Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-11
Some Points In Cookery.

Mcderately-sized joints properly
roasted in a close chamber are FAR bet
ter than similar joints cooked with the
utmost skill in front of fire. The En-
glish prejudice against baked meats and
in favor of roasted meat is in reality
not founded on the superiority of the
latter. The temperature of the oven
should ut first be above the point which
is to be maintained throughout the bak-
ing. The object of this is to produce n
crust on the surface of the meat that
shall partially seal it. and keep in the
juices rs much as possible. Then the
temperature may fall to the average.
which should Lbe. well kept up, and
rather raised toward the last. Blasting
assists in sealing the surface, and
diminishes the evaporation of the Juices
Of the meat. the chief difference be-
tween well-roasted and ill-roasted meat
depending upon this. The smaller the
ioint the more frequently should it be
basted, to prevent desiccation and its
accompanying toughness and indigest-
Utility.
When meat is broiled there is 10
harm done by the flame caused by the
combustion of the fat of the meat.
Meat may be broiled in its own flame,
and though the outside edges may be
blackcned. the violent expansion of the
Juices within when so suddenly heated
! plump up the lean almost to bursting,
aud the inside juicy red meat, though
apparently raw, win be fully cooked.
When water boi!s no amour of heat
will raise it in any open vessel above
the boiling point. When this point Is
reached no more fire is needed than
simply TO maintain the temperature at
this point. Water boiling violently and
water only simmering cook vegetables
equally fast. If this were well under
stood great deal of fuel that is now
wasted would be saved.
The cooking temperature for animal
food is regulated by the coagulation of
albumen, which commences at rather
below 100 deg. more than % deg. be-
low the boiling point of wa'er. The
proper mode of boiling eggs is to put
say four eggs in a pint of boiling wafer,
remove it from the fire and allow the
eggs to remain in the water from ten to
fifteen minutes. The cold eggs reduce
the temperature from PIP deg. to near
NhN NOONiLZ III
allure of coa2ulation of the yelk is lower
than that of the white, and lest the
yelk be cooked too much the egg should
not remain in the hot water over fifteen
minutes. A pint of boiling water
placed on the breakfast table in a
bright metal dish well covered will per-
NIT one TO cook his own eggs and have
them just to his liking.
In boiling Joint the best efforts of
the cook should be directed to r tanning
the juices within the meat, and allow
ing the smallest possible quantity to
come out into the water. In stewIng,
the business is to get as much as posi-
bic cut of the meat-to separate the
juices from the meat and convey them
To the water. The cruel murder that is
commonly perpetrated on good mutton
chops, in preparing Irish stews, is very
deplorablc. The chops are put into =
saucepan of water. and the water is
kept at the boiling point. whereby the
albumen Is at once coagu'a ted. thus
hindering the ready exosmoSis of the
juices. This is continued until both al
bumen and iibrine are 20 much hardened
that they contract rs the white OF an
egg does when used as n cement.
The French peasant does more with
one pound Of meat than the English
cook with three or four. The little Bit
of meat and the large supply of vegeta-
bles are placed in pot. and this in an
other vessel containing water-the balm
marie. This stands on the embels of n
poor little wood fire, and is left there
until dinner-time, under conditions that
render boiling impossible, and demand
little or no further attention from the
cook; consequently the meat, when re
moved, Las parted with its Juices TO the
! p1tage, but it is not curled up bv the
contraction of the hardened albumen
nor reduced to stringy fibers. II is ten
der. eatable and enjoyable that is,
when the proper supply of saline u'ces
o: the meat, plus the saline Juices of the
vegetables. have been taken into the
| system. That stew should never be
boiled, nor placed in a position on the
fire where boiling is possible, should be
regarded as q primary axiom in cooking
where stewing is concerned.-L,c.ure
on Cookery by Mr.. w. ". William.