Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-18
FACTS ABOUT MEAT.
The Careful Housekeeper Docs Her Own
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Is q High Art
Different Ways of Cooking-Ellice
Serena's Suggestion for Good Living.

Ahe OareIul hOusekeeper DOGS hef OWu
Marketing-Selecting Is q High Art
Different Ways of Coolsing-Ellice
Serena's Suggestion for Good Living.
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPATcH.I
One of the fruitful sources of error in the
cooking Of meats, says Prof. Vaughan lies in
using too high temperature. According to
some cooks the more furiously piece of
meat boils the sooner it will become tender.
A greater mistake than this could not be
made; for rapid boiling retards the Cooking
and renders the meat tough. To boil meat
properly the water should be kept at a
gentle simmer, and to this end the fire
should be regulated.
The process in boiling meats for soup and
boiling them for solid food is so entirely
different that no housekeeper can afford to
be in ignorance on this subject. For soups
the extractives, that is the albu1nen, gela-
tine. fbrin, etc, should be drawn from the
meat. This of course impoverishes it, but if
good soup is desired the meat must be sacri-
feed. The rule for making stock is to cut
the meat in small pieces cover well
with cold water and add little
salt. Simmer for six or seven hours. keep
ing the water at all times just under the
boiling point If boiled meat is desired the
extractives should be retained, and for this
reason the entire piece should be plunged
into boiling water to coagulate the surface.
Boil raj pidly for five minutes and then keep
at the simmering point until tender. As the
water boils away, leaving the meat uncov-
cred, replenish with hot water. Add salt
shortly before removing from the fire and
leave the meat in the liquor in which it was
cooked until almost cold.
MEAT MUST NOT BE WASHED.
To wash meat is to rob it of its strength
and flavor; and a most reprehensible act is
to put fresh meat Of any kind in soak. All
fh1+ &c arH-1 11n1oSs ha5 han,,
much handled. is to sponge it Off with a
damp cloth. Fried meat. popularity regarded
as unhealthtul. may be made as wholesome,
as juicy and palatabe as a broil if the fry
ing is done quickly and in Il very hot pan.
In some instances the pan is merely creased,
the meat put in and turned cons stantly until
done as required. Or lump of butter may
be melted in the hot pan and the meat
cooked rapidly as possible. Season the
meat well, and credge lightly with flour be-
fore cooking.
The indifference manifested by the ma
jority of women in purchasing meat is sur
prising. They cannot be said to select it,
for this they avowedly leave to the butcher
Meat-marketing is a rare accomplishment,
so rare indeed that not ono woman in ten
can do it properly. Some of the wealthiest
and most cultivated ladies prefer to select
their own meats and do the marketing gem
orally; and such you may be sure. give more
than passing glance at the meat they buy.
1t is highly important that every woman
whose duty it is to manage the household
should be able to discriminate between
good and bad meat. 1t is notorious that ILL
ness of serious nature may often be traced
to the unwholesome meat carried into our
homes. Prof. Victor C. Vaughan, NJ d. an
author of great ability, in his exceedingly
voluable essay, Healthy Homes and Foods
for the Working Classes" gives the follow
ing rules to govern US in the selection of
meats:
RULES FOR SELECTING MEATS.
"Good beef has reddish brown color. and
contains no clots of blood. Well nourished
beeves furnish flesh which while raw is
marbled with spots of white fat; it is firm
and compact. Old lean animals furnish a
flesh which is tough, dry and dark; the fat is
yellow. Veal is slightly reddish, and has
fender fibers. The same is true of mutton
In well nourished animals, white fat accu-
mulates along the borders of the muscles.
Pork is rose-red and has fat distributed
through the muscle. The lard is white and
lies in a heavy deposit under the skin. Good
beef is not pale pink color, and such
color indicates that the animal was dis
eased. Good beef does not have q dark
purple hue, for this color is evidence that
the animal has not been slaughtered,
but has died with the blood in its body, or
has suffered from some acute febrile affec-
ton. Good beef has no. or but little odor:
or if any odor is perceptible it is not disa-
greeable. In judging as to the odor of meat
pass clean knife, which has been dipped in
hot water, through it, and examine subse-
Quently us to the odor of the knife. Good
meat is elastic to the touch. Meat that is
wet and 1labby should be discarded"
Tough meat may be made tender by soft
ening the flDres with vinegar. Turning a
tough steak over in plate with little vine
gar, olive oil and a dash OF pepper four or
five times in a couple of hours will do more
to make it tender than the use of FOUNDER
Meat slightly tainted may be so freshened
that no taint.remains by placing it in a col
ander and dashlng 1t with boiling water.
Dry quickly as possible between cloths and
cook at once.
Iappend some useful recipes:
Picked Peaches.
Pare, stone and halve freestone peaches
To seven pounds OF fruit allow three pounds
of sugar, pint of vinegar and an ounce each
of whole mace, cinnamon and cloves with
little allspicc and ginger if desired Heat
the fruit with the spiced vinegar and sugar
slowly to boiling, and then boil steadily, but
not hard, for ten minutes. Put the fruit into
glass jars and screw the covers tight. If the
pickle shows signs of fermenting at any
time pour the vinegar off and heat il TO n
boil, then pourback on the fruit Pears NAV
be picked or sp1ced after the same process.
Tomato CatsuP.
Peel and cut i'll pieces peck of ripe toma-
toes. Sprinkle n little salt on them boil 15
minutes and mash through a colander. Boil
again and skim off the froth which rises,
Add tablespoonfuls of ground mustard, 2%
OF black pepper, of allspice, 2 OF cloves :
pound or brown sugar, o quart of onions
minced very fine. large handful of horse
ladish and quarts of vinegar. The spices
are not to be put in a bag. Boil together un-
til thick enough, bottle and seal. This cat
sup is improved by age.
Baked Apples
Take half a dozen large tart apples. Peel
and core them. To cupful of sngar add n
half teaspoonful of mixed ground snice q
pinch of salt, two tablespoonfuls of grated
cracker and little milk. Fill the csyities
bake and serve with cream.
Cottage Pie
Boil and mash some potatoes-about two
pounds. Left over mashed may be used.
Heat a half glassiul of milk and meIt in it !.
and half of butter When
quite hot pour over the potatoes and miT
well. Take cold meat of any Kind. arrange
in baking dish, in layers. with a iittie fat
Season with minced onion, salt and nenner
Half fill the dish with water or stock add
the potatoes, smooth neatly and bake 20 min.
ntes. ELLIoE SERENA.
cro1r o,d off1ce furniture -