CARCASS OF MUTTON.
| 1.⎫ | 1. Leg. |
| 2.⎬ Hind quarter. | 2. Loin. |
| 4.⎭ | 3. Shoulder. |
| 3.⎫ | 4. Flank. |
| 5.⎬ Fore quarter. | 5.⎫ Breast. |
| 5.⎭ | 5.⎭ |
In cold weather I often buy a hind quarter of mutton. To give the housekeeper an idea of what can be done with such a piece of meat, let me explain how I use it. This is for a family of three, with an average of one guest for one meal each day. It must be kept in mind that the part of the hind quarter which will spoil first is the flank; next come the ribs and loin; the leg will keep many weeks if hung in a cold dry place. When the piece of mutton is sent home, I cut off the flank and the thin end of the ribs, leaving the rib and loin chops quite short. Should I want to cook any of the chops that day or the next I cut off the required number, but if I do not care to use them for several days, they are not cut off until that time. The piece of meat is now hung in my cold room, and cut from as required. The flank and thin ribs are freed from every bit of fat; the lean meat is cut into cubes and placed in a stewpan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, a generous half-cupful of pearl barley, two level tablespoonfuls of salt, one level teaspoonful of pepper, and three quarts of cold water. These materials for a soup are placed on the fire and skimmed carefully when they begin to boil; then the stewpan is set back where the contents will just bubble for three hours. The bones are placed in another stewpan with one quart of cold water. They cook for two hours and then the water is strained into the soup in the other stewpan. When the soup has been cooking for three hours, two tablespoonfuls of butter are put into a small frying-pan and set on the fire. When this becomes hot, two tablespoonfuls of flour are stirred into it, and when the mixture becomes smooth and frothy it is added to the soup; after which a tablespoonful of chopped parsley is added. The result is a gallon of the most delicious Scotch broth. This soup is just as good when warmed over as when first made, and it is so substantial that it answers for luncheon, no meat, fish, or vegetables being required. From the remainder of the hind quarter I get fourteen chops, cutting the last four from the leg, and a good roast. All the fat is rendered for soap grease; and as I make my own soap, this is quite an item.
SIRLOIN ROAST.
A, Tenderloin. B, Back of Sirloin. C, Flank. D, Suet.
The weight of the hind quarter described is about twenty pounds, and I save about one third what it would cost me to buy the soup meat, chops, and roast separately. One must have a good sharp knife, a meat-saw, and a cleaver to cut up meats in this manner.
Before going to market one should look through her supplies, and then make a list of things for use with them. A list of the meals that are to be arranged, and such purchases as must be made for these meals, is next in order. One may find it best to make radical changes in her plans when she gets to the market; still, the list will be a great aid as a guide. With it, one is not likely to buy too much or too little.
RIB CHOP BEFORE TRIMMING.
