Which would give the better result when added to the potato mixture,
beaten egg or unbeaten egg? Give the reason for your answer.
How many persons will the Potato Puff recipe serve?
From _U.S. Department of Agriculture_, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of fresh potatoes (see Figure 62) and boiled
potatoes. How much nutriment is lost by boiling one pound of potatoes? By
what method can potatoes be cooked in order to retain the most nutriment?
Give reasons for combining veal and potatoes.
LESSON XCVIII
MUTTON AND LAMB DISHES
MUTTON.--Mutton is the meat obtained from the sheep. The animal is usually
about three years of age when killed. Like beef, mutton needs to hang a
few days before using. It is considered as nutritious and as easily
digested as beef. Its strong flavor may be destroyed by removing the "pink
skin" and much of the fat. The latter has such a strong flavor, that it
cannot be used for cooking unless it is tried out with onion, apple, and
dried herbs. Mutton fat so prepared is sometimes termed _savory fat_.
It is thought that the fat dissolves certain flavoring materials present
in the fruit, vegetable, and herbs. The caramelized carbohydrate formed by
browning the apple and onion also adds to the flavor. [Footnote 68: See
_Department of Agriculture, Farmers' Bulletin_, No. 526.]
Mutton fat is useful for soap-making.
[Illustration: FIGURE 66.--CUTS OF LAMB OR MUTTON]
LAMB.--Lamb is meat obtained from the young sheep, killed when from six
weeks to one year old. As the animal matures, the blood recedes from its
joints; hence the joints of lamb are pink in color, while those of mutton
are white.
Lamb has the characteristics of the meat of immature animals. It contains
more water and a little less fat than mutton, and should not be allowed to
hang. It is more delicate in flavor than is mutton. Lamb should be well
cooked; mutton is sometimes served rare.
FOOD COMBINATIONS
CUTS OF LAMB AND MUTTON (see Figure 66).
==================================================================
| Name of Cut | Form Of Cut | Method Of Cooking |
==================================================================
| A. Loin. | Chops--Loin chops (see | Broiling. |
| | Figure 67). | Roasting. |
| | Thick pieces (loin sections | |
| | of both hind quarters in | |
| | one piece called "Saddle | |
| | of Mutton"). | |
| | | |
| B. Leg. | Slices. | Broiling. |
| | Thick pieces. | Roasting. |
| | | Stewing. |
| | | |
| C. Rib. | Chops--rib chops(see Fig- | Broiling. |
| | ure 67) (when trimmed | Roasting. |
| | called "French" chops. | |
| | see Figure 67). | |
| | Thick Pieces (rib sections | |
| | of both fore quarters in | |
| | one piece called "Rack | |
| | of Mutton"). | |
| | | |
| D. Shoulder. | Chops blade shoulder | Broiling. |
| | chops (see Figure 67) | Braising. |
| | and round shoulder | Roasting. |
| | chops (see Figure 67). | Stuffing and |
| | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | Whole. | |
| | | |
| E. Breast. | Thick Pieces. | Stewing. |
| | | Broth-making. |
| | | |
| F. Neck. | Thick Pieces. | Stewing. |
| | | Broth-making. |
==================================================================
STUFFED SHOULDER OF LAMB
4 to 5 pounds shoulder of lamb, boned, cleaned, and stuffed with the
mixture used in Stuffed Meat Roast. (Double the quantity of ingredients
for the shoulder of lamb.) Add the stuffing to the meat; then "lace" (see
_Baked Fish_) or skewer into shape. Season, and dredge with flour.
Place drippings or other fat in a frying pan or iron roasting pan, and
brown the surface of the meat. Place the lamb on the rack in a roasting
pan, add boiling water; cover; and bake in a moderate oven, allowing
_one half hour to the pound_. _Shoulder of veal_ may be
prepared and stuffed in the same way.
[Illustration: Courtesy of _Bureau of Publications_, Teachers
College. FIGURE 67.--LAMB CHOPS. Upper row: Rib chops,--French. Loin
chops. Lower row: Rib chops. Blade shoulder chop. Round bone shoulder
chop.]
MINT SAUCE
1 cupful fresh mint
1/2 cupful vinegar
1/4 cupful sugar
Chop the leaves and the tender tips of the mint. Dissolve the sugar in the
vinegar, and add the mint. Let the sauce stand one hour before using. Heat
over hot water before serving.
