JOINTING, TRUSSING, AND CARVING.
Below will be found the figures of the five larger animals, followed by a reference to each, by which the reader, who is not already experienced, may observe the names of all the principal joints, as well as the part of the animal from which the joint is cut. No book that I am acquainted with, except that ofMrs. Rundell, has taken any notice of this subject, though it is a matter of considerable importance, and one as to which many a young housekeeper often wishes for information.
Venison.
Joints of Venison
Beef.
Joints of Beef
Mutton.
Joints of Mutton
Note.A Chine is two Loins; and a Saddle is two Loins, and two Necks of the Best End.
Veal.
Joints of Veal
Pork.
Joints of Pork
Cod's Head.—Fig. 1.
Cod's Head
Cod's Head(Fig. 1) is a dish in carving which you have nothing to study beyond that preference for particular parts of the fish which some persons entertain. The solid parts are helped by cutting through with the fish trowel fromatoband fromctod, and so on, from the jaw-bone to the further end of the shoulder. Thesoundlies on the inside, and to obtain this, you must raise up the thin part of the fish, near the lettere.—This dish never looks so well as when served dry, and the fish on a napkin neatly folded, and garnished with sprigs of parsley.
Haunch of Venison.—Fig. 2.
Haunch of Venison
Haunch of Venisonis cut (as inFig. 2.) first in the lineatob. This first cut is the means of getting much of the gravy of the joint. Then turning the dish longwise towards him, the carver should put the knife in atc, and cut, as deep as the bone will allow, tod, and take out slices on either side of the line in this direction. The fat of venison becomes cold so very rapidly, that it is advisable, when convenient, to have some means of giving it renewed warmth after the joint comes to table. For this purpose, some use water plates, which have the effect of rendering the meat infinitely nicer than it would be in a half chilled state.
Haunch of Muttonis carved in the same way asVenison.
Saddle of Mutton.—Fig. 3.
Saddle of Mutton
Saddle of Mutton.This is prepared for roasting as inFig. 3, thetailbeing split in two, each half twisted back, and skewered, with one of the kidneys enclosed. You carve this by cutting, in straight lines, on each side of the backbone, as fromatob, fromctod. If the saddle be a fine one, there will be fat on every part of it; but there is always more on the sides (ee) than in the centre.
Edge Bone of Beef.—Fig. 4.
Edge Bone of Beef
Edge Bone of Beef, like the Round of Beef, is easily carved. But care should be taken, with both of these, to carve neatly; for if the meat be cut in thick slices or in pieces of awkward shape, the effect will be both to cause waste and to render the dish, while it lasts, uninviting. Cut slices, as thin as you please, fromatob(Fig. 4). The best part of the fat will be found on one side of the meat, from aboutctod. The most delicate is atc.
Fore Quarter of Lamb.—Fig. 5.
Fore Quarter of Lamb
Fore Quarter of Lambis first to be cut so as to divide theshoulderfrom the rest of the quarter, which is calledthetarget. For this purpose, put the fork firmly into the shoulder joint, and then cut underneath the blade-bone beginning ata(Fig. 5), and continue all round in the direction of a circular line, and pretty close to the under part of the blade-bone. Some people like to cut the shoulder large, while others take off no more meat with it than is barely necessary to remove the blade-bone. It is most convenient to place the shoulder on a separate dish. This is carved in the same way as the shoulder of mutton. (SeeFig. 7.) When the shoulder is removed, a lemon may be squeezed over that part of the remainder of the joint where the knife had passed: this gives a flavour to the meat which is generally approved.—Then, proceed to cut completely through frombtoc, following the line across the bones as cracked by the butcher; and this will divide the ribs (d) from the brisket (e). Tastes vary in giving preference to the ribs or to the brisket.
Leg of Mutton.—Fig. 6.
Leg of Mutton
Leg of Mutton, either boiled or roasted, is carved as inFig. 6. You begin, by taking slices from the most meaty part, which is done by making cuts straight across the joint, and quite down to the bone (a,b), and thus continuing on towards the thick end, till you come toc, thecramp-bone(or, as some call it, theedge-bone). Somemutton is superfluously fat on every part of the leg. The most delicate fat, however, is always that which is attached to the outside, about the thick end. After cutting as above directed, turn the joint over, and cut longwise the leg, as with a haunch of venison (seeFig. 1). Some people like theknuckle, that part which lies to the right ofb, though this is always the driest and the leanest. A few nice slices may be taken atd, by cutting across that end: these are not juicy, but the grain of the meat is fine; and here there is also some nice fat.
