As the bars keep away as much heat as their breadth covers, it is absolutely necessary they should be thoroughly hot before the thing to be cooked be laid on them.
The bars of gridirons should be made concave, and terminate in a trough to catch the gravy and keep the fat from dropping into the fire and making a smoke, which will spoil the broil.
Upright gridirons are the best, as they can be used at any fire without fear of smoke; and the gravy is preserved in the trough under them.
N.B. Broils must be brought to table as hot as possible; set a dish to heat when you put your chops on the gridiron, from whence to the mouth their progress must be as quick as possible.
When the fire is not clear, the business of the gridiron may be done by the Dutch oven or bonnet.
[82-*] When you want a great many BREAD CRUMBS, divide your loaf (which should be two days old) into three equal parts; take the middle or crumb piece, the top and bottom will do for table: in the usual way of cutting, the crust is wasted.
Oatmeal is a very satisfactory, and an extremely economical substitute for bread crumbs. See [No. 145].
CHAPTER V.
VEGETABLES.
There is nothing in which the difference between an elegant and an ordinary table is more seen than in the dressing of vegetables, more especially greens. They may be equally as fine at first, at one place as at another; but their look and taste are afterward very different, entirely from the careless way in which they have been cooked.