The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-07-28
Wasting Of Meats.

How much of our daily bread-that
is, meats wasted between the larder
and the table is one of those things that
g no fellow can find OUT" but it is pos
sible to designate few of the ways of
waste. At the top of the list stands
the practice of washing meat, not with
soap and water, as one of our far-away
correspondents claims to attend the abb
lutions of such unfortun ate chickens as
fall into her hands, but with IS plenty
of clean, cold water" Of course the
daughter of nea: New England ought
to know better than to set aside all the
precepts of her cleanly ancestry, but
here she takes her stand with vigorous
protest against the meat-washing of any
save smoked or over-salteo viands. She
persists in wiping flesh and fowl with q
clean wet cloth, which will remove any
mildly Objectionable substance. If such
gentle means are insufficient she deals
no more with the butcher who sent her
more than her fair share of that "peck
of dirt" She insists that the washing
of meats wastes their nutriment with
every drop of animal fluid that the
water attracts to itself, unless the same
water be used for soups, stews or sauces,
action of water there is an instantane-
water be at the boiling point and there
maintained. Once the actual cooking
of meat is commenced the unavoidable
waste of its substance may be estimated
at about one-third in bulk, except in
frying. All the various methods of
| cookery may be concentrated under
IA of
rect heat from the fire or from hot air,
as in roasting, broiling and baking. 2.
The action of hot water or steam, as in
boiling, stewing. braising and steam
ing. The instantaneous soaring of the
surface of food by intense surround
ing heat, as in frying. The actual
waste in substance proceeding from
these different methods may be stated
as follows: Four pounds of meat will
lose in roasting or broiling before the
the oven one pound and quarter; in
careful boiling, stewing or braising one
pound; in trying, !. e., entire immersion
at the first thought the latter method
might seem the most economical. This
is not the case, for in stews, braises and
thick soups, carefully made, nearly all
the nutriment which the meat loses is
preserved in the broth or sauce, which
both become vehicles for the addition
of cheap and satisfactory aliment in the
form of dumplings or vegetables. Such
addition is necessary in order to make
a given quantity of boiled meats as nu-
tritious as an equal bulk of roasted or
broiled meat. All broths and stews
should be cooked slowly and kept
closely covered, so that no nutriment is
caused by violent ebullition. Another
source of waste is the removal of the
scum which rises to the surface of the
scum is composed largely of the albu-
meat. and it should not be removed un-
from the broth for clear soup it should
be added to whatever thick soup OF
stew is under preparation. The process
and results to that of stewing, and pre-
and digestive form. 1t is at this point
that the advisability of frying may be
questioned, even supposing that the
the case; by bad frying the dyspepsis
flourishes, while by frying well done all
the Juices and the substance of the fooG
are retained, but the crust produced by
the action of the hot fat can not fail tt
tax weak digestive powers.
Unquestionably the broiling and
roasting of meat literally the leas
economical ways of dressing it-presen1
it in the most palatable and wholesome
form. Both in boiling and roasting th'
meat should be exposed to the direct
heat of clear hot fire, so that Hgh'
crisp crust may be quickly formed ant
serve to retain the juices of the meat
in broiling, this crust will form close t.
a hot fire in about three minutes TO
each side of the meat; in roasting. with
joint, may be Drowned in fifteen min
utes; in baking meat in hot oven
about twenty minutes will be required
Although baking resembles roasting
somewhat, the results are less desirable
because the hot fat spatters from mea
and burns up on the interior of the Ovel
producing unpleasant and unwholesom
vapors unless the oven is very well ven
tilated. Slow baking and that accom-
plished by irregular heat, are sources O
great waste Of nutriment and flavor.
To avoid waste in broiling and roast
ing, the fire must be clear, hot an
steady, and the meat exposed directl
to its heat until its surface is Drowned
1t may then be set little away from tn
fire, but a regular heat must be mair
tanned. All drippings and gravy mus
be preserved and in broiling meat owe
the fire grooved gridiron must be use
to keep the fat from falling on tn
Goals and blazing up against the mea
The free circulation of air renders bot
these methods desirable, and very littl
change takes place in the chemical col
stituents of the flesh. Underdone roas,
and broils may be more savory and POI
sibly more nutritious than those we
done, but they are less digestible, an
consequently less economical, for tn
economy of food lies wholly in tn
nOurishment it furnishes the system.
Even after the meats are properl
cooked the chances of waste continu
through all the phases of unskillfr
carving, injudicious serving and disr,
gard for the remains of joints, frol
which may be made many savory r,
gouts, salmis, minces, croquettes an
kindred dishes. When unskillful car
ing is apprehended, the COOK may d
minish the possibilities of disaster b
boning the joints, replacing the hone
with stutfing and devoting them to tt
soup-pot.
The actual nutritive value of bones
but little known; they are even rel'
lively valuable, the bones of the legs I
, animals affording more nutriment ths
those of the back and ribs. During g.
periments undertaken at the instance
, the English Government, DR.. Edwal
Smith demonstrated that under Ion
! continued boiling the amount of hea
food produced from bones equaled on
! third of that contained in beef, and IL
quantity of fesh-food relatively on
, sixth. From personal experience Il
2 statement may be made that the add
! tion of vegetables to bones affords Il
basis of broth both palatable and Who'll