The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-03-11

MALA4 COOAER4 AMI AnEkLEL
Skill, yes-but good sense and knOwl-
edge, more, is required Of the woman who
would be a good meat cook. No matter
what the cut Of meat, she may make it
tender or tough by her method of cook
ing. A great deal more is required than
to put meat in a par and let it sizzle or
boil as the case may be. Yet few realize it.
Il buy the best meat the butcher has,
and yet John says my steaks are tough"
is the wall Of one Of my friends. Yet an
other, who does not buy the most expen-
sive cuts in the market, and whose butch
er's bills are half Of those Of her neigh
boris, serves meat to her family that is
tender and luscious with juice.
The second woman grants that there is
a principle in meat cookery and observes
it. The first understands no principle and
doubtless thinks she is boiling a turnip or
frying an egg, when a pot roast is in the
kettle or a steak on to brOil.
Know Then
To apply this principle, we must know
that lean meat is muscle. And naturally
the more a muscle is used the stronger and
tougher it becomes. The. tender, expensive
cuts, then come from q part Of the animal
which is least used, and the tough cheaper
cuts are muscles which are often used.
We must also understand the structure OF
lean meat which is made up Of bundles OF
hollow dbreS or tubes bound together with
connective tissue. These little tubes are
filed with juice. When meat is cut across
the grain, the juice Oozes out. In the ten.
der cuts the fbres or tubes are smaller anC
| shorter, with very little connective tissue
In the tough cuts, the hbres are longer anC
cOarser and held together with more con.
nective tissue. In the tough cuts, the
fbres are longer and cOarser and held to
gether with more connective tissue.
A last thing about meats must we also
know, and in fact this is true Of all othel
prOteins, too, such as eggs, milk and cheese
Meat is tOughened by extreme heat, bu
is softened with slow heat and moisture
The PrfueiDIa
Our principle Of meat cookery, then
whether 1t be a tough or tender cut Il
this: ~ Scar meat over a hot Are or II
boiling water so as to tougher the outsidl
Of the meat and seal in the juices, to plul
up the ends Of the little tubes so that tn
fine flavor and moisture Of the meat vii
remain inside; ~ cook slowly, after tn
juices are sealed in, until the center 1
done.
A Theme Steak
There the principle is and as simple a
that. Just one, two, hot fire, slow cooking
Let's apply it. Consider my wOeful friend
expensive steak. / presuppose it is a 7
bone or s~irlOin, but at least an inch thicl
If she brOils it in her oven, she shOul
turn the FIRE high, and put the steak clos
to 1t, soaring 1t well, first on one side an
then the other. Then she should turn th
blaze low, put the rack several nOtche
down, n let the heat penetrate to th
center Of the meat slowly. If she woul
do 1t this way, III wager there would b
: hold.
should she prefer to pan broil the steal
her system would be the same. Have II
skillet piping hot. Scar both sides Of Il
meat well, then lower the heat and coo
slowly until done.
Suppose we are to have rib roast Of be-
for Sunday dinner. How do we apply q
principle2 Exactly the same, using q b.
oven, 500 degrees F., for about fifteen mil
utes until the outside Of the roast
scared, lower the temperature to $50 or lei
than moderate until the inside Of the me
Is done.
T0ugh Cuts
But rOaBts and steaks are the eXpenei