the pnkish white color
of the prime sort, and the fat is whittier, coarser
grained and less abundant. The poorest kind
has decidedly red flesh and very little kidney
fat. The neck is the first part that taints, and
it can easily be tested: tho oln is Just spelling
when tho kidney fat begins to grow soft and
cammy. or
Read this sentence about bob veal carefully,
and be sure to remember it. 1t is the flesh OF
calves killed when two or three weeks old, or
that of "dcacopcd calves" which are killed al
most as soon as they are born for the value of
their skins. This practice cannot be too harsh
" condemned as a criminal waste of food; tor
stock raiser or farmer who knows his business
can feed his calves until they reach healthy
maturity without seriously interfering with his
supply Of milk. The flesh of bob veal is q soft,
| labby, sticky substance, OF ropy, gelatinous
| nature; and, being the first flesh unchanged by
| -l.L E nd fonI
devoid OF the elements necessary to transform
| it into wholesome food. 1t should never bo
eaten.
Polk.-Thc second quality Of pork has rah-
| cr hard, red flesh aud yelloWish fat. The poor
est kind has dark, coarse grained meat, soft fat
| ard dscolored kidneys The flesh of stale pork
| is moist and cammy, and its smell betrays its
condition. NIeasy pork has little kernels in
! tho fat, and is unhealthy and dangerous food.
After testing, as you would beef, so as TO sec if
| it is fresh, and making sure that it is not
measy, we have still to dread the presence of
trichina, dangerous parasite present in the
| flesh of some hogs. The surest prevention of
danger from this cause is thorough cooking.
which destroys any germs that may exist 10 the
meat. Cook your pork until it is crisp and
brown, by good, steady, fire, or IN boiling wa
| ter, OF least twenty minutes to each pound.
Pork eaten in cold weather, or moderately ID
summer, alternately with other meats, is
| paIatable and nutritious food 1t has hard
fibre, and needs to be thoroughly chcwcd in
order to be perfectly digestcd; for that reason it
should be sparingly used by the young and the
very old. The least fat is found n the leg, which
contains an excess of flesh forming elements,
and resembles lean beef in composition the
most fat is 10 the face and belly. When cured
az bacon it readily takes on the anti septic &C.
ton Of salt and smoke, and becomes valuable
adjunct 10 vegetable food, as we'll as pleasant
relish; ard 10 this shape is one OF the most I'M
portant articles in general use.
Poultry-As little feast is only reason
able anticipation for Christmas, some rules Tor
buyiug the different sorts, and few simple re-
ceipts for cooking them palatably, will not come
amiss.
Fresh poultry mag be Known By its full,
BRIGHT eyes, p!iabc feet and soft, moist skin;
the best is plump, fat aud nearly white, and
the grain of the flesh is fue. The feet and
neck OF young fowl arc large in proportion to
its size, and the tip Of the breast bone il soft
aud easily bent between The fingers; young
cock has soft, loose snurs, and long, tull,
bright red comb Old fowls have long, thin
pccks aud iect, and the flesh on tho legs and
back has a rurpiish shade. Chickens and fowls
are always 10 season.
TURKEYS when good are white aul plump,
have full breasts and smooth legs, generally
black, with soft loose spur:; hen turkeys are
smaller, lattcr and plumpcr, but Of inferior tav'
OF; full grown turkeys arc the best Tor boiling,
as they do rot tear in dressing; old turk keys
have long hairs, and the fash is purpIlsh where
it shows under the skin on the legs and
back. About March they deterlorate in quality.
Youog ducks and geese are plump, with
light. s4m transparent fat, soft breastbone, ten
der flesh, leg joints which will break by the
: weight Of the bird, fresh co'ored and brittle
bcaks, and windpipc5 that break when pressed
between | the thumb and foreGoger. They arr
best 10 fail and winter.
Young pigeons havo light red flesh upon thu
breast, and full, fresh colored legs; when the IN
logs are thin, and tho breasts very dark, thf
birds are old.
The gi5!ets of poultry consist of the head
neck, wings. feet, gizzsrd heaGt and liver an'
Fish'-Al Though fish contains more water