When good, the rind is thin, smooth, and cool to the touch; when changing, from being too long killed, it becomes flaccid and clammy. Enlarged glands, called kernels, in the fat, are marks of an ill-fed or diseased pig.
17. Bacon
should have a thin rind, and the fat should be firm, and tinged red by the curing; the flesh should be of a clear red, without intermixture of yellow, and it should firmly adhere to the bone. To judge the state of a
ham
, plunge a knife into it to the bone; on drawing it back, if particles of meat adhere to it, or if the smell is disagreeable, the curing has not been effectual, and the ham is not good; it should, in such a state, be immediately cooked. In buying a ham, a short thick one is to be preferred to one long and thin. Of English hams, Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Hampshire are most esteemed; of foreign, the Westphalian. The bacon and "sugar cured" hams now imported in large quantities from Canada and the United States are both cheap and good.
18. Venison
When good, the fat is clear, bright, and of considerable thickness. To know when it is necessary to cook it, a knife must be plunged into the haunch; and from the smell the cook must determine whether to dress it at once, or to keep it a little longer.
19. Turkey
In choosing poultry, the age of the bird is the chief point to be attended to. An old turkey has rough and reddish legs; a young one smooth and black. Fresh killed, the eyes are full and clear, and the feet moist. When it has been kept too long, the parts about the vent have a greenish appearance.
20. Common Domestic Fowls
when young, have the legs and combs smooth; when old these parts are rough, and on the breast long hairs are found when the feathers axe plucked off: these hairs must be removed by singeing. Fowls and chickens should be plump on the breast, fat on the back, and white-legged.
21. Geese
The bills and feet are red when old, yellow when young. Fresh killed, the feet are pliable, but they get stiff when the birds are kept too long. Geese are called green when they are only two or three months old.
22. Ducks
Choose them with supple feet and hard plump breasts. Tame ducks have yellow feet, wild ones red.
23. Pigeons
are very indifferent food when they are kept too long. Suppleness of the feet shows them to be young; the flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad from keeping. Tame pigeons are larger than wild pigeons, but not so large as the wood pigeon.
24. Hares and Rabbits
when old, have the haunches thick, the ears dry and tough, and the claws blunt and ragged. A young hare has claws smooth and sharp, ears that easily tear, and a narrow cleft in the lip. A leveret is distinguished from a hare by a knob or small bone near the foot.
25. Partridges
when young, have yellowish legs and dark-coloured bills. Old partridges are very indifferent eating.
26. Woodcocks and Snipes
when old, have the feet thick and hard; when these are soft and tender, they are both young and fresh killed. When their bills become moist, and their throats muddy, they have been too long killed.
(See
Food in Season
, Pars.
30
—
42
.)
27. Names and Situations of the Various Joints
28. Meats
In different parts of the kingdom the method of cutting up carcases varies. That which we describe below is the most general, and is known as the English method.
Beef is in season all the year; best in winter.
The Miser Fasts with Greedy Mind to Spare.
Mutton is best in winter, spring, and autumn.
'Grass lamb' is in season from Easter to Michaelmas;'House lamb' from Christmas to Lady-day.
Pork is in season nearly all the year round, but is better relished in winter than in summer.
Veal is always in season, but dear in winter and spring.
Doe venison is best in January, October, November, and December, and buck venison in June, July, August, and September.
vii. Scottish mode of division.
According to the English method the carcase of beef is disposed of more economically than upon the Scotch plan. The English plan affords better steaks, and better joints for roasting; but the Scotch plan gives a greater variety of pieces for boiling. The names of pieces in the Scotch plan, not found in the English, are:
The Scotch also cut mutton differently.
viii. Ox-tail
is much esteemed for purposes of soup; so also is the Cheek. The Tongue is highly esteemed. The Heart, stuffed with veal stuffing, roasted, and served hot, with red currant jelly as an accompaniment, is a palatable dish. When prepared in this manner it is sometimes called
Smithfield Hare
, on account of its flavour being something like that of roast hare.
ix. Calves' Heads
are very useful for various dishes; so also are their Knuckles, Feet, Heart, &c
29. Relative Economy of the Joints
i. The Round
is, in large families, one of the most profitable parts owing to its comparative freedom from bone: it is usually boiled, and is generally sold at the same price as the sirloin, and ribs. It is sometimes divided downwards, close to the bone; one side being known as the
top side
, and the other as the
silver side
. Either of these parts is as good roasted as boiled.
ii. The Brisket
is always less in price than the roasting parts. It is not so economical a part as the round, having more bone with it, and more fat. Where there are children, very fat joints are not desirable, being often disagreeable to them, and sometimes prejudicial, especially if they have a dislike to fat. This joint also requires more cooking than many others; that is to say, it requires a double allowance of time to be given for simmering it; it will, when served, be hard and scarcely digestible if no more time be allowed to simmer it than that which is sufficient for other joints and meats. Joints cooked in a boiler or saucepan, should always be
simmered
, that is to say, boiled as slowly as possible. Meat boiled fast, or "at a gallop," as the phrase goes, is always tough and tasteless. The brisket is excellent when stewed; and when cooked fresh (i.e., unsalted) an excellent stock for soup may be extracted from it, and yet the meat will serve as well for dinner.
iii. The Edge-bone, or Aitch-bone
is not considered to be a very economical joint, the bone being large in proportion to the meat; but the greater part of it, at least, is as good as that of any prime part. On account of the quantity of bone in it, it is sold at a cheaper rate than the best joints. It may be roasted or boiled.
iv. The Rump
is the part of which the butcher makes great profit, by selling it in the form of steaks, but the whole of it may be purchased as a joint, and at the price of other prime parts. It may be turned to good account in producing many excellent dishes. If salted, it is simply boiled; if used unsalted, it is generally stewed.
