Evening star., 1935-04-01
Range of Food Values.
Must Be Known, to Get
Results From Cooking
High Meat Prices Make Study of
Proteins Most Valuable
in Household.

q rack under q hot fame, browning
both sides, thus developing the flavor
from the fat and those extractives we
mentioned before. Then you lower
the flame and proceed to cook the
steak until it Is rare, medium or well
done, as you prefer it, which, techni-
cally, means until the proteins of the
lean parts have set or coagulated to
the degree wished. OF course, you
judge this by the change in color.
But II you have a cut that is not
tender to begin with-a chuck roast
or flank steak, perhaps-you have
more connective tissue to deal with,
and therefore must handle the Situa-
ton differently. Besides controlling
the heat to keep the lean parts tender,
you must add moisture and cook
slowly until the collagen in the tissue
has been converted into gelatine,
thereby softening the connective It's
sue and making the meat tender.
This will happen faster if you put
little vinegar in the water in which
the meat Is cooked. Braising is the
culinary name for the method en-
ployed in this case.
A thin piece Of meat may be
pounded into tenderness, and, to save
juice and flavor, you should pound
flour into it. Then cook at a low
temperature, sometimes adding to-
mato juice, vinegar, sour cream or
lemon juice to hasten the softening
process and vary the flavor.
The cookery of egg protein Is a
paradox-you don't always have to
cook eggs to coagulate the protein
Although high temperature hardens
the proteins, beating raw egg-white
TO foam makes the protein firmer, so
that it holds the air. With too much
beating, the protein becomes dry and
brittle, and so the foam breaks down.
BECAUSE egg proteins foam so cas-
~ lily, the egg white can be used as
leavening. for Souff1es, fluffy ONE
lettes, meringues and so on.
An important suggestion in this
connection is this: Don't forget the
effect of adding acid. Tomato juice
in a fluffy omelette, cream Of tartar
in angel cake, or lemon juice in
sponge cake increases the quantity of
the foam and makes it tenderer.
When heated. the proteins of the
eggs behave in other interesting ways.
Perhaps you use an egg to clarity
coffee or soup stock. You place a
small portion of egg white into the
cold liquid. and 1t dissolves. But, as
it heats, the proteins coagulate and
draw into themselves any fine par
ticles that may be in the coffee or
soup, enabling you to strain of a
clear liquid.
When you poach an egg, the sudden
heat of the boiling water coagulates
the outside protein just enough to
hold the egg together while the in
side cooks. You should never let the
water boil again after the egg has
been dropped in, as this will tougher
the entire egg.
In custards you get the benefit Of
the thickening powers OF the egg
proteins, but you know by experience
yourselves what happens II the heat
gets too high when cooking custards!
Your custard separates, or curdles-
which, technically, is because the pro-
teins have formed hard "coagulum, I"
separating from the liquid, and leav-
ing you in despair.
II you wish advice on your own in
dividual household problems, write
Betsy Caswell, in care Of The Star,
inclosing q stamped, self addressed
envelope for reply.