Shoulder of Mutton.—Fig. 7.
Shoulder of Mutton
Shoulder of Mutton.—Cut first fromatob(Fig. 7) as deep as the bone will permit, and take out slices on each side of this line. Then cut in a line with and on both sides of the ridges of the blade-bone, which will be found running in the directionctod. The meat of this part is some of the most delicate, but there is not much of it. You may get some nice slices betweeneandf, though these will sometimes be very fat. Turn the joint over, and take slices from the flat surface of the under part: these are the coarsest, yet some think the best.—In small families it is sometimes the practice to cut the under side while hot; this leaves the joint better looking for the next day.
Ham.—Fig. 8.
Ham
Hamis generally cut by making a deep incision across the top of it, as fromatob, and down to the bone. Those who like theknuckleend, which is the most lean and dry, may cut towardsc; but the prime part of the ham is that betweenaand the thick end. Some prefer carving hams with a more slanting cut, beginning in a direction as fromatoc, and so continuing throughout to the thick end. The slanting mode is, however, apt to be very wasteful, unless the carver be careful not to take away too much fat in proportion to the lean.
Sucking Pigshould always be cut up by the cook; at least, the principal parts should be divided before the dish is served. First, take off theheadimmediately behind the ears: then cut the body in two, by carrying the knife quite through from the neck to the tail. Thelegsand theshouldersmust next be removed from the sides, and each of them cut in two at their respective joints. Thesidesmay either be sent to table whole, or cut up: if the latter, separate the whole length of each side into three or four pieces. Theheadshould be split in two, and the lower jaws divided from the upper part of it; let theearsbe cut off. In serving, a neat cook will take care to arrange the different parts thus separated so that they may appear, upon the dish, as little uneven and confused as possible. The sides, whether whole or in several pieces, should be laid parallel with each other; the legs andshoulders on the outer side of these, and opposite to the parts to which they have respectively belonged; and the portions of the head, and the ears, may be placed, some at one end, and some at the other end, or, as taste may suggest, at the sides of the dish.
Hare, or Rabbit, for Roasting.—Fig. 9.
Hare, or Rabbit, for Roasting
Hare, or Rabbit, for Roasting, is prepared for the spit as inFig. 9.—To carve: begin by cutting through near to the back-bone, fromatob; then make a corresponding cut on the other side of the back-bone; leaving thebackand theheadin one distinct piece. Cut off thelegsat the hip joint (e), and take off thewingnearly as you would the wing of a bird, carrying the knife round the circular line (c). Theribsare of little importance, as they are bare of meat. Divide thebackinto three or four portions, as pointed out by the lettersf g h. Theheadis then to be cut off, and the lower jaws divided from the upper. By splitting the upper part of the head in the middle you have thebrains, which are prized by epicures. The comparative goodness of different parts of a hare, will depend much on the age, and also upon the cooking. The back and the legs are always the best. The wing of a young hare is nice; but this is not so good in an old one, and particularly if it be not thoroughly well done. The carving of arabbitis pretty much the same as that of a hare: there is much less difficulty, however, with the former; and it would always save a good deal of trouble, as well as delay, if hares which are not quite young were sent to table already cut up.
Rabbit, for Boiling.—Fig. 10.
Rabbit, for Boiling
Rabbit, for Boiling, should be trussed, according to the newest fashion, as inFig. 10. Cut off theearsclose to the head, and cut off thefeetat the foot-joint. Cut off thetail. Then make an incision on each side of the backbone, at therump-end, about an inch and a half long. This will enable you to stretch the legs further towards the head. Bring thewingsas close to the body as you can, and bring the legs close to the outside of the wings. Theheadshould be bent round to one side, in order that, by running one skewer through the legs, wings and mouth, you may thus secure all and have the rabbit completely and compactly trussed.