LAMB OR MUTTON IN THE CASSEROLE
2 pounds neck, breast, or shoulder of lamb or mutton
Flour
Fat for browning
Water or stock
4 carrots
2 cupfuls peas
2 teaspoonfuls salt
Pepper
1/2 bay leaf
3 allspice berries
Cut the meat into pieces suitable for serving. Roll in flour, and brown in
a frying pan with hot fat. Remove to the casserole, and cover with boiling
water or stock. Wash, scrape, and cut the carrots into halves. Add them
and the spices to the meat in the casserole. Cover, and cook at simmering
temperature for two hours. Then add the peas and the seasoning. Cook until
tender. Serve hot from the casserole.
One half cupful of cooked rice may be used instead of the carrots and
peas. Tomatoes also make a pleasing addition.
THE CASSEROLE.--The casserole is a popular utensil for cooking and
serving. It is suitable for foods that need to be cooked at a low
temperature for a long period of time; hence its adaptability to tough
cuts of meat. Because the casserole is tightly covered, foods may be
cooked in it with little loss by evaporation. The flavor is retained also,
if the cooking is carefully done. The use of the casserole in serving is a
distinct advantage, since the foods may be served hot. The casserole may
be used in the oven or on top of the range.
If a covered crock is used in place of the regulation casserole, a dinner
napkin should be folded neatly around it for serving.
QUESTIONS
Tell how lamb can be distinguished from mutton. Give two reasons for
adding dried herbs to the stuffing for lamb.
Give two reasons for serving Mint Sauce with lamb. What is the purpose of
first browning the lamb that is to be roasted?
[Illustration: FIGURE 68.--THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND CURED MEATS.
(Revised edition)]
What is the easiest method of adding extra flour to the sauce around lamb
or mutton in the casserole (see _Thickening the Sauce of Meat Cooked in
Water_)?
How many persons will this recipe serve?
Name the advantages of cooking meat in a casserole.
Give a dietetic reason for combining carrots, peas, or rice, with lamb or
mutton.
Distinguish between rib and loin chops of lamb or mutton. What is a French
chop?
Obtain the prices per pound of each cut of mutton or lamb. Arrange in
tabulated form and record the date.
From _U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28_, tabulate the
percentage composition of the hind quarter of mutton. Compare it with the
composition of beef steak.
Tabulate the percentage composition of beets, carrots, parsnips, and
turnips. Which contains the most carbohydrates? Which the most ash?
LESSON XCIX
PORK, VEGETABLES, AND APPLE SAUCE
PORK.--Pork is meat obtained from the pig. In all meats, much fat is
entangled in the network of connective tissue that binds the muscle
fibers. Pork, however, contains more fat than does any other meat. The fat
is most intimately mingled with the lean. For this reason it is digested
slowly. Fresh pork should be used sparingly. Its use should be confined to
the winter months. Pork should be thoroughly cooked. It sometimes contains
organisms which may produce serious results, if not destroyed in the
cooking. Pork is made more wholesome by curing, salting, and smoking. The
fat of bacon is readily digested.
[Illustration: FIGURE 69.--CUTS OF PORK.]
CUTS OF PORK (see Figure 69).
===================================================================
| NAME OF CUT | FORM OF CUT | METHOD OF COOKING |
===================================================================
| A. Loin. | Chops--rib and loin | Sauteing. |
| | chops (freed from fat| Roasting. |
| | called "spare ribs") | |
| | --cut into chops or | |
| | thick pieces. | |
| | | |
| B. Ham | Slices. | Sauteing. |
| (usually smoked). | Whole. | "Boiling." |
| | | Roasting. |
| | | |
| C. Back (all fat). | Strips. | "Tried out" (its |
| | Slices. | fat used for |
| | | sauteing, frying, |
| | | and flavoring), |
| | | Larding. |
| | | |
| D. Shoulder | Slices. | Sauteing. |
| (smoked or fresh). | Whole. | "Boiling." |
| | | Roasting. |
| | | |
| E. Bacon (smoked) | Thin or thick slices. | Sauteing. |
| or Salt Pork. | | Broiling. |
===================================================================
PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET POTATOES
Pare sweet potatoes, and place them in the bottom of a roasting pan. Wipe
the pork chops, and place them on top of the potatoes. Place the roasting
pan on the top shelf of a hot oven, in order to brown the chops. Brown on
one side; turn the chops with a fork, and brown on the other side. Then
remove the roasting pan from the oven, sprinkle the chops with salt,
pepper, and powdered sage. Add a little boiling water. Return to the oven.
[Illustration: FIGURE 70.--THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND DRIED FRUITS.
(Revised edition)]
Cover and bake 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender. Baste the
potatoes and meat occasionally.
Remove the chops to the center of a hot platter, and surround them with
the potatoes. Serve at once with Apple Sauce (for preparation of Apple
Sauce, see _Fruit Sauces_).
