Broiling

The rules for roasting meat apply to broiling except that instead of cooking it in the oven it is to be quickly browned, first on one side and then on the other, over a hot fire, and removed a little from the fire to finish cooking. Meat an inch thick will broil in about 4 minutes. Season after it is cooked.

Frying

There are 2 methods of frying: One with very little fat in the pan, to practice which successfully the pan and the fat must be hot before the article to be fried is put into it. For instance, in frying chops, if the pan is hot, and only fat enough is used to keep the chops from sticking to it, the heat being maintained so that the chops cook quickly, they will be nearly as nice as if they were broiled. Frying by the other method consists in entirely covering the article to be cooked in smoking-hot fat and keeping the fat at that degree of heat until the food is brown. It should then be taken up with a skimmer and laid upon brown paper for a moment to free it from grease.

Boiling And Stewing

Fresh meat for boiling should be put into boiling water and boiled very gently about 20 minutes for each pound. A little salt, spice or vegetables may be boiled in the water with the meat for seasoning. A little vinegar put in the water with tough meats makes it tender. The broth of boiled meat should always be saved to use in soups, stews and gravies. Stewing and simmering meats means to place them near enough to the fire to keep the water on them bubbling moderately, constantly and slowly. Salt meats should be put over the fire in cold water, which, as soon as it boils, should be replaced by fresh cold water, the water to be changed until it remains fresh enough to give the meat a palatable flavor when done. Salted and smoked meats require about 30 minutes very slowly boiling, from the time the water boils, to each pound. Vegetables and herbs may be boiled with them to flavor them. When they are cooked the vessel containing them should be set where they will keep hot without boiling until wanted, if they are to be served hot; if they are to be served cold, they should be allowed to cool in the pot liquor in which they were boiled. Very salt meats, or those much dried in smoking, should be soaked over night in cold water before boiling.

Roasting

Wipe the meat with damp cloth. Trim and tie into shape, if necessary. In the bottom of pan put some pieces of fat from meat. Arrange meat on rack in pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and flour. Have oven very hot at first; when meat is half done reduce heat. Baste every 10 or 15 minutes. If there is danger of fat in pan being scorched, add a few spoons of boiling water. Allow from 10 to 20 minutes per pound of meat, according as it is desired, rare or well done. When done remove to hot plate. Thicken gravy in pan with browned flour, adding more water as necessary and add seasoning. An onion may be laid on top of the roast to give it flavor, but should be removed before serving.

In purchasing meat one should know how to select the best quality and the most useful pieces.

Beef, which stands at the head of the list, as being most generally used and liked, should be of a bright, clear red, and fat white. It should be well clothed in fat, to insure it being tender and juicy. The finest pieces are the sirloin and the ribs, the latter making the best roasting piece in the animal.

In cooking steaks remember it is far better to turn over 3 or 4 times on a platter containing a little olive oil than it is to hammer them to make them tender. The object is not to force out the juice, but to soften the fibre.

In selecting pork, one cannot exercise too great care in examining it. Do not buy any that is clammy or has kernels in the fat. Remember, too, when the rind is hard it is old.

Veal should be fine in grain, of a delicate pink, with plenty of kidney fat. It should never be eaten under 2 months old.

Mutton should be firm and juicy, the flesh close-grained, the fat hard and white.