Turkey, for Roasting.—Fig. 11.
Turkey, for Roasting
Turkey for Roasting, is sometimes trussed with thefeeton; and it is sometimes brought to table with theheadaswell as the feet. But such trussing is exceedingly ugly, and altogether unworthy of a good cook. The manner here described (seeFig. 11) is the most approved. If the breast-bone be sharp, it should be beaten down, to make the bird appear as plump as possible.—SeeCarving, in observations onFig. 15.
Goose.—Fig. 12.
Goose
Goose.—For Carving, see observations onFig. 15.
Fowls, for Roasting.
Fowls, for Roasting.—The most modern way of trussing these is as inFigs. 13and14. If it be but a chicken, or a small fowl, a single skewer through the wings, and the legs simply tied, as inFig. 14, will be sufficient. But a large fowl is best kept in shape by the other method (Fig. 13).—SeeCarving, in observations onFig. 15.
Turkey or Fowl for Boiling.—Fig. 15.
Turkey or Fowl for Boiling
Turkey or Fowl, for Boiling.—For boiling, turkeys and fowls should, according to the newest fashion, both be trussed in the same way. There is nothing peculiar in this way, excepting as to the legs, which are to be trussedwithin the apron. To do this, the cook must first cut off the feet, and then, putting her fingers into the inside of the fowl, separate the skin of the leg from the flesh, all the way to the extreme joint. The leg, being drawn back, will thus remain, as it were, in a bag, within the apron; and, if this be properly done, there need be no other break in the skin than what has been occasioned at the joint by cutting the feet. If it be a turkey, or a large fowl, the form may be better preserved, by putting a skewer through the legs as well as through the wings (see Fig. 15). But with small fowls there needs no skewer for the legs. All skewers used in trussing should be taken out before the dish comes to table. To carve fowls, turkeys, &c., seeFig. 15. Begin by taking off thewings, cutting fromatob,ctod. Next thelegs, putting your knife in atf f. Then, if it be a large bird, you will help slices from the breast (e e). But with the smaller birds, as chickens, partridges, &c., a considerable portion of the breast should come off with the wing, and then there is not enough left to spare any thing more from the breast-bone.The merry-thought, situated at the point of the breast-bone, is taken off by cutting straight across ath h. In helping, recollect that theliver-wingiscommonly thought more of than the other. Thebreast-boneis divided from the back by simply cutting through the ribs on each side of the fowl. Theneck-bonesare atg g; but for these seeFig. 16, and the directions for carving theback.
Back of a Fowl.—Fig. 16.
Back of a Fowl
Rest your knife firmly on the centre of the back, at the same time turning either end up with your fork, and this part will easily break in two ata b. Theside-bonesare atc d; and to remove these, some people put the point of the knife in at midway the line, just opposite toc d; others at the rump end of the bonese f. Theneck-bones(atg h) are the most difficult part of the task. These must be taken off before the breast is divided from the back; they adhere very closely, and require the knife to be held firmly on the body of the fowl, while the fork is employed to twist them off.
Duck.—Fig. 17.
Duck.—This should be trussed as inFig. 17. Thelegistwisted at the joint, and thefeet(with theclawsonly cut off) are turned over, and so brought to lie flat on the rump.—ForCarving, see observations onFig. 15.
Pheasant.—Fig. 18.
Pheasant
Partridge.—Fig. 19.
Partridge
Pheasant and Partridge.—These two are trussed nearly in one way, as inFigs. 18and19, excepting, that thelegsof the partridge are raised, and tied together over the apron, crossing each other. ForCarving, see observations onFig. 15.
BOILING.
Thereis no branch of cookery which requires more nicety than plain boiling, though, from its simplicity, some cooks think it does not. They think that to put a piece of meat into water, and to make that boil for a given length of time, is all that is needful; but it is not so. To boil a leg of mutton, or a fowl, properly, requires as much care as to compound a made dish. Meat which is poor and tough cannot be made tender and fine flavoured by boiling; but that which was, to all appearance, very fine meat before it was put into the pot, has often been taken out really good for nothing. And many a Butcher and Poulterer have been blamed, when the fault was not theirs.
