What to eat and when

by Susanna Cocroft

The beef teas made from cubes contain the extractives and are appetizers, but they contain very little if any nutrition.

Roasting. Roasting and broiling of meats are the most universally used methods. The savage as well as civilized man prepares his meat by direct application of heat without water.

In roasting or broiling the meat is subjected suddenly to a high temperature which coagulates the albumin of the outer layers and prevents the escape of the juices. For this reason the oven should be thoroughly hot before the roast is put in. Unless the heat is sufficient to sear the surface, the moisture, or juice, will escape and the connective tissue will be toughened.

The roast should be turned as soon as one side is seared and just enough water added to prevent it from burning.

It is important to remember that the smaller the cut to be roasted, the hotter should be the fire. An intensely hot fire coagulates the exterior and prevents the drying up of the meat juice. After the surface is coagulated and seared, to prevent the evaporation of its juices, the roast should be covered so as to cook more slowly to prevent too great hardening of the surface.

Frequent basting of a roast with the fat, juice, and water in the roasting pan, still further sears the surface so that the juices do not seep through, and keeps the air in the pan moist; the heated moisture materially assists in gelatinizing the connective tissue. Roasting pans are now made which are self-basting.

Raising the temperature of the juices subjects the inner portions of the meat to moist heat and it is thus stewed in its own juices. The retention of these juices and of the extractives adds to the flavor and the palatability.

Roasted or broiled meats, if properly cooked, are more readily digested and they are usually most relished because their flavor is better retained.

Pot Roasts. For a pot roast, the meat should be well seared in fat, then a small amount of water added, and the meat cooked slowly at about 180 F., until done. A fireless cooker is excellent for this as for any other food needing to be slowly cooked. The juices seep out in the water and form a rich gravy which should be served with the meat.

Broiling. The same principle of quickly searing the surface applies to broiling. In broiling, however, the heat is applied direct, because the process is quicker. The meat is placed over a very hot flame or hot coals and both sides quickly seared to prevent the juice from escaping.