The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-17
HOW TO EAT WELL AND
TO LIVE WELL
by DIR. EDOUARD DE POMAINE
How To Broil A Mutton Chop

The piece of meat to be broiled is
sometimes pierced upon a spit. In
both cases the meat is placed directly
over the fire; which distinguishes
this technique from the roast, in
which the fire is placed at the side
of the object to be roasted.
Broiling is a very complex opera
ton in which three different phenom-
ena are produced. Let us take the
case of the classic preparation of a
mutton chop. The piece of meat is
placed on gridiron over burning
Goals.
%. The meat is heated by the
radiant heat of the fire. 1t Is rapidly
pervaded by it, coagulated on the
outside and the juice of the meat
cannot exude from the lower sur
face; if few drops succeed in escap-
ing they are coagulated and vapor-
lied by the very great heat of the
fire.
t2). The fat which drops bursts
into flame, which hits the meat and
slightly scorches the fat and albu
men. and caramelizes all the sugary
substances in the meat These latter
are abundant We have seen that in
muscle there exists glycogen or an
imal starch. and glucose. which Is
the food of contractile tissue. Those
two carbohydrates are caramelized
by the flame and the meat then
rapidly takes the flavor and odor of
burnt sugar.
(S). The combustion of the wood
or wood charcoal is not quite COM
plete; the smoke which rises from
the fire contains unburnt resins,
products of distillation differing &C
cording to the essences of the woods
employed. All these aromatic sub
stances In state of vapor come into
contact with the meat. which retains
tEeir perfumes and takes on the char
acteristic flavor so desired by gour-
NETS.
Summing up, in the process Of
hroiling the meat Is coagulated,
caramelized. smoked.
How should this operation be con-
Quoted?
a.. To catch the meat the fire
must be very hot, but not 50 hot as
co burn it. It must contain vegetable
matter incompletely burnt. in order
that the resins and essences in it
may be able to perfume the meat.
(2). The food to be broiled should
be placed at the height above the fire
flame to be employed to the best ad-
vantage.
CD. When the gridiron is hot, the
meat is placed upon 1t. A layer Of
coagulated albumen Is produced i'm
mediately and the flame Is allowed to
act. After a longer or shorter time.
according to the intensity Of the fire,
the muscular plasma or juice begins
to appear on the upper surface; this
is the moment to turn the broil. 1t
is the cooks skill which regulates
both the fire and the distance from
the fire in such a way that the broil
be done on its lower surface at the
moment when the emulation Of the
juice indicates that 1t Is time for tho
broil to be turned.
So it is turned over, and what is
now the lower surface Is rapidly sub
mitted to the flame. If you judge
that the center of the meat Is cooked
sufficiently a the moment when both
surfaces are broiled, the operation is
stopped and the broil is served after
being sailed on both sides.
If you consider that the middle is
not yet done, you lift the gridiron
above the fire so as to use only the
radiant heat, which cooks without
carbonizing or caramelizlng.
Never salt before broiling. The salt
crystals contain water; touched by
the 1lame, tney DuTSt anu ledVe tHeif
water on the surface Of the meat.
This water vaporizes with difficulty,
being covered by the object to be
broiled; then 1t leaves cooked spots
with a grayish appearance.
Salt also produces the emulation of
water from the meat, by process of
dialysis. The water plays the same
evil role as that of the water Of the
salt crystals.
Rroilinp is an operation in which
skill. that is to say. professional