TURNIPS WITH FRESH PORK
1 1/2 pounds fresh pork (shoulder)
3 medium sized turnips
1 tablespoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls flour
Pepper
Clean the meat, put it in a saucepan, and add enough boiling water to
cover. Cook at simmering temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
Pare the turnips, cut them into cubes. When the meat has cooked 1/2 hour,
add the turnips and salt and continue cooking for 1 hour or until the meat
and vegetables are tender. Mix the flour with enough cold water (about 2
tablespoonfuls) to make a thin batter. Add it to the meat and turnips.
Stir and cook for at least 10 minutes. Add a dash of pepper. Serve hot.
BROILED HAM
Parboil in boiling water for 10 minutes a slice of ham about 1/2 inch
thick. Place in a broiler and broil, or place in a "frying" pan and pan-
broil, turning often. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.
BACON
Place thin slices of bacon (from which the rind has been removed) in a hot
frying-pan. As the fat tries out, drain it from the bacon. Scorching of
the fat is thus prevented. Cook the bacon until it is brown and crisp,
turning once.
_Bacon fat_ should be saved. It can be used in cooking.
SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH BACON
4 medium potatoes
1/4 pound sliced bacon
Flour
Salt, used sparingly
Pepper
Milk
Pare the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Cook the bacon until
brown; cut each slice of bacon into several pieces. Oil a baking-dish and
place a layer of potatoes in it, then a layer of bacon and some of the
tried-out bacon fat. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper. Repeat, until
all the ingredients are used; the top layer should be of bacon. Add milk
until it reaches the top layer. Bake in a moderate oven for one hour, or
until much of the milk has evaporated and the potatoes are tender. Serve
hot.
1/4 cupful of bacon drippings may be used instead of sliced bacon.
QUESTIONS
Why should fresh pork be used in winter rather than in summer?
Why is pork slow in digesting?
Explain why vegetables and Apple Sauce are desirable foods to serve with
pork (see Figure 62, Figure 68, and Figure 70).
For what reason should pork be cooked thoroughly?
What is the purpose of parboiling ham before broiling it?
What ingredient, invariably used in Scalloped Potatoes, is omitted in
Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon? What is substituted for this material?
Why should salt be added sparingly to potatoes cooked with bacon?
How many persons does the given quantity of Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon
and of Turnips with Fresh Pork serve?
To what cut of beef does ham correspond?
From _U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28_, tabulate the
percentage composition of fresh and salted ham. Compare it with the
composition of beef steak (see Figure 68).
Obtain the price per pound of each cut of pork. Arrange in tabulated form
and record date.
LESSON C
CHICKEN AND RICE
POULTRY.--Poultry includes chicken (or common fowl), turkey, duck, and
goose--domestic birds suitable for food. Pigeon and squab are not
considered poultry. Chickens that are three or four months old are called
_spring chickens_ or broilers. Birds older than one year are
sometimes called _fowls_.
[Illustration: FIGURE 71.--REMOVING TENDONS FROM THE LEG OF A FOWL.]
SELECTION OF CHICKEN AND FOWL.--Chickens and fowls have certain
characteristics which make them readily distinguishable. Chickens have
soft feet, a soft and flexible breast bone, many pin feathers, and little
fat. Fowls have hard and scaly feet, rigid breast bone, long hairs, and
much fat surrounding the intestines.
DIGESTION OF POULTRY.--The muscle of chicken, fowl, and turkey contains
little fat; the fat that exists is in layers directly under the skin and
around the intestines. The fibers of the muscle are short. For this
reason, and also because they have so little fat, these meats are readily
digested. The white meat contains less fat than the dark.
[Illustration with caption: FIGURE 72--FOWL TRUSSED FOR ROASTING. BREAST
VIEW]
DRESSING AND CLEANING POULTRY.--Singe, by holding the bird over a flame of
gas, alcohol, or burning paper. Cut off the head, push back the skin, and
cut off the neck close to the body. Cut through the skin around the leg
one inch below the leg joint. If it is a fowl, take out the tendons;
remove them separately, using a skewer (see Figure 71). Remove the pin
feathers with the point of a knife or with a strawberry huller. Cut the
oil bag from the tail.
[Illustration: FIGURE 73--FOWL TRUSSED FOR ROASTING,--BACK VIEW.]
