Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1910 — Home Course In Domestic Science [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Course In Domestic Science

VL—Cuts of Meat and How to Cook Them.

By EDITH G. CHARLTON,

In Chnrg* of Domestic Economy low* State College. .

Copyright. 191®. by American Proaa * Asoeciation. MEAT Is one of the chief tissue building foods. It is also one of the foods most commonly found on the average table. No matter bow high the price soars, it Is demanded at least once a day as the principal dish in the bill of fare of the average American family. Until recent years it was considered almost essential to life and was the last food to be sacrificed if a change in the diet was recommended for reasons of health. At the present time people are gradually finding out that meat is not a necessity in any bill of fare. They are learning there are' other foods which contain quite as much of the tissue building properties, and cheese, beans, eggs and nuts are substituted for the meat dish. Still, beef, lamb, pofk. fish, poultry and game continue to be favorite foods in many homes, and one or more of the number is prepared for the table every day. Universally used as it is. meat of all kinds is the food most often spoiled in the cooking, or. to make the statement a little more specific, it is the food material in which the scientific principles of cooking should be and are not most carefully observed. Composition of Meat. Meat Is composed of bundles of muscle fibers bound together by a filmy substance'called connective tissue. There are also in ail kinds of meat more or less fat. water and mineral matter, besides the bone, sinew, blood and skin. Albumen, a substance similar to the white of egg, is found In the blood and muscle, and this is the principal proteid of meat. The extractive, or the flavor of meat, is also one of its valuably properties, it is the extractives which give some kinds of meat, beef especially, a stimulating value, and they also aid in the digestion of the muscle fibers. The amount of tissue building material, or proteid. averages from 10 to 20 cent in different kinds of meat, and the fat varies considerably, from 6 to 80 per cent, according to the animal and the cut. Uncooked meat contains a large amount of water, usually more than 60 per cent Meat is cooked to make it more palatable, to develop its flavor and to kill any germs which it may contain. Unless very carefully done cooking meat makes it less easy of digestion. Raw

beef finely chopped will leave the stomach in from two and one-half to three hours, while meat cooked after the common method will require from two to three hours longer. When meat is properly cooked the muscle fibers will be softened and the connective tissue and albumen will be only slightly hardened. Boiling meat toughens the muscle fibers and hardens the albumen. In this, (ben. lies the secret of the prober cooking of any kind of meat. It should always be accomplished with a moderate temperature, below boiling point for stews, fricassees. pot roast, etc. One fact should ever be kept in mind when buying meat and preparing It for the table. This is that it is not necessarily the most expensive cuts of meats which are either the best flavored or most nutritious, it is a mistake. common to both experienced and inexperienced cooks, to suppose that when a really delicious piece of meat is desired it must be cut from the' porterhouse or sirloin. To be sure. In many minds, there is no meat quite so appetizing as a porterhouse steak, but even that expensive and naturally toothsome cut can be absolutely spoiled in the cooking. Equally true is it that a piece cut from the shoulder or the flank can be prepared and cooked in such a way that it will be a dish for the gods and will be relished by even the epicure who usually casts his vote in favor of "T" bone and tenderloin steaks. Different Cuts of Moat. ▲ practical knowledge of the usual method of cutting beef, also of the length and structure of the muscle fibers, ii almost necessary in order to insure getting the best pieces of meat and to determine how they should be cooked. By the best pieces one generally means those pieces having the least bone and the tenderest. juiciest meat. The wdfaoan who seldom if ever visits the meat market, who Invariably gives her meat orders by telephone, is not as likely to get a choice roast or u particularly good steak as la the Woman who. knowing where these cuts are located goes to the market and

