The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
EDITED BY FRANCES MARSHALL

Meat bills are always heavy items In
the housewives accounts, and II there
fore pays the woman OF careful mind to
study values Of low priced or economical
cuts. The economical cut is not neces-
sarily the cheapest in price, but the one
be secured leg OF mutton is one OF
the most profitable joints for family
and IL properly treated 1t does not de-
serve the contempt with which II Is gen.
orally regarded.
Roasting.
Preference should be given to a small,
lean, compact joint. with a short bone.
Before giving particulars as 10 how the
Joint may be divided and utilized, both
before and after 1t has been cooked
whole, a few hints on the subject of roast
ing will not be out Of place. When
a well-hung joint Of mutton is sent TO
the table hard and unevenly cooked,
the chances are that IL was put into
warm. oven at the commencement of
cooking and that the heat was allowed
to increase by degrees. Such proceed
ing. in addition to the drawbacks already
referred to. deprives the meat Of good
ness, nutriment and flavor. Very rapid
cooking also has its disadvantages. mas
much as IL causes the meat to shrink on
account Of the heat being excessive. and
1t may be too brown outside and prob
ably underdOne near the bone, but even
this is better than the slow process.
The idea that washing mutton Is det-
rimental to II is quite erroneous: II should
not, of course be immersed In water and
left there, but for health's sake IL should
be quickly and thoroughly washed tafter
II has been scraped on the outsideD with
cold water, in which small quantity OF
powdered borax has been dissolved, and
it should be then well dried and lightly
Toured. After trimming the joint and
removing the knuckle bone (Which. II
simmered with an onion. two cloXes.
few peppercorns and some salt, " pro-
duce pint Of white stock). II should be
weighed, and. roughly speaking. quar-
additional quarter of an hour should be
allowed for cooking il in an oven where
there is a good. steady Cbut not ferce)
heat, In very frosty weather more time
and then twenty minutes per pound will
not be too long, and the same length
Of time should be given il the meat is
the success Of cooking a joint depends
upon the frequence with which it is
basted, and not more than fifteen min
utes should be allowed to elapse between
the intervals of pouring the warm drip
ping over II.
Boiling b a process which is much
misunderstood by the average cook. The
water should be boiling when the meat.
which should be tied in a cloth. is placed
in II. There should be only just sum-
Clent TO cover u, ana u snOulu De Al
lowed TO boil for six minutes to harden
the aIbumen and thus prevent the juices
from being drawn out. The temperature
OF the water must then be -lowerd by
the addition of abodt a quarter Of a pint
of cold water, and vegetables 1.-TWO onions.
two carrots and a turnip), small
bunch of sweet herbs. and a little bag
of spices should be added. and the pan
containing the meat removed to . cor
ner Of the stove where the heat is only
sufficient to admit of its simmering
gently until it is done. The SCUM should
be taken from the surface of the liquor
in which the mutton is cooked from time
to time. and about half an hour before
IL is done a small quantity OF salt may
be added. Twenty minutes for each
pound Of meat and twenty minutes over.
calculating from the time II begins TO
SIMMER, should be sufficient TO ensure
the meat being tender without being
overdone. Boiled mutton should be thor
oUShIy drained Ion a hot. soft cloth be-
fore being placed on the serving dish:
this simple precaution will prevent the
sauce with which il is masked from being
diluted ana the appearance Of the dish
fNbm being spoiled. Celery or macaroni
sauce IS recommended in place of the
more ordinary parsley sauce.
BORed Leg of Mutton.
FRY a qparter of a pound Of fat bacon
with six ounces Of calfs liver until the
latter is lightly cooked. then pass them
together through fne mincer. and add