New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-01
THE ART OF CARVING.
Fran The Dyfpey

dered unjustiiiabe by every good housewife with
regard to carving knives and forks. These il is alb
solutcly essential should be in rst,rate order all
times. if she would not have legs OF mutton hacked
like ,i let's of wood, or her chickens torn and man
ged as though they had been subjected to that rail-
way accident before spoken of. The edge of the
knife must be Of preternaturally dangerous sharp
ness and the fork must not have been used too
persstenty as an impTomptu instrument for the
extraction Of recalcitrant cOTks. Bright straight,
sharp pointed pronGs and keen-edgcd flashing
blades. are indispensable for good carving Person
ally have preference for buck-horn handles, sill
yer bound and clamped--the round form, slight
curve, aud rather rough surface common TO them,
ahording grip and purchase absent from the Ord-
nary straight bevel-ed0ed ones Of ivory or bone.
BEARING these facts in mind, and remembering that
for carving Joints the handles Of the knife and fork
are to be short and the blades ami prongs long, and
that for game and poultry the very reverse Of thls
Is necessary. greater Grmnoss Of blade and point in
the latter being requisite, little further need
be SAID here concerning the carycT's tools.
First then FOR the srloin that noble and M
cquallcd specimen Of bovine production. The hliet
on uudcrcut from this joint being always better
when eaten hot rather than cold, should generally
claim the caryeI's FIST attention. 10 must be cut
tran3yersey into thick slices like tongue; as also
should be- the lat Mt the thinner end, portion Of
which should go with each slice Of lean from the
thicker. o. course the joint must bc turned over.
t. enable the carver TO get At it conveniently; ard.
according 70 the number Of persons 70 be helped he
shoud cut ~ many slices mt once before setting the
bone mp In its proper position again. By this means
be can. when helping from the main bulk OF the
joint, give portion Of the ilet to each, without
having constantly to turn the joint from
; l.. 9th No AT
people prefer that both upper and under side
Of a sirlon should be cut aiike-that is,
transverscly-and. though generally considered
an oxtrayagant way, it is not without its adyan-
tages; the chief Of these notably being that each
slice has an equalization OF brown and juicy meat
there being 50 10 speak, no outside cut. each
help having in a section. brown and UNDERGONE IN
the same Slice piece of the lat from the flap or
lower end of the joint must, of course, accompany
every portion. as IN the case OF tine hilet, and 1t
should Ice remembered that these two sorts Of fat
are very Inherent IN quality; the under, or fllei,
being of far more juicy, delicate and tender
quality than the upper especially when hot. The
upper however, accompanied a. il is by the cIackly
odgo OF skin, if choose to call it So Is exceed
ingly toothsome. with flavor peculiarly its own.
highly priced by the Briton.
The ordinar; plan of carving the sirloiD however,
recommends itself to most housewives rs the better.
from the fact that lean and fat 90 together Deccs
sarly with each slice. II Is generally advised that.
b,fore Ices are cut the point of the knife should
IL, inserted Il short distance between the meat and
the buue both Of the chine Tor short upright bonel
ard the rib COR long bonel. Then the knife has but
to be passed dcxtrOusly down the face of the meat
and each Slice comes away easily and clean from the
edges. Only, Of course. those who are helped hrst
in tins instance get the brown or well-doue Onslde
and those later on the under-dOne or Juicy. mere
fore ID s always necessary for the carver AS an act
OF common civility, 10 ask those whom he Is help
iuc whether their preference be for well or under
Sccs Of roast beef from the upper side cannot
well be- cut too thin when carved IN what call the
ordinary fashion excepting perhaps the nfst or nut
side Slice which admits from rs crlspness or nav
inga little more substance. The jolnt should DO
kopt perfectly straight upon the dlsh-that IS TO
say, at right angles with the line OF sight OK the
looking worse or more awkward
than for the meat to be twisted all awry; aud III
fact real facility is afforded by doing so, for. II
the carver does but strctch his arms oit iar enough
To bring his right hand and wrist we'll above the
Joint he will find that by holding the knife
almost perpendicuarly' and cutting down.
yard ne 81 mas th rrrN %itn rorc"sorv S1 p mo
account, cIther, may he stand UP, set his arms
akmbo, or bow hls back; all the strength requisite
can be exercised from his chair, by inelinlng the
body sufficiently forward. The muscular exerton
demanded ~ seldom greater than most ladies, with
practice, can supply, and they should not be de-
TERED by any slight sense OF iatIguo III Tue early
tie exercise well calculated TO strengthen their
hands and wrists, without in any way dlsigurng
them.
During all pauses in the carving, the knife and
fork should be placed on the knife rests and never
thrust aud left under the joint nor, while the
adds the gravy to the plate OF meat In front
of him, with the spOOn in his right hand. Is 1t well
for him to hold both knife aud fork in bunch. as 1t
were in his left To do this gives sloveny, hasty,
catug-house sort of effect to the process especlaly
IT. at the same time the dish be tilted with the left
hand. for tho easier filing OF the spoon MS IL al
ways an inelegant proceeding, calculated to endau,
ger the purity of the tabecoth, by the slulclng or
tie gravy over the edge of the dish, or, even worse
By the capsizng of the joint itself carver cannot
be too careful never to make mess and II every
dish has, as il should have We'll there Is no excuse
for his doing SO. tiny crust OF bread put under
one end of the dish to can't II little, In the absence
of gravy we'll is ut tie most all that can be par
doncd in the way of disturbing the equilibrium OF
If portion Of the garnsh of herse-radish is to
go with each helping It must be dispensed With the
be put In a vessel Of hot water, and placed at the
right hand of the dish up to the moment of using
SO essential too, arc hot plates TO perfect condi
on Of roast meat, that second plate for second
helping Is strongly 10 be advocated and for the
same reason, though dignlied calm should char
acterize the caTveTs behavior there should be, on
the other hand. no approach 10 dawdling
Attention TO simple details like these distin- |
cuisines tho good from the bad carver, and renders
the execution OF his or her task rather graceful
act than otherwise. In carving the sirlOn and sim
liar ribbed Joints. q TOO plant blade Is not |
desirable. When, however We are dealing with |
a round of beef lying Hat before us, or the |
boiled silver side or ieee Of roast so-ealled bonsd
again the slices cut too thin. Never either omit |
with these sorts of joints, where one has to cut |
directly toward the fork TO raise its finger guard,
for If the knife slip VIII straight over the
bow Of the pronCs 10 the imminent peril OF the |
carveTs hand. For, Of course, in manipulating |
piece of meat with the surface to be cut lying up
pormos, the left or fork hand Is higher than the
right or knife hnnd-nearly tho OF the post
ton necessary in carving Joint standing upright !
In this case the knife is held nearly perpendicu-
lnrlv the Fork nearly horz0ntally-just indeed, |
the contrary TO the manner of using the tools for
hat Joint. While referring to these latter, may GO
on 10 say that with the aitch-b0ne, as with the !
round Of beef it may be desirable to cut rather