Meat

In the average household there is perhaps no other food that calls for more thought in selection and preparation than meat. In no other country has meat been used so generously as in America.

With the present high cost of meat, American housewives are buying less meat than formerly, and are using what they buy more carefully than ever before.

The tough cuts of meat, usually the cheaper cuts, are located where there is motion, such as those obtained from the neck and limbs; while the tender cuts are located where there is little motion, such as those along the back bone. The meat part from all the cuts from the same animal contain the same food value, but there is more waste, such as bone and gristle, to some cuts, and this should be considered in buying.

To reduce the meat bill, make a little meat go a long way by preparing meat combination dishes, such as stews, meat loaves, meat pies, stuffed roasts, beef a la mode, etc. Make good meat gravies. "Spread the meat flavor." Only a little meat is needed to give flavor to a whole dish.

SELECTION OF MEAT

Meat should be uniform in color, the flesh firm and elastic to the touch.

The flesh of beef should be of a bright red color and intermingled with fat that is yellowish.

Mutton should be dull red in color, and the fat white.

Lamb and veal should be lighter in color and flesh less firm than beef.

Meat should be removed from the paper as soon as it is received from market and should be kept in a cool place. Always wipe meat with a damp cloth.

Beef ranks first in nutritive value, with mutton a close second.

HOW TO PREPARE MEAT STEWS

Stewing is cooking slowly, a long time, in a small quantity of water. Cut the meat into rather small pieces; divide it into two portions; add one portion to cold water and heat slowly to boiling point. Meanwhile brown the other portion in a little fat in a pan. Then add it to the water and meat. The whole should be cooked slowly for three hours or until the meat is tender. Add vegetables the last hour of cooking.

Beef, mutton, lamb or veal may be used, selecting the tough pieces, such as the neck, shoulder, lower part of round, altch bone, etc. Pieces of cold cooked meat may be added to the stew.

The pieces of meat are usually dredged with flour before they are browned. This gives color to the stew, a rich flavor, and thickens the gravy.

Onions, carrots, turnips, parsnips and potatoes are the vegetables commonly used in stews. Tomatoes, string beans and green peas are sometimes used. The vegetables should be cut into ½-inch cubes, ¼-inch slices or strips, and added the last hour of cooking. The potatoes, however, should be parboiled 5 minutes, then added to the stew, allowing 20 minutes for cooking. The usual seasonings are salt and pepper. Sweet herbs, parsley, a bit of bay leaf, a few cloves, celery salt, or catsup may be added for variety.

Dumplings or Boiled Rice are often served with stew. When cooking dumplings, they should be placed so that they will rest on the meat and vegetables. Meat stew may be served on slices of Fried Mush.

MEAT PIE Fill baking dish ¾ full with stew; cover with mashed potato, boiled rice, biscuit dough or cereal mush and bake until nicely browned on top.

NEW ENGLAND BODLED DINNER

4 pounds corned beef 6 small beets 1 small cabbage

6 small carrots or 3

large ones 2 small French turnips

cut in thirds

6 medium-sized potatoes 6 medium-sized onions 6 small parsnips

Wash the meat quickly in cold water. If it is very salt, soak it about 30 minutes in cold water. Simmer meat in a kettle, containing enough boiling water to cover, from three to five hours, or until the meat is tender. Wash and scrape the vegetables, leave the beets, carrots, turnips and parsnips whole, or quartered if preferred. Cut the cabbage into quarters. When meat is tender, remove from kettle, and, two hours before dinnertime, add the carrots, afterward the turnips and the cabbage. Thirty minutes before dinnertime, add the parsnips and potatoes and onions. The beets should be cooked separately. Reheat the meat with the vegetables. Serve meat and vegetables arranged attractively on a large platter.

HOW TO BROIL MEAT

Broiling is cooking by direct exposure to heat, over hot coals or over a flame (gas flame).

Cooking with little or no fat in a hot frying pan is called "Dan-broiling". To make broiled meat juicy, turn often while cooking.

