Boiling (of fresh meat).--This is cookery by immersion in boiling
liquid, which after a few minutes is reduced to simmering. The object
of the high temperature at first is to harden the surface albumen and
so seal the pores and prevent the escape of the juices. If continued
too long, this degree of heat would tend to toughen the joint
throughout; after the first few minutes, therefore, the heat must be
reduced to about 180° F. The pan used for boiling meat should be only
just large enough to hold the joint, and the quantity of liquid no
more than is required to cover it. For the boiling of salt meat the
general rule of first hardening the surface is not to be followed. The
salting of meat withdraws a large proportion of its juices, while at
the same time the salt hardens the fibres, and this hardness would
be intensified by extreme heat. Very salt meat sometimes is soaked in
cold water to extract some of the salt, but whether this is done or
not, the rule for boiling salt meat is to immerse it in cold or tepid
water and bring slowly to boiling point; boil for five minutes to seal
the pores and prevent any further loss of juice, then reduce to 180°
F., and maintain a uniform temperature till the meat is cooked. Salt
meat takes longer to cook than fresh meat, and the saltness may be
qualified by boiling vegetables with the meat, turnips especially
being useful for this purpose.