makes her own selection. It is not an easy matter to sell poor meat to the woman who knows almost as well as the butcher himself th? difference in the amount of bone in various cuts of meat it is a simple mutter tp become familiar with the character of the different kinds of meat and their location in the carcass, and- it is a subject which evehy woman should understand. The highest priced and tenderest pieces of beef are cut from the hind quarter. Custom is so strong in its preference that beef animals are bred with a view to having as much meat and as small bones in the loin as possible. The largest amount of nutriment is obtained from some of the fore 'quarter pieces. In dividing the side of beef into fore and hind quarters the division is generally made leaving one rib 6n the hind quarter. The sirloin and rump roast, loin, porterhouse and round steaks, the flank or skirt piece and the shank are in the hind quarter. The rib roasts, chuck, short ribs, clod or forearm, plate piece, including the navel, the neck and shin, are located in the fore quarter. Most of these pieces can be cut into smaller portions, and the quantity of bone which these several parts contain generally determines which is the best to buy. Of course animals must have bone, and the butcher must see to it that some one buys the bone if he expects to make a good profit. But we are always willing to leave the inferior parts—the big bones—to the customer who does not know any. better. In selecting a rib roast always ask for at least the first three ribs from the whole fore quarter. The first five ribs make a satisfactory roast for a large family. Cutting nearer the shoulder, uie muscle fibers are coarser and the meat not as suitable for roasting. The rib roast may have the bones left in it and be cooked as a standing roast, or the ribs may be cut out and the meat rolled, with center filled with a bit of suet. The first method probably has a little better flavor; the second or rolled,,roast is more easily carved. The first chuck piece generally sells for a few cents less per pound than the ribs and makes a very good roast If it is carefully prepared and cooked rather slowly. The second and remaining chuck pieces are better for pot than oven roasting. The clod piece contains Joint and bone of the forearm. It is often cut into three parts. The second or middle piece, containing the smaller amount of bone, is preferable. The rump piece, with hip joint removed and the cavity filled with suet, makes an excellent roasting piece, it is very lean, the muscles closely knit, and unless the bone is taken out and some extra fat added the meat is likely to be dry. The tenderloin is. a solid piece of lean meat, juicy and of fine grain and flavor. It is located in the loin, just under the backbone, and is thickest in the center of the loin. Because it has no waste and is unusually tender it is sometimes sold in a separate piece and prepared as a fillet of beef or broiled for'steak. But such tenderloin is seldom if ever taken from first quality beef, because when it has been removed the value of the remaining steaks is considerably lessened. Therefore the choicest steak is usually the fourth or fifth porterhouse, containing a good portion of the tenderloin. Select a sirloin steak that has been cut as far into the loin as possible. This gives a good sized piece of tenderloin as well as a large middle piece with short muscles. Method* of Cooking Meat. Eight methods are generally employed in cooking meats. These are broiling, roasting, stewing, boiling, frying, sauteing, fricasseeing. a combination of sauteing and stewing, and braising, a combination of frying and baking. The various methods represent cooking in moist heat on top of the range and cooking in dry heat in the oven or broiler. The principle underlying ail the metbods-is the same. It Is to begin the cooking of the meat at a high temperature in order to sear over the cut muscle ends to keep ihe juices in the meat and then to cook at a lower temperature that the muscle fibers and connective tissue may be hardened as little as possible. For a roast of beef choose either the first three ribs, a cut from the sirloin or the rump piece. After preparing the roast for the oven wipe it with a cloth wet with cold water. Do not put the meat in a dish of water to wash It. Put the meat Into a dripping pan or, better, a self basting roaster, sprinkle it with a little pepper and dredge lightly with flour if desired. But do not put water in the pan nor sprinkle the meat with salt, because both extract the flavor of the meat, and the salt draws out the juice. The oven should be very hot. about 350 degrees, hot enough to'sear the meat on all sides in ten or fifteen minutes. If desired the searing may be done on top of the stove directly over the fire. After the meat is well seared the temperature sb6uld be lowered and the meat allowed to cook more slowly until it is done, about fifteen minute* for each pound. If a dripping pan 'is used the meat will require basting several times during the first hour. For this melt some butter or some good, fresh “drippings” In hot water, remove the pan from the oven and baste thoroughly. Do not pour water over the meat nor baste with clear fat. After two or three times there wlh be enough fat in the pan for subsequent bastings. Salt may be added during th* last half hour of roasting or after the meat has been well seared. To be quite satisfactory a roast should weigh at least five pounds. Less than ttat the piece will be so small that by the time it has been seared on 'all rides there will be very little center Portion.

CHART SHOWING DIVISIONS OF BEEF.