Meat should be put into cold water, enough to keep itwellcovered. The longer in reason it is coming to a boil, the better, as a gradual heating produces tenderness, and causes a separation from the meat of the grosser particles, which rise in the shape of scum to the surface, and which should be carefully taken off. The finest leg of mutton must be disgusting, if garnished with flakes of black scum. Care should be taken to watch the first moment of the scum's appearing in order to remove it, and then, by throwing in a little salt, the remainder will be caused to rise; and if the fast boiling of the water render the scumming difficult, pour in a very little cold water. The practice of boiling meat, such as poultry, veal, and lamb, in floured cloths, to keep it white, must have been the invention of lazy cooks, if not of tasteless and extravagant housewives; for the meat is rendered less juicy, and the liquor in which it has been boiled, so good for broth or gravy, must be lost.
When the pot has been well scummed, and no more scum to be seen, set in such a situation on, or by, the fire, that it may continue to boilgentlyandregularly, for the time required; and see that it do not stop boilingaltogether at one time, and then be hurried to a wallop at another time, for this dries up the juices, hardens the meat, and tears it. A kettle of boiling water should be at hand, in order to replenish the pot, as the quantity diminishes, taking heed not to exceed the original quantity, namely, enough tocoverthe meat, for the less water, the better the broth will be.
Salted meat, if very salt, and all smoked meat, should be washed, and in some cases,soakedbefore it is boiled. If too little salted, it must not be either washed or scraped, and may be put on to boil in water a little heated, because a slow process would help to freshen it.
No positive rule can be given for the time required to boil meat, any more than to roast, for much depends on its freshness, and a piece ofsolidmeat requires a longer time to boil than a joint of equal weight but of less thickness. Salted and smoked meat require longer boiling than fresh meat, veal longer than beef, mutton, or lamb; and pork, though ever so little salted, still longer than veal. A leg of mutton which has hung long will boil in less time than one which is quite or nearly fresh; but then the former ought not to be boiled at all, but roasted, for the fire takes away mustiness, and all the impurities with which the boiling water would only tend still more to impregnate the meat. A quarter of an hour, and a quart of water, to every pound of meat, is the rule of boiling, but practice must teach this, as well as many other important parts of culinary science. By a little care and attention, a cook will soon gain sufficient experience to preserve her from the risk of sending a joint to table too little, or too much done.
When meat is sufficiently boiled, take it up directly; and if it have to wait, stand it over the pot it was cooked in, to keep it hot; remaining in the water will sodden it.
The next thing for consideration, after that of cooking the meat properly, is the turning to account the liquor in which it is boiled. This, be the meat what it may, is good as a foundation forSoupsorGraviesunless it be the liquor of ham or bacon, and that can only be used in small quantities, to flavour. The liquor of pork makes good pease soup. When such liquor is not wanted for the family, it may always, at a trifling expense, be convertedinto wholesome and nourishing food for the poor. (See cookery for the poor.)
Round of Beef.
If too large a joint to dress whole, for a small family, or where cold meat is not liked, it may be cut into two or even three pieces, taking care to give to each piece a due portion of fat; skewer it up tightly, of a good shape, then bind it with strong coarse tape, or strips of linen. The vessel roomy, the beef placed on a fish drainer (as should all large joints), and care taken to keep it covered with water. Three hours for a piece of 12 lbs. About three hours and a half to 16 lbs., and so on, in proportion. Put in carrots and turnips two hours after the meat. See that there be no scum left on, before you send it to table. Garnish with sliced carrots, and serve mashed turnips or greens, in a separate dish. Also dumplings, if approved.
The whole round, if 30 lbs. weight, will require to boil five hours. But remember, that theboilingshould be only steadysimmering. Place the vessel over the fire, that the water may come to a boil; then draw it to the side, and never let it cease to simmer. Have a kettle of boiling water by the side, to fill up with.
Edge Bone of Beef.
One of 20 lbs. weight will require to boil three hours and a half. One of 10 lbs. weight will be done in two hours. The soft fat is best hot, the hard fat cold.
Brisket of Beef.
This being a long, awkward joint, may be cut in two; it requires longer boiling than the edge bone; five hours not too much for a large piece. (SeeBeef to Press.)