v. The Veiny Piece
is sold at a moderate price per pound; but, if hung for a day or two, it is very good and very profitable. Where there are a number of servants and children to have an early dinner, this part of beef will be found desirable.
vi. The Leg and Shin
afford excellent stock for soup; and, if not reduced too much, the meat taken from the bones may be served as a stew with vegetables; or it may be seasoned, pounded with butter, and potted; or, chopped very fine, and seasoned with herbs, and bound together by egg and bread crumbs, it may be fried in balls, or in the form of large eggs, and served with a gravy made with a few spoonfuls of the soup.
vii. Ox-cheek
makes excellent soup. The meat, when taken from the bones, may be served as a stew.
viii. The Sirloin and the Ribs
are the roasting parts of beef, and these bear in all places the highest price. The more profitable of these two joints at a family table is the ribs. The bones, if removed from the beef before it is roasted, are useful in making stock for soup. When boned, the meat of the ribs is often rolled up on the shape of a small round or fillet, tied with string, and roasted; and this is the best way of using it, as it enables the carver to distribute equally the upper part of the meat with the fatter parts, at the lower end of the bones.
30. Food in Season
There is an old maxim, "A place for everything, and everything in its place," To which may be added another, "A season for everything, and everything in season."
[Fish, Poultry, &c, whose names are distinguished by
Italics
in each month's "Food in Season," are to be had in the highest perfection during the month.]
31. In Season in January
i. Fish:
Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs,dace, eels, flounders,haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon,tench, thornback, turbot,whiting.
ii. Meat:
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, and doe venison.
iii. Poultry and Game:
Capons, chickens, ducks, wild-ducks, fowls, geese, grouse,hares, larks, moor-game, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame), pullets,rabbits, snipes, turkeys (hen), widgeons, woodcocks.
iv. Vegetables:
Beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), Jerusalem artichokes, kale (Scotch), leeks, lettuces, mint (dry), mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, Savoy cabbages, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach (winter), tarragon, thyme, turnips.
v. Forced Vegetables:
Asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, sea-kale.
vi. Fruit:
Almonds. Apples: Golden pippin, golden russet, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain. Pears: Bergamot d'Hollande, Bon Chrétien, Chaumontel, Colmar, winter beurré. Grapes: English and foreign. Chestnuts, medlars, oranges, walnuts, filbert nuts.
The Hypocrite Will Fast Seem More Holy.
32. In Season in February
i. Fish
Barbel, brill, carp, cockles, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii. Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii. Poultry and Game
Capons, chickens, ducklings, geese, hares, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame and wild), rabbits (tame), snipes, turkeys, turkey poults, wild-ducks, woodcocks.
iv. Vegetables
Beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, lettuces, mint (dry), mushrooms, onions, parsnips, parsley, potatoes, radish, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, Savoys, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach, sprouts, tarragon, thyme, turnips, winter savoury.
v. Forced Vegetables
Asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, sea-kale, &c
vi. Fruit
Apples: Golden pippin, golden russet, Holland pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet, winter pearmain. Chestnuts, oranges.Pears: Bergamot, winter Bon Chrétien, winter Russelet.
33. In Season in March
i. Fish
Brill, carp, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dabs, dory, eels, flounders, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullets, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, turbot, tench, and whiting.
ii. Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii. Poultry and Game
Capons, chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, grouse, leverets, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, turkeys, woodcocks.
iv. Vegetables
Artichokes (Jerusalem), beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), kale (sea and Scotch), lettuces, mint, mushrooms, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, Savoys, shalots, sorrel, spinach, tarragon, thyme, turnips, turnip-tops.
v. Forced Vegetables
Asparagus, French beans, cucumbers, and rhubarb.
vi. Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, Holland pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Norfolk beefing, Wheeler's russet. Chestnuts, oranges.Pears: Bergamot, Chaumontel, winter Bon Chrétien.Forced:Strawberries.
34. In Season in April
i. Fish
Brill, carp, chub, cockles, cod, conger-eels,crabs, dabs, dory, eels, floandeis, halibut, herrings, ling,lobsters, mackerel, mullets, mussels, oysters, perch, pike,prawns, plaice,salmon, shrimps,skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon,tench, trout, turbot, whiting.
ii. Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii. Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wood-pigeons.
iv. Vegetables
Asparagus, broccoli, chervil, colewort, cucumbers, endive, fennel, herbs of all sorts, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, sea-kale, sorrel, spinach, small salad, tarragon, turnip-radishes, turnip-tops, and rhubarb.
vi. Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet. Nuts, oranges.Pears: Bergamot, Bon Chrétien, Carmelite.Forced:Apricots, cherries, strawberries.
35. In Season in May
i. Fish
Brill, carp, chub, cod, conger-eels,crab, cray-fish, dabs, dace, dory, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddock, halibut, herring, ling,lobsters, mackerel, mullet, perch, pike, plaice,prawns,salmon, shrimps,skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whiting.
ii. Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii. Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits; wood-pigeons.
iv. Vegetables
Angelica, artichokes, asparagus, balm, kidney-beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, chervil, cucumbers, fennel, herbs of all sorts, lettuce, mint, onions, parsley, peas, new potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, salad of all sorts, sea-kale, sorrel, spinach, turnips.
vi. Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, winter russet. May-duke cherries; currants; gooseberries; melons.Pears: L'amozette, winter-green.Forced: Apricots, peaches, strawberries.
36. In Season in June
i. Fish
Carp, cod, conger-eels,crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, dory, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, herrings, ling,lobsters, mackerel, mullet, perch, pike, plaice,prawns, salmon, salmon-trout, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whitebait, whiting.