The internal organs are not always removed before the chicken is sold. If
they have not been removed, make an opening under one of the legs or at
the vent, leaving a strip of skin above the vent. Remove the organs
carefully,--the intestines, gizzard, heart, and liver should all be
removed together. Care must be taken that the gall bladder, which lies
under the liver, is not broken; it must be cut away carefully from the
liver. The lungs and kidneys, lying in the hollow of the backbone, must be
carefully removed. Press the heart to extract the blood. Cut off the outer
coat of the gizzard. The gizzard, heart, and liver constitute the giblets
to be used in making gravy. Wash the giblets. Place them all, with the
exception of the liver, in cold water; heat quickly and cook (at simmering
temperature) until tender. Add the liver a short time before removing the
other giblets from the stove, as it does not require long cooking.
Clean the bird by wiping it thoroughly inside and out with a damp cloth,
stuff and truss for roasting, or cut into pieces for fricassee or stew. If
the bird is stuffed, the incision in the skin may be fastened together as
directed for Baked Fish.
TRUSSING FOWL.--Insert a skewer through the fowl just underneath the legs,
then thrust another skewer through the wings and breast. With a piece of
string, tie the ends of the legs together and fasten them to the tail.
Then wind the ends of the string fastened to the tail, around the ends of
the skewer beneath the legs. Cross the strings over the back, and wind
them around the ends of the skewer through the wings; tie the strings
together at the back. If trussed in this manner, there is no string across
the breast of the fowl. A fowl should be served breast side up (see
Figures 72 and 73).
CUTTING A FOWL.--Cut off the leg, and separate it at the joint into
"drumstick" and second joint. Cut off the wing and remove the tip; make an
incision at the middle joint. Remove the leg and wing from the other side;
separate the wishbone with the meat on it, from the breast, cut through
the ribs on each side, and separate the breast from the back. Cut the
breast in half lengthwise and the back through the middle crosswise. There
should be twelve pieces. The neck and the tips of the wings may be cooked
with the giblets for making gravy.
STEWED CHICKEN [Footnote 69: Stewed Chicken may be utilized for _Chicken
Croquettes_) or _Creole Stew_.]
Cover the pieces of chicken with boiling water, and cook at boiling
temperature for 15 minutes; then add one tablespoonful of salt and cook at
simmering temperature until tender.
Arrange the pieces on a platter, placing the neck at one end of the
platter and the "drumsticks" at the other, and the remaining pieces in
order between. Cover with a sauce.
The chicken may be placed on pieces of _toast_ or served in a border
of cooked _rice_.
SAUCE FOR CHICKEN
3 tablespoonfuls tried-out chicken fat or butter or substitute
1/4 cupful of flour
1 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls chopped parsley
1 pint stock
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
Prepare the sauce (see _Cream Toast_), and pour it over the well-
beaten eggs, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Cook until the eggs are
coagulated. Serve at once over chicken.
QUESTIONS
Why is chicken more readily digested than other meat?
What is the reason for cooking stewed chicken 15 minutes in _boiling_
water? Why is the salt not added at first? Why should the chicken finally
be cooked at simmering temperature rather than at boiling?
What use can be made of the fat of a fowl?
What is the purpose of the eggs in Sauce for Chicken?
Explain fully why rice or toast makes a desirable addition to Stewed
Chicken.
LESSON CI
CHICKEN AND PEAS
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
2 1/2 cupfuls chopped chicken or fowl
Onion juice
2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice
1 tablespoonful parsley
SAUCE
1 pint cream or milk
1/3 cupful fat
1/2 cupful flour
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
1 teaspoonful celery salt
Chop the chicken very fine; add the seasonings. Make the sauce (see
_Cream Toast_). Add the chicken to the sauce. Cool the mixture. Shape
into cones. Cover with dried bread crumbs and egg, and cook in deep fat
(see _Fried Oysters_). Drain on paper. Serve at once with green peas.
An egg may be beaten and added to the sauce, before mixing it with the
meat.
QUESTIONS
What is the purpose of cooling the chicken mixture before shaping it into
croquettes (see Experiment 17)?
How many croquettes does this recipe make?
How many cupfuls of chopped meat can be obtained from fowl of average
weight?
What is the average weight of a chicken one year old? How long does it
take to cook it?
What is the average weight of a spring chicken?
What is the present market price of spring chicken? Of fowl?
Compare the composition of fowl with that of round steak, using _U. S.
Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28_. Also record the percentage
of refuse in a fowl when it is purchased. Considering the refuse in fowl,
what is the price per pound?
Tabulate the percentage composition of fresh and dried peas and beans, and
of dried lentils. Which are richer in protein, the fresh or the dried
vegetables (see Figure 76)?
LESSON CII
OYSTER DISHES
EXPERIMENT 63. PROTEIN IN OYSTER LIQUOR.--Pour a small quantity of oyster
liquor into a test tube and boil it. What change takes place? From your
previous experience with eggs, what foodstuff would you infer that oysters
contain? What inference can you draw from this as to the temperature at
which oysters should be cooked?