ForBouilliand other ways of cooking beef, see theIndex.
Leg of Mutton.
This joint should be kept from two days to a week. Cut out the pipe, and carefully wipe the meat to clear it of allmustiness. Chop but a very small piece off the shank. Boil carrots and turnips with it if youlike, but the former will not improve the colour; and do not put them in before the pot has been carefully scummed. A leg of 9 lbs. will take three hoursslowboiling. Garnish with slices of carrot, or a rim of mashed turnip. Serve caper sauce in a boat.Walnutalso is good, in place of capers. If chickens or a fowl be wanted for the same dinner, they may boil in the same vessel with the mutton, but not with vegetables. Thebrothwill be better for this addition. If broth be wanted the same day, put into the water, as soon as it has been scummed, some barley or rice, and after it has boiled one hour and a half, lift out the mutton and place it by the fire, covered to keep warm; take the lid off the pot, and let it boil quickly till the liquor be reduced to the quantity you desire; put in turnips and carrots, in small pieces, a head of celery, and a little parsley; return the mutton, and boil it slowly half an hour.—A leg of mutton, if too large to cook at once, may be divided into two; roast the fillet and boil the shank.Or: you may take cutlets off the large end two days running, and then dress the shank.—Tongue is good with boiled mutton.
Neck of Mutton.
Should be very much trimmed of its fat, and, if from 3 to 5 lbs. weight, boilslowlytwo hours; it will likewise make very good broth, as the leg. Garnish and serve in the same way.—Some do not cut off any of the fat, until after it is cooked, then pare it off, and put it by: this, shred finely, makes light pudding crust.
Leg of Lamb.
A delicate dish, if nicely boiled, served with parsley and butter, and garnished with sprigs of cauliflower, brocoli, or spinach. A dish of the latter should be served with it. (See in the Index.) If small, the loin may be cut into steaks, fried, and placed round the leg, lightly garnished with crisped parsley; or they may be placed round mashed potatoes, in another dish. A leg of 5 lbs. shouldsimmergently two hours, counting from the time it is first put on, in cold water.
Calf's Head.
Wash it well in several waters, and soak it in warm water for a quarter of an hour, but first take the brains out, and having well washed, let them soak in cold water with a little salt for an hour.Halfthe head (without the skin), will requiregentleboiling two hours; with the skin, another hour. Put it on in cold water. Boil 8 or 10 sage leaves, and the same quantity in bulk of parsley, half an hour, then drain, chop very fine, and spread them on a plate. Scald and peel the skin off the brains, put them into a saucepan with plenty of cold water: when it boils, carefully scum it, and let it boil gently fifteen minutes; chop the brains, but not very fine, and put them into a small saucepan with the parsley and sage, also 2 table-spoonsful of thin melted butter, a little salt, and, if you like, cayenne and lemon juice. Take the tongue out of the head, trim off the roots, skin and place it in the middle of a dish, the brains round it. Pour parsley and butter over the head, garnish with broiled rashers of bacon. Serve ham, bacon, or pork, and greens. Save a quart of the liquor to make sauce for the hash (which see). A very good sauce for this, eaten in France, is as follows: 2 table-spoonsful of chopped eschalots, 1 of parsley, 1 of tarragon and chervil, 1 of salt, a little pepper, 6 table-spoonsful of salad oil, 1 of vinegar: mix well together and serve cold.
Veal.
In some parts of England a boiled fillet is considered a delicacy. It should not be large. Stuff it the same as for roasting (which see), or with the forcemeat directed for boiled turkey. Serve white sauce, and garnish with slices of lemon and barberries.—The neck is good boiled, and eaten with parsley and butter.
Pork.
This must be exceedingly well done. Wash and scrape a leg, and let it lie in cold water a quarter of an hour to whiten; put it on to boil in cold water; do not let it boil fast, because the knuckle will be broken to pieces, before the thick part of the meat is done. Be careful totake off all the scum, and let a leg of 7 lbs. weight simmer three hours. If to eat cold, do not cut it in the middle, because that will allow too much gravy to be lost, but cut from the knuckle, and it will eat more tender. Peas pudding with leg of pork, also parsnips, carrots, turnips or greens, and mashed potatoes.
