Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-01-16
NOTES ON STEWlKG.
A Practical Lesson as to How 1t Is Prop.
erly Done.


Girls, says writer in Demorest's
Magazine, which one of you knows how
to make stew? 81 do" That is well.
Tell me how you do it, ooh, just take
some meat and potatoes, carrots, onions,
and any vegetables choose, put some
water on them, and boil them together,
and-that is all" You have described
great many stews in describing yours.
/ don't think should like any of them,
so / shall tell you how / make it, and /
want each one of you to try and follow
my directions, and if yo do so conscien-
tiously l think you will all be able to
make stew, and, what is more, good
stew.
The first step is to understand what
"stewing" is. Do not for one moment i'm
agine it is boiling, for they are distinct
ly different methods of cooking. Stew
ing is cooking by slow, gentle, moist
heat Keep this we'll in your mind.
You must not let your stew boil or you
change the character of your dish at
once. Boiling toughens meat; stewing,
on the contrary, softens the fibers and
renders it more tender.
In purchasing meat for stewing you
may take the cheaper, poorer parts,
where there is most blood. That is
where there has been most action. Now,
what part would you imagine that
would be? 'The legs" Yes, and al
though perhaps little tough they are
the juciest parts of beef. Pieces from
the round, chuck and upper portion Of
the shank are all good. The meat
should have some bone and fat, Cold
meats makes most excellent stew, as
the roasting or broiling it has already
gone through tends to improve the
flavor.
In preparing your meat you must first
wash it. How would you do that? "Put
it under the faucet and rub it we'll. "
You might just as well take the scrub
bing-brush to it! No; to wash meat take
clean cloth, wet it with cold water,
and wipe your meat carefully. Remem-
Der that cold water extracts the juices,
and all such losses must be carefully
guarded against. Cut you meat in small
pieces, take off superfuous fat and bone,
and keep the bone for the bottom of the
kettle; 1t will prevent the meat from
sticking or burning. To pound of beef
you will require one quart of cold water.
Put the bones in the KETTLE and also
the ragged, poorer bits of meat that
some of the juices may escape into the
water which is to form your gravy; then
put the kettle on the fire.
The meat which you have cut in small
pieces should now be we'll dredged with
-four, then fried good brown on both
sides. AS fast as they become brown
put them in the kettle, and as soon as
the contents thereof boil it should be
moved to the back of the range and
there allowed to simmer steadily for
about three hours. TO one good pound
of meat add one small onion, sliced, one
small carrot and turnip cut in cubes,
dredged with flour, and slightly Drowned.
Put them in tho kettle to simmer with
the meat.
"Why do you dredge and brown the
meat and vegetables?" For several
reasons. The flour forms paste over
the meat and keeps in the juices and il
thickens and browns the gravy to such
an extent that you will seldom find il
necessary to add thickening when your
stew is finished, as is generally neces
sary. A stew Is most economical dish
unless you keep up your fire purposely,
then it becomes expensive, for you car
not mako it quickly-never under two
or three hours. The slow steady sim
moring rondcrs your meat both tender
and nutritious.