TO BROIL STEAKS OR CHOPS

Wipe meat with a damp cloth and trim off superfluous fat. Rub the wire broiler with a little of the fat, place the meat in broiler and broil over a clear fire, turning every 10 seconds for the first minute. After the first minute, turn occasionally until well cooked on both sides, or cook in a little fat in a frying pan, turning over. Season to taste. Pork chops must be very well done.

PAN-BROILED HAMBURGER STEAK

Chop finely one pound lean raw beef; season highly with salt, pepper and a few drops of onion juice. Add ¼ cup milk gradually; knead dough until spongy and shape into cakes. Heat a frying pan, rub with the fat of meat and pan-broil the steaks. Turn cakes often during the cooking.

One cup left-over oatmeal mush may be added to the mixture and is very good. Try shaping oatmeal mush into cakes, brush with melted fat; shape Hamburger steak mixture into cakes, place on top of oatmeal cakes. Bake in the oven until cooked and nicely browned.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR BRAISING

The rump, top, round, blade, chuck, ribs, cross ribs cuts and flank stuffed are all good braised. Beef, mutton or veal.

To braise meat, wipe meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and, if a lean piece of meat is used, lard previous to seasoning. Brown the meat on all sides in a little fat in a Scotch kettle or roasting pan. Then cover bottom of pan with hot water or meat stock. Then cover closely and cook slowly in the oven, on top of the range or in a fireless cooker two hours. Add vegetables, such as onion, carrot, turnips, cut into strips, balls or slices, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender.

BEEF A LA MODE

Insert 12 large strips of salt pork fat or piece of suet into a 4-pound piece of round beef. Season with salt and pepper, dredge with flour. Put a piece of suet in a hot pan, brown the meat on all sides in this. Put in kettle with vegetables and water, according to recipe for beef stew. Cover closely and cook slowly 4 or 5 hours in oven or top of range.

POT-ROAST

When beef is similarly prepared (without the strips of fat and vegetables) and cooked in a smaller amount of water, it is called pot-roast.

Two cups brown sugar, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup soaked prunes added the last ½ hour of cooking provides a nice change.

MEAT EN CASSEROLE

Cut 2 pounds of meat into suitable pieces for serving. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour. Brown meat in a little fat in a frying pan. Put browned pieces of meat in casserole dish; add 1 carrot cut into cubes, 1 cupful stewed and strained tomatoes. Cover closely and cook 15 minutes. Add ½ cupful peeled onions and 1 cupful potato balls, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender. The casserole should be closely covered that the steam may be retained. Serve with boiled rice.

MEAT ROLL

Flank steak, or 1 pound of thinly cut round steak

2 or 3 small pieces of

suet 2 onions

1 cup carrot, cubed

2 cups stock or water Bread stuffing

Beef, mutton or veal may be used. Wipe meat, trim edges, pound on both sides, spread with stuffing, roll and tie. Sprinkle the roll with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and brown on all sides in hot drippings and lay it on the onion and carrot in a pan with the suet on top. Pour the water or stock into the pan. Cover tightly and cook slowly in the oven or on top of the stove. For round steak, cook slowly, covered, for ½ hour or more in a moderate oven, then uncover and cook an additional ½ hour. For flank steak, cook slowly, covered, for 3 hours or more in a moderate oven, then uncover last ½ hour. Serve with brown gravy made by thickening the liquid in the pan. Individual rolls may be made.

ROASTING GENERAL DIRECTIONS

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth. Dredge the surface with flour, salt and pepper. Put pieces of fat on the meat and in the pan (melted fat may be used and rubbed over the surface). Place meat on a rack in the pan. Put into a hot oven. The heat of the oven should be intense at first to sear the surface (about 10 minutes), and then the heat should be reduced and water added to cover bottom of pan. The meat should either be covered closely or basted often with equal parts of fat drippings and water. After the last basting, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place meat on a hot platter and garnish.

