Wipe meat with damp cloth. Trim and tie into shape if necessary. Put some pieces of fat in bottom of pan, and season meat with salt and pepper. Have oven very hot at first and when meat is half done reduce heat. Baste every 10 to 15 minutes. If there is danger of fat in pan being scorched add a little boiling water. Roast from 10 to 15 minutes for each pound of meat, as it is desired rare or well done.
Broiling
The rules for roasting meat apply to broiling, except that instead of cooking it in the oven it is to be quickly browned, first on one side and then on the other, over hot coals or directly under a gas flame, turning every minute until done. Meat an inch and one-half thick will broil in 8 to 15 minutes. Season after it is cooked.
Pan Broiling or Frying
Put meat to be broiled or fried in very hot frying pan, with very little or no fat. Turn every few minutes until cooked. Season and serve immediately. Steaks and chops may be pan-broiled without any fat in the pan. For thin gravy pour a little boiling water into pan after meat is taken out.
Boiling and Stewing
Fresh meat for boiling should be put into boiling water and boiled hard for about 5 minutes; reduce heat and boil gently about 20 minutes for each pound, salt and spices may be added for seasoning. A little vinegar put into the water with tough meat makes it tender. The broth of boiled meat should always be saved for soups, stews or gravies. Salt meats should be put in cold water, which as soon as it boils should be replaced by fresh cold water, repeating if necessary until meat has palatable flavor when done. Salted and smoked meats require about 30 minutes slow boiling, to each pound. Vegetables and herbs may be boiled with them to flavor. When cooked keep hot until required, if they are to be served hot; if they are to be served cold, cool in liquor in which they were boiled. Very salt meats, or those much dried in smoking, should be soaked over night in cold water.
Pot Roasting
Tough cuts of meat may be first browned in fat, then half covered with boiling water and cooked slowly either in oven or in iron kettle on top of stove. This method requires long, slow cooking.
Stew with Dumplings
2 pounds lean beef, mutton or veal 1 quart potatoes 2 cups cut carrots 2 cups cut onions 1 cup tomatoes 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Wipe meat, cut into small pieces, put in kettle, cover with boiling water and boil slowly 1-1/2 hours; add carrots and onions; boil 15 minutes, then add potatoes, salt, pepper and tomatoes; add boiling water, if needed to cover vegetables; boil 30 minutes. Add dumplings and boil 10 minutes without lifting cover. Put meat and vegetables on platter with dumplings around edge. Add flour which has been mixed with a little cold water; boil 3 minutes; pour over stew and sprinkle with parsley.
DUMPLINGS
1 cup flour 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon shortening cold water
Sift flour, baking powder and salt; rub in shortening lightly with fingers; add enough water to make dough hold together. Drop by spoonfuls into stew.
Liver and Bacon
Have liver cut in thin slices; wash, drain, dry and roll in flour. Put bacon thinly sliced into very hot frying pan; turn until brown and transfer to hot platter. Fry liver quickly in the hot bacon drippings, turning often. When done put on platter with bacon. Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons fat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, and stir until brown. Add hot water gradually to make smooth gravy, season and boil 1 minute.
Roast Lamb
Wipe meat with damp cloth. Put one or two thin slices of onion on top; season with salt and pepper. Put into roasting pan in hot oven and roast for about one hour and a quarter. Reduce the heat after lamb has been roasting about 20 minutes. Serve on hot platter with brown gravy or mint sauce.
Roast Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb with Browned Potatoes
3-1/2 or 4 pounds shoulder of lamb
DRESSING
2 cups stale bread crumbs 1 tablespoon finely cut onion 1 tablespoon drippings 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Wipe lamb with damp cloth; fill pocket with dressing and sew up. Put into hot oven for 20 minutes. When well browned, season with salt and pepper, add 1 cup cold water and roast 45 minutes; add 1 quart white potatoes, which have been washed, pared and boiled, and roast until potatoes are brown. Remove to platter. Add water to pan to make 2 cups of gravy. Thicken gravy by adding 1 tablespoon flour mixed with a little cold water, season and cook until smooth.
Pot Roast of Beef with Browned Potatoes
Wipe beef with cloth, put into iron kettle or frying pan and brown well on all sides. Add 2 tablespoons cut onion, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 cups boiling water; and boil slowly 1-3/4 hours; add water as it boils away, 1 cup at a time. After adding potatoes, boil 30 minutes. Place meat and potatoes on hot platter. Add 1 tablespoon flour mixed with a little cold water to gravy and boil. Pour over meat and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Carrots cut in small pieces may be added with potatoes.
Baked Veal with Tomato Sauce
1 thin veal cutlet 1 teaspoon drippings 1 teaspoon chopped onion 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Trim edge of cutlet and spread on board or platter. Fry onion in drippings until tender; add bread crumbs and parsley mixed with enough water to hold them together; spread on cutlet and roll; tie in three or four places. Dust with salt, pepper and flour. Place in pan; add 1/2 cup hot water. Roast in hot oven 35 to 45 minutes, adding water if needed.
Remove to hot platter; pour tomato sauce around meat and garnish with parsley.
Veal Cutlet
Cutlet may be cooked whole or cut into pieces for serving. Dust with salt, pepper and flour; dip in 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, then in bread crumbs. Brown on both sides in shallow fat in hot frying pan.
Add boiling water to cover; season and cook slowly for 1 hour. Thicken gravy with 1 tablespoon flour mixed with a little cold water.
Roast Loin of Pork
Wipe pork with damp cloth. Put into pan in very hot oven for 20 minutes, or until well browned, then add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1 cup cold water. Roast slowly 3 to 4 hours. Add water as necessary. To gravy, add 1 tablespoon flour mixed with cold water, season and boil until thick.
Apple Sauce
Wipe, pare and quarter sour apples; remove seeds and core; put into saucepan and add cold water to almost cover. Cook slowly until soft. Add about 1/2 cup sugar for each quart of apples. Cook a few minutes longer; remove from fire; add little lemon peel and serve either hot or cold.
Baked Ham
Wash and scrub ham in warm water; soak over night. Whether a whole or half ham, put on to boil with cold water enough to cover; boil slowly 4 to 5 hours or until tender, allowing about 30 minutes to the pound. Cool in water in which it was boiled; remove skin carefully; put in pan; cover with 1 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon pepper; add 2 cups cold water; bake in very hot oven 45 to 60 minutes; baste often. When brown add 1 cup cider or 1/2 cup vinegar and thicken with 2 tablespoons flour.
Creamed Sweetbreads
Lay sweetbreads in cold water with a little salt for 1 hour. Drain, put into saucepan, cover with boiling water and boil very slowly 25 minutes; drain and when cool separate and remove all membrane. Cut into small pieces and reheat in Cream Sauce, page 35.
Poultry