OYSTERS.--An oyster is an animal covered with shell. The shell, which
consists of mineral matter, protects the animal.
[Illustration: FIGURE 74--COMPOSITION OF FISH, FISH PRODUCTS AND OYSTERS
(Revised edition)]
The oyster has no head, arms, or legs, but it has a mouth, liver, gills,
and one strong muscle. The mouth is near the hinge-end of the shell; by
means of the hinge, the shell is opened and water and food taken in; by
means of the muscle, the shell is closed. (Find the muscle in an oyster;
then the dark spot,--this is the liver; also find the fluted portions that
partly surround the liver,--these are the gills.)
Oysters are in season from September until May. They are sometimes eaten
during the summer months, but are not so palatable and are more apt to be
contaminated by the bacteria of warm water. The bluish green color of some
oysters is due to the oyster's feeding upon vegetable materials. This does
not harm the flavor of the oyster.
Oysters are sometimes placed in fresh water streams or in water which is
less salt than that in which they have grown to "fatten them." The animals
take in the fresh water, become plump, and increase in weight. If the
water is sewage-polluted, the oysters become contaminated with dangerous
bacteria. Methods of cooking usually applied to oysters, such as stewing
and boiling, may not destroy all bacteria. Hence, the danger in eating
oysters taken from polluted water.
When oysters are prepared for market, they are sorted according to size.
Blue points, or small oysters originally grown in Blue Point, are prized
for serving raw in the half shell. This name, however, no longer indicates
the place from which the oysters come, but is applied to small oysters in
the shell. Large oysters selected for frying may be purchased. Oysters are
found at markets either in the shell or with the shell removed.
Since oysters spoil readily, they must be kept cold during transportation.
They are now shipped in containers surrounded by ice. Formerly ice was
placed in contact with the oysters.
Note the percentage composition of oysters (see Figure 74). With such a
large quantity of water, the oyster has little food value. Oysters are
prized for their flavor, but make an expensive food. Cooking makes oysters
somewhat tough, but it sterilizes them and makes them safer to use. It is
considered that oysters properly cooked are easily digested. They should
be eaten when very fresh. They spoil quickly and develop poisonous
products.
CLEANING OYSTERS.--Drain off the liquor. If the liquor is to be used,
strain it through a fine strainer. Place the oysters in a strainer or
colander, and wash them. Do not allow oysters to stand in water after
washing. Run each oyster through the fingers to remove pieces of shell
that may be clinging to it.
OYSTER STEW
1 cupful milk
1 pint oysters
1 tablespoonful butter
Salt and pepper
Heat the milk in a double boiler; add the seasonings and butter. Clean the
oysters; cook them in a saucepan until they become plump and the edges
curl. Add the hot milk and serve at once.
The milk may be thickened with 1 tablespoonful of flour (see recipe for
_Thin White Sauce_).
Serve crackers or bread with Oyster Stew.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
1 pint oysters
1/2 teaspoonful salt
3 cupfuls soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1/4 cupful oyster juice or milk
Cayenne
Wash the oysters, strain the juice, and butter the crumbs. Add the
seasoning to the oysters. Place one fourth of the buttered crumbs in the
bottom of a buttered baking-dish. Add one half of the oysters, another
fourth of the crumbs, then the remainder of the oysters, the liquid, and
finally the remaining half of the buttered crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven
from 30 to 40 minutes.
If baked in individual baking-dishes, only 15 minutes will be required for
baking.
QUESTIONS
Count and record the number of oysters in one pint.
From Figures 64 and 74, tabulate the percentage composition of oysters and
milk.
Find the weight of one cupful of oysters and of one cupful of milk. How do
they compare as to the amount of water, protein, and fat contained in one
pint of each?
What is the difference in cost of one pint of each?
What is the purpose of straining the oyster liquor?
Why should not oysters stand in water after washing (see Experiment 38)?
Explain why oysters should be cooked only a short time. What is the effect
of long cooking upon oysters?
In Scalloped Oysters, why is the liquid added before the last layer of
crumbs?
How many persons do each of these oyster recipes serve?
What dietetic reason can be given for combining oysters and bread?
From _U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28_, tabulate the
percentage composition of the following fish: Fresh and salt cod, fresh
and smoked herring, fresh and salt mackerel, fresh and canned salmon,
fresh perch, and fresh white fish. Which contains the most fat? How can
fish be classified with regard to fat content (see _Classes of
Fish_)? Which fish contains the most protein?