Petit-Toes.
Put a thin slice of bacon at the bottom of a stew-pan, with a little broth or thin melted butter, a blade of mace, a few peppercorns, and a sprig of thyme; in this boil the feet, the heart, liver and lights, till tender; the three latter will be done first; take them out and mince them fine: put this mince and the feet into another saucepan with some good gravy thickened with butter rolled in flour, season with pepper, salt, and a small quantity of walnut and mushroom catsup; let it simmer five minutes. While this is cooking prepare some sippets of toasted bread, lay them round a dish, pour the mince and sauce into the middle, and having split the feet, lay them lightly on the top.—A little cream may be added. (See to fry.)
Poultry.
Be careful in picking, that the skin be not broken. Some cooks wash poultry, but if wiping will be sufficient, it is best not washed. Chickens and fowls will keep two or three days, except in very hot weather. A fowl put on in cold water, should simmer by the side of the fire, from twenty-five minutes to half an hour. Some cooks boil a little fresh suet sliced, and also slices of lemon peel, with fowl. Some boil them in milk and water. The water must be well scummed.
Boiled Fowlswith white sauce, or mushroom, oyster, celery, liver, or lemon sauce, or parsley and butter. A pretty remove of fish or soup, is, a small tongue in the centre, a boiled chicken on each side, and small heads of brocoli, with a few asparagus and French beans to fill the spaces. Serve any of the above sauces.—Always ham, bacon or tongue, and some sort of green vegetable, with fowl and turkey; chine with the latter. Garnish with slices of lemon.
Ducks.
Choose fine fat ones. Some persons salt them slightly, for two days, others boil them without. Smother them with onions, or serve onion sauce.
Turkey.
Let it hang four days, and take care not to blacken it in singeing. It is usual to fill the crop of a turkey with forcemeat (see forcemeats), or with a stuffing of bread-crumbs, suet shred fine, a little parsley, thyme, and lemon peel, chopped fine, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, the whole mixed together by an egg. In America it is the practice to stuff turkeys with oysters chopped and mixed with bread-crumbs. About 4 would be sufficient. A large turkey, with the crop filled, requires two hoursslowboiling; not filled, half an hour less; and a small hen turkey an hour. Serve with oyster or celery sauce, and either chine, bacon or tongue. The forcemeat may be enriched by grated tongue or ham, chopped veal, an anchovy and a little bit of eschalot. (See to hash, also grill.)
Rabbits.
A full-sized one will boil in half an hour; an old one above an hour. Some usemilkand water. Serve with onion sauce poured over; or a sauce made of melted butter, and the livers, previously boiled, and minced small, with a little parsley. Lay slices of lemon round the dish. Ham or Bacon.
Bacon
Should be well washed and scraped, and old bacon soaked in cold water. After coming slowly to a boil, let a piece of 4 lbs. simmer by the fire two hours, if young and fresh cured, less time. Some cooks put fat bacon into hot water, and lean into cold. Take off the rind and set it before the fire to dry up the oozing fat. Strew bread-raspings over.
Ham.
The main thing to be attended to is the previous soaking, and the requisite time must be left to the discretion of the cook, for, whereas one night would be sufficient for a smalland tender ham, if very old and dry, less than four days and four nights will scarcely be enough. The water should be changed every day, and the night before it is boiled, scrape well, pour warm water over it, and trim off all the rusty, ill-looking, bits, then lay it in the water again. Scum the pot, and let the hamsimmer from three to fivehours, according to its weight. When done, take the skin off gently, and after covering the ham with bread-raspings, set it before the fire, to crisp it. Twist writing paper round the shank, and garnish with greens, or little heaps of bread-raspings. The liquor, if well scummed at first, may be strained or put by, and if you boil fowls or veal on the following day, you may put the two liquors together, boil them rapidly down; add pepper, mace, eschalot, and a faggot of herbs, and you will have a highly relishing gravy. Some persons contend that the practice of boiling a ham until half cooked, and then finishing bybakingit, improves the flavour. (See to bake meat.)
Tongue.
If you buy it salted, learn how long it has been in pickle, for according to that it must soak. If old and hard, twenty-four hours will not be too much. Have plenty of water, and let it be a full hour in coming to a boil; thensimmer gentlyfor three hours; longer if very large. The root is an excellent ingredient for peas soup.
