Select two good standing ribs, the first or second cut, according to the size of the family; the first cut will make a small compact roast. Have the ribs trimmed and cracked. Put the roast in the pan, rib side down, put a teaspoonful of salt in the pan, and a half cupful of water; place at once in a very hot oven and bake until the outside of the meat is thoroughly seared, about twenty-five minutes. Cool the oven, and begin to baste the meat with the fat that is now dripping in the pan, and roast a large joint fifteen minutes to each pound. A small two-rib roast weighing six pounds will bake in an hour and a quarter. Do not add any more water to the pan; baste with the fat that is dripping from the meat.

This recipe will answer for mutton and lamb.