The sauces sent to table with boiled meat must be served in boats, not poured over it.

Boasting

The first preparation must be to see that the spit is cleaned with sand and water. It should be wiped while hot, as soon as meat is drawn from it. and scoured always before use. Joint the meat properly for the convenience of the carver, and balance it evenly on the spit, that its motion may be regular and the fire operate equally on each part of it. Use balance skewers, if necessary? and do not run the spit through the prime part of the joint. Take care that the meat has been kept long enough to be tender. A leg of mutton should never be spitted, as the spit lets out the gravy, and leaves an unsightly perforation just as you are cutting into the pope's eye.

Roast meat by the radiant heat of a clear, glowing fire, otherwise it is baked. The "old English roast beef" was not done in an oven.

The Paschal lamb among the Jews, was roasted whole; among eastern nations sheep are thus brought to table; but it is not done among us, except when pigs, with apples in their mouths, grace the board at country taverns, at some Fourth of July celebration.

Put the joint to roast when the fire is newly made up. that the heat may increase by degrees; proportion the fire to the size of the joint, making it a few inches longer. What would roast a sirloin will burn up a smaller piece. Clear the fire of smoky coals before the joint is put down. The distance from the fire is mentioned by Webster as from nine to thirteen inches; by Kitchiner. from ten to fourteen. It should be put at the furthest point at first. The fat parts should have paper skewered or tied over them, or be covered with a coarse paste of flour and water, fastened on by paper and a string, and taken off in time to brown and froth the meat. Fat meat requires more roasting than lean. In roasting by a string, pass a skewer through each end of the joint, and turn it bottom upwards, that the gravy may flow to each part.

If the joint is thicker at one end than the other, place the spit slanting, the thickest part nearest the fire. Be careful not to put meat too near the fire at first; and the larger the joint the farther off it must be kept; if once scorched, the outside will become hard, and the fire will not penetrate the interior.

Mrs. Hale says: In stirring the fire, be careful to remove the dripping-pan, else dust and ashes may fall in. On no account let the fire get dull and low, as a strong heat is requisite to brown the meat.

A thin joint requires a brisk fire; a large joint, a strong, sound and even fire. When steam rises from the meat, it is done.

Large joints should be put at a moderate distance from the fire, and gradually brought nearer; else the meat will be overdone half way through the joint, and be nearly raw at the bone.

Such meat as is not very fat should have paper placed over it, to prevent it from being scorched.

Do not sprinkle the meat with salt when first put down, as the salt draws out the gravy.

Old meats require more cooking than young. The longer the meat has been killed, the less time it requires to roast it. Very fat meat requires more time than usual.

The general rule is to allow fifteen minutes to a pound for roasting with a good fire, and ten or twenty minutes over, as the family like it well done or not.

Kitchiner says:"Slow roasting is equally important with slow boiling." There should be a meat-screen to guard it from currents of air. Reckon'the time to the moment the roast will be eaten - allowing for the previous courses. If a joint stands after roasting, it will not be "done to a turn." Its size and age, the weather, the fire, the degree of attention, and many other circumstances, have to be considered, and make this process very difficult to perform in perfection.

When the joint is half done, stir up the fire thoroughly. When it is saturated with heat, steam will begin to rise.

To Baste roast meat, is to moisten it while before the fire, to prevent the surface from being scorched. Meat should be basted at first every ten minutes, and afterwards more frequently. Beef and mutton may be basted with their own dripping. Veal and poultry require an addition of butter, suet, or dripping. Some meats are basted with flavored material: claret, sweet-herbs and butter being used for mutton and lamb. For a pig, cream and melted butter are recommended. For veal and other white meats, a basting is made of the yolk of eggs, grated biscuits, and the juice of an orange. Butter, clarified suet, and drippings, are used commonly for roast meat.

How To Brown Meat

Make the fire brisker when the joint is half done, or add a glaze to improve the appearance.

How To Froth It

Dredge the whole joint lightly with flour, when sufficiently roasted, and immediately baste.it with butter or dripping. Stir the fire, and in three minutes take down and dish the meat. Use butter to froth poultry or lamb. The process plumps up the skin, and improves its appearance. Do not use too much flour; the meat should have a light varnish of froth, not a covering of paste.

Dredgings are of flour simply, or flour and grated bread; or sweet herbs dried, powdered and mixed with flour; or powdered sugar mixed with pounded cinnamon and grated bread; or dried and pounded lemon peel mixed with flour; or fennel, or coriander seed, cinnamon and sugar, powdered and mixed with grated bread.

Dripping is the fat which drops from roasting meat, and is used in frying, basting, or making plain pastry. When a joint of beef is roasted, pour the melted fat into a basin of cold, clean water; the heavy particles sink to the buttom; the melted fat floats, and when cold, forms a clear cake of fat, fit for use several days in cool weather. Dripping that has been used for frying (unless fish or pork has been fried in it) may be clarified in this way, for use a second time. Beef suet should be slowly melted, and passed through a sieve into cold water; when caked it may be put into a jar, and kept in a cool place.