Tripe.
Cut in cutlets, or not, as you choose, and simmer it in milk and water till quite tender. Peel and boil a dozen button onions, put the tripe in a deep dish with some of the sauce, and the onions on the top; or you may boil it in plain water. Mustard sauce is good.—As all persons would not choose onions, you may serve onion sauce as directed for rabbits (which see). Serve rashers of bacon, if approved.
Cow-Heel.
When well boiled, cut into nice pieces, egg, bread crumb, and fry them of a light brown, and serve with fried onions or any piquant sauce. Is very good only boiled, and served with parsley and butter.
ROASTING.
Forroasting, meat should be kept longer than for boiling, or it will not, though ever so good, eat well. The proper length of time depends upon the state of the weather, and the age of the animal when killed, for young meat bears keeping less time than old meat. Two days of hot weather will do as much to render meat fit for the spit, as a week of cold weather.
Next after the state of the meat, the thing of most consequence is preparing the fire, which ought to be made up (of the size required by the length and breadth of the joint) half an hour before the meat is put down. It should not at first be exposed to a fierce fire. Let there be a backing of wetted cinders or small coals: this tends to throw the heat in front; lay large coals on the top, smaller ones between the bars, give the fire time to draw, and it will be clear. Before you put down the meat, stir the fire, clear it at the bottom, and see that it be free from smoke in front.
Some cooks make a practice of washing meat, with salt and water, then wiping it dry, before it is roasted. Where there is mustiness, or slimy appearance, it should be wiped off with a wet cloth, otherwise much washing is neither necessary nor beneficial. See that it be properly jointed; if there be too much fat, cut it off (it is better for puddings, in the shape of suet, than dripping); cover the meat with kitchen paper,tiedon with twine, and not fastened bypins; see also, that the spit be bright and clean, and take care to run it through the meat, in the right place, at once, for the more the meat is perforated, the greater chance will be given for the escape of the gravy. Great nicety is required in spitting, that the joint may be accurately balanced. In the absence of spits and smoke-jacks, a bottle-jack, or a stout nail with a strong string or skein of worsted, willdangle a joint, and if the fire be made proportionably high to the length of the joint, there is no better mode of roasting. A strong skewer must be run in, at each end of the joint, in order to turn it.
The larger the joint the greater distance it should, at first, be from the fire, that the outside may not be shrivelled up before the middle is warmed. A quarter of an hour to a pound of meat, is the rule for roasting, and it admits of the same exceptions as in the case of boiling, with this addition, that fat meat takes longer than lean meat, as do pork and veal longer than any other kind. Fillets and legs, on account of their solidness, longer than loins and breasts. Much depends upon the situation of the fire-place, and whether the joint be exposed to draughts of cold air, or whether it be preserved from them, and the fire assisted, by a meat screen. Where there is none, a contrivance must be resorted to, by way of substitute, such as small wooden horses, or chairs, with cloths hung over them; these will keep off the cold, but a meat screen, lined with tin, keeps in the heat, and acts as a reflector.—Twice, or if the roast be large, oftener, remove the pan, pour off the dripping (it ought to be strained), draw the spit to a distance, and stir the fire, bring forward the hot coals, and put fresh at the back. Be careful that cinders do not reach the dripping-pan, for the smoke which they cause to rise from the fat, gives a disagreeable flavour to the meat, besides the injury to the dripping. (See Dripping.)—When the meat is nearly done, the steams will draw towards the fire; take the paper off, and move the joint nearer to the fire, particularly the ends, if they want more cooking; sprinkle salt lightly over the roast; then pour off all the remaining dripping, dredge flourvery lightlyover the joint, and baste with a very little fresh butter, which will not injure the gravy in the pan, but give a delicate froth to the meat. To the gravy now flowing from the meat, the best addition is a teacupful of boiling water. (See Gravies.)
With a clear strong fire (and meat cannot be well roasted without a strong fire), time allowed for gradual cooking, a cook may ensure for her roasts that fine pale brown colour, to produce which is esteemed one of the greatest proofs of a cook's skill.