The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual

by William Kitchiner

MEAT.

Weight of Meat before it was dressed.		Weight of Bone after being dressed.
				BEEF.
				THE HIND QUARTER.
lb.	oz.	lb.	oz.			per lb.
13	0	1	8	1.	Sirloin	0	9	Roasted ([No. 19]).
20	0	4	0	2.	Rump	0	9	Steak to Broil ([No. 94]), to Stew (Nos. [500] and [501]).
11	0	1	4	3.	Edge-Bone	0	6	Boiled ([No. 8]).
13	12	1	8	4.	Buttock, or Round	0	7	Ditto ([No. 7]), or Savoury Salted Beef ([No. 496]).
				5.	Mouse ditto	0	6	For Alamode Beef ([No. 502]).
				6.	Veiny Piece	0	7	Generally Baked or Salted.
11	0	1	8	7.	Thick Flank	0	6	—— Salted.
				8.	Thin ditto	0	6 1/2	—— Ditto.
				9.	Leg	0	2 1/2	Soup of ([No. 193]), Stewed ([No. 493])
				THE FORE QUARTER.
						per lb.
14	4	1	12	10.	Fore Ribs, 6 Ribs	0	9	Roasted ([No. 20]), Boned and Rolled ([No. 21]).
				11.	Middle do., 3 do.	0	7	Ditto.
				12.	Chuck do., 3 do.	0	5	For making Gravy.
				13.	Shoulder, or Leg of Mutton Piece	0	6	For Steaks or Soup.
				14.	Brisket	0	6	For Stewing ([No. 494]), or Haricot ([No. 495]),— or Salted.
				15.	Clod	0	4 1/2	Principally used for Beef Sausages.
8	4	0	10	16.	Neck, or Sticking Piece	0	3 1/2	Ditto, or making Soup.
9	0	2	4	17.	Shin	0	2 1/2	Excellent Scotch Barley Broth ([No. 204]), and Stewed ([No. 493]).
				18.	The Head			Soup of ([No. 239]), Stewed, ([No. 507]); and
					The Tail			Do. ([No. 240]), do. ([No. 508].)
					The Heels			Boiled ([No. 18*]), Jelly of ([No. 198]), Soup ([No. 240*]).
				MUTTON.
						per lb.
8	0	0	13	1.	Leg			Boiled ([No. 1]), or Roasted ([No. 24]).
				2.	Loin, best end	0	8	Do. ([No. 1],) Roasted ([No. 28]), Chops.
				3.	Do., chump end
6	0	0	8	4.	Neck, best end	0	7	Do. ([No. 2].) Roasted ([No. 29]), Irish Stew ([No. 488]), Haricot ([No. 489]), Stewed ([No. 490]).
				5.	Do., scrag end	0	5	To make Broth ([No. 194]).
8	4	1	0	6.	Shoulder	0	7	Roasted ([No. 27]).
				7.	Breast	0	5	Grilled ([Obs.] to [No. 38]).
					Head			Broth.
					The Chine, or the Saddle, two Loins, The Haunch is a Leg, and part of the Loin	0	8	Roasted ([No. 31]), Venisonified ([No. 32]).
				VEAL.
						per lb.
				1.	Loin, best end	0	11	Roasted ([No. 35]).
				2.	Do., chump end	0	11	Do. do.
				3.	Fillet	1	1	Roasted ([No. 34]), to make Veal Olives ([No. 518]), Scotch Collops ([No. 517*]).
				4.	Knuckle, Hind	0	7	To Ragoût ([No. 522]), to Stew ([No. 523]), Soup of ([No. 193]).
					The whole Leg	0	10 1/2
9	0	1	0	5.	Neck, best end	0	11	Roasted ([No. 37]).
5	0	0	10	6.	Do., scrag end	0	8	Do. do.
					The whole Neck	0	9 1/2
				7.	Blade Bone	0	10	Roasted.
				8.	Breast, best end	0	11	Stewed ([No. 515]); Ragoût ([No. 517]), to Curry ([No. 497]).
				9.	Do., brisket end	0	10	Stewed ([No. 515]); to Ragoût ([No. 517]).
				10.	Knuckle, Fore	0	7	Same as Hind Knuckle.
					The head, with the skin on			Boiled, plain ([No. 10]), to Hash (Nos. [10] and [520]).
					Do., skinned
					Cutlets			Fried ([No. 90]), Broiled ([No. 521]).

The Nos. refer to the receipts for dressing.

In the foregoing table, we have given the proportions of bone to meat,—the former not being weighed till cooked, by which, of course, its weight was considerably diminished.

These proportions differ in almost every animal,—and from the different manner in which they are cut.

Those who pay the highest, do not always pay the dearest price. In fact, the best meat is the cheapest; and those who treat a tradesman liberally, have a much better chance of being well served, than those who are for ever bargaining for the market penny. In dividing the joints, there is always an opportunity of apportioning the bones, fat, flaps, &c., so as to make up a variation of much more than a penny per pound in most pieces; and a butcher will be happy to give the turn of his knife in favour of that customer who cheerfully pays the fair price of the article he purchases:—have those who are unwilling to do so any reason to complain?—have they not invited such conduct?

The quality of butcher’s meat, varies quite as much as the price of it, according to its age, how it has been fed, and especially how it has been treated the week before it has been killed.

The following statements were sent to us by a very respectable tradesman:—

Beef is best and cheapest from Michaelmas to Midsummer. The price, per pound, now varies from 4d. to 1s.

Veal is best from March to July. The price varies according to the season and the supply; and the quality differs so much, that the same joints now sell from 5d. to 11d. per pound.

Mutton is best from Christmas to Midsummer; the difference in price between the worst and the best, is now from 5d. to 9d. per pound.

Grass lamb is best from Easter to June; house lamb from Christmas to June.

---