GRAVY

Pour fat from pan; allow 2 tablespoons of fat to 3 tablespoons of flour for each cupful of gravy. Put the fat into the pan, add the flour and stir over a hot fire until well browned. Add the boiling water or stock gradually, boil 3 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and strain.

TIME TABLE FOR ROASTING (Per pound)

Beef round...................	10	to	12	min.
Beef ribs (well done) . .	12	to	15	min.
Beef ribs (rare) ....	8	to	10	min.
Mutton, leg (well done), .	15	min.
Mutton, leg (rare) . . .	8	min.
Mutton, loin (rare) . . .	8	min.
Mutton, shoulder (stuffed),	15	min.

Lamb (well done)	20	min.
Veal (well done) .	25	min.
Pork (well done) .	30	min.
Chicken ....	15	min.
Goose ....	18	to	20	min.
Turkey, 8-pound .	About 2			hrs.

MEAT LOAF

2 cups ground meat 1 teaspoon onion juice 1½ teaspoons salt Few grains pepper

1 cup bread crumbs soaked in ½ cup milk, or 1½ cups oatmeal mush

1 beaten egg (may be omitted)

1 teaspoon finely-chopped parsley

Mix the first 4 ingredients, add the soaked bread crumbs or mush gradually, kneading the mixture until spongy, then add the beaten egg, and more seasonings if needed and the chopped parsley. Shape into a loaf and place on a pan covered with suet. Put suet on top of loaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and flour. Bake 40 minutes, basting occasionally with melted suet mixed with boiling water.

CALF'S LIVER AND BACON

Cut 1 pound of liver into ¼-inch slices. Cover with boiling water, let stand five minutes to draw out the blood. Drain, remove veins and skin. Wipe the liver, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in hot bacon fat until brown on both sides, turning occasionally. Make a gravy, using 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and 4 tablespoons of flour. Brown the two in a pan, add 2 cups of boiling water gradually and stir until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Put the browned slices of liver into the gravy and cook slowly 15 minutes. Put liver and gravy on a hot dish, arrange the crisp bacon around the edge and serve. Liver may be larded and baked in one large piece.

PORK CHOPS WITH DRESSING

6 pork chops

½ onion, finely chopped

1½ cups bread crumbs

2 tablespoons pork fat,

chopped 1/6 teaspoon pepper

¾ teaspoon salt ¼ cup hot water 1 beaten egg

Mix bread crumbs, pork fat, seasonings, water and egg. Spread on pork chops. Put chops in a pan close together; add a little water to cover bottom of pan and bake in a moderately hot oven 1 hour, basting occasionally.

PORK SAUSAGE

5 pounds lean, raw, fresh pork, or half pork and half beef

1 ½ tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

2 tablespoons sage

1 tablespoon summer

savory ½ tablespoon thyme

Force the meat through the food chopper. Mix the meat and spices In a large mixing bowl thoroughly with a potato masher, wooden spoon or with the hands. Fill sterilized bags, made of cotton cloth 3 inches wide by 8 or 10 inches long, to within 2 inches of the top. Cook 30 minutes in boiling salted water. Cool and store in a cold place.

CHOP SUEY

1 quart pork or chicken,

cubed ¼ cup chopped salt pork

fat 1 pint water or white stock

1 onion, chopped

2 cups celery, cut in

1-inch lengths ½ tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon China soy ½ cup fresh mushrooms

Cook the meat in the fat until a golden brown. Add the water, onion, celery, salt and molasses. Simmer 1 hour. Mix the flour and water and add to the mixture until thickened. Then add the molasses, China soy and mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes longer and serve.

BAKED RABBIT

1 rabbit

Strips of salt pork fat

4 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

Skin rabbit. Remove head and lower part of legs. Remove insides, etc. Wash thoroughly and soak 1 hour in acidulated water. Wipe dry. Lard with salt pork strips, dredge with flour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on strips of salt pork fat and bake in oven about 2 hours, basting generously with milk occasionally. Currant jelly may be added to the gravy.