Modes Of Cooking In Common Use - On The Wholesomeness And Digestibility Of Various Articles Of Food

Boiling, Roasting, Broiling, Baking, Frying, Stewing.

Boiling

There is an art in cooking food in such a manner as to avoid, as much as possible, the loss of its nutritive principles.

"If the object is to extract the goodness of the meat into the surrounding liquid, as in making soups, broths, etc., the articles should be minced or cut up finely, and placed in cold water. After soaking for a short time, heat should be applied, and the temperature gradually raised. For broths, no actual boiling is needed - it is desirable, indeed, that it should be avoided, so as not to consolidate and lose the albumen. For soups, however, prolonged boiling is necessary, in order fully to extract the gelatine."

If the object is to retain the nutritive properties in the meat, an opposite plan must be adopted. "The piece of meat should be large, and it should be plunged suddenly into boiling water and the process of boiling briskly maintained for about five minutes. This coagulates the albuminous matter upon the surface, and leads to the formation of a more or less impermeable external layer, which precludes the escape of the juices from the substance of the meat. After this object has been fulfilled, instead of boiling being continued, a temperature of between 160° and 170° Fahr. constitutes what is wanted; and this degree should be maintained, until the process of cooking is completed. Cooked in this way, the central part of the meat remains juicy and tender, and possesses, in the highest degree, the properties of nutritiveness and digestibility.

Unless exposed throughout to the temperature named, the albuminous and colouring matters are not properly coagulated, and the meat presents a raw or under-dressed appearance. If exposed to a temperature much above 170°, the muscular substance shrinks and becomes proportionately hard and indigestible. The usual fault committed in cooking meat, is keeping the water in which it is being boiled at too high a temperature after the first exposure to brisk ebullition is over.

Fish is rendered firm in proportion to the hardness of the water in which it is boiled. Hence, fish boiled in sea-water, or in water to which salt has been added, is firmer, and, at the same time, more highly flavoured, than when boiled in soft water, on account of the less solvent action exerted.

Upon the principle of endeavouring to retain, as far as practicable, the soluble constituents of an article of food, potatoes should be boiled in their skins, and the object aimed at is still further secured by the addition of a little salt to the water. By steaming instead of boiling the result is still more completely attained.

Boiled food is more insipid than food cooked in other ways. From the lower temperature employed, no empy-reumatic products are developed. Being more devoid of flavour, it is less tempting to the palate, but sits more easily on a delicate stomach.

Roasting

Should be conducted upon the same principle as boiling. In order, as far as possible, to retain the nutritive juices meat should first be subjected to a sharp heat. This leads to the formation of a coagulated layer upon the surface, which subsequently offers an impediment to the escape of the fluid matter within. After a short exposure to a sharp heat, the meat should be removed to a greater distance from the fire, so as to allow a lower heat gradually to penetrate to the centre. In this way the albumen and colouring matters are coagulated without the fibrine being corrugated and hardened.

On account of the greater heat employed, roasted meat is more savory than boiled. The surface also is more or less scorched, and a portion of the fat is melted and drops away in the form of dripping. Some of the fat likewise, under a prolonged exposure to a strong heat, undergoes decomposition, attended with the production of fatty acids, and an acrid volatile product known as acrolein, which may cause derangement of a weak stomach. In boiling, the temperature is not sufficient to incur the risk of rendering the fat in a similar way obnoxious.

When properly roasted, the meat is juicy enough within to lead to the escape of a quantity of red gravy when the first cut is made into it. (See Wholesomeness and Digestibility of various articles of food.)

Broiling

Produces the same effect as roasting, but the proportion of scorched material is greater, on account of the relatively larger amount of surface exposed. The principle of cooking should be the same, in order to retain the central portion juicy.

Baking

Renders meat more impregnated with empy-reumatic products, and therefore richer or stronger for the stomach than any other process of cooking. The operation being carried on in a confined space, the volatile fatty acids generated are prevented from escaping, and thus permeate the cooked articles. Meat cooked in this way is ill adapted for consumption where a delicate state of system exists.

Frying

Is also an objectionable process of cooking for persons of weak digestive power. The heat is applied through the medium of boiling fat or oil. The article of food thus becomes more or less penetrated with fatty matter, which renders it to a greater extent than would otherwise be the case resistant to the solvent action of the watery digestive liquid secreted by the stomach. It is apt also to be impregnated with the fatty-acid products arising from the decomposition of the fat used in the process. These are badly tolerated by the stomach, and, whether generated in this way or when the food is in the act of undergoing digestion, appear to form the source of the gastric trouble known as heartburn.

Stewing

Places food in a highly favourable state for digestion. The articles to be cooked are just covered with water, and should be exposed to a heat sufficient only to allow a gentle simmering. A considerable portion of the nutritive matter passes into the surrounding liquid, which is consumed as well as the solid material. Properly cooked in this way, meat should be rendered sufficiently tender to break down under moderate pressure; if boiling is allowed to occur, the meat becomes, instead, tough and hard.

By surrounding the vessel in which the article of food is contained with water so as to secure that no burning shall occur, meat may be stewed in its own vapour. For example, a chop or other piece of meat taken upon a small scale, may be placed in an ordinary preserve jar, and this tied over at the top, and partially immersed in water contained in a saucepan. The water in the saucepan is made to simmer, or gently boil; and when the proper time has elapsed, the meat is found perfectly soft and tender, and surrounded by a liquor derived from the juice which has escaped during the process. Meat thus prepared is in an exceedingly suitable state for the convalescent and invalid.

Hashing is the same process as stewing, only applied to previously cooked instead of fresh meat.

Soups and Broths

The process of preparation is here directed to extracting the goodness from the articles employed, the reverse of that in the case of boiling. To accomplish what is aimed at in the most complete manner the article should be chopped or broken into fine pieces, and placed in cold water. After being allowed to macerate a short time - for the soluble constituents to become dissolved out - it is gradually heated to a point which should vary according to the product required. In the case of broths and beef-tea, which, properly, contain only the flavouring principle of meat - osmazome - and the soluble constituents with finely coagulated albuminous matter, all that is required is to produce gentle simmering, and this should be kept up for about half-an-hour. In the case of soups, a prolonged gentle boiling is required in order that the gelatine may be extracted, this being the principle which gives to soup its property of solidifying on cooling. Bones require boiling a longer time than meat. The chief principle they yield is gelatine, and its extraction is greatly facilitated by the bones being broken into fine fragments previous to being used.

Salting, Pickling, and Smoking

May be alluded to here for the sake of stating that by their hardening action, they give an article a difficult digestibility, which cannot be overcome by cooking. (Dr. Pavy, "On Food;' etc., 1874. )

Food Losses In Weight During Cooking

In cooking food it is necessary to remember that there is a considerable and unavoidable loss of weight; but the amount of this differs according to the mode of cooking.

Table VI. Showing the loss of weight per cent, by Cooking. (Letheby.)