Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Part 73

Bring to a boil and cook slowly for ten minutes. Strain and then add

The juice of one-half lemon, One and one-quarter teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika,

and the dissolved gelatine.

Mix thoroughly and then cool and add the prepared salmon.

One tablespoon of grated onion, Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley.

Pour into a mould that has been rinsed with cold water and chilled on ice. Set in a cool place to mould. When ready to serve unmould on a bed of lettuce and serve with Russian dressing. This may be prepared Sat.u.r.day afternoon.

BROILED SALT MACKEREL, FLEMISH STYLE

Soak the mackerel overnight in plenty of cold water to cover, keeping the skin side up. In the morning remove the head and then wash and parboil. Drain and then place on a baking dish and spread lightly with bacon or ham fat and dust lightly with flour. Place in the broiler of the gas range and broil until nicely browned. Now, while the mackerel is cooking, prepare a Flemish sauce as follows:

One onion, One green pepper, Two branches of parsley.

Chop very fine and then place in a saucepan with three tablespoons of b.u.t.ter. Cover closely and steam until the vegetables are soft. Now add:

One tablespoon of vinegar, One teaspoon of sugar, One-half teaspoon of mustard, One teaspoon of pumpkin, Two tablespoons of boiling water.

Bring to a boil and pour over the fish. Garnish with cress.

SALT COD, VERMONT

Select a thick centre; cut and soak for one hour in warm water. Wrap in a piece of cheese-cloth and plunge into boiling water. Boil for fifteen minutes and then drain. Divide into four individual baking dishes and cover with cream sauce. Sprinkle with fine bread crumbs and a little grated onion, and bake for ten minutes in a hot oven.

MEATS

In order to purchase meats intelligently so that we will receive the best value for money expended, it is necessary to know the nature of the cuts, and especially the proportionate amounts of lean meat, fat and bone that they contain; also the approximate food values of the meat obtained from various parts of the carca.s.s.

HIND QUARTERS

Loin steak average 57 per cent. lean, 33 per cent. visible fat, 10 per cent. bone. Sirloin steaks in general contain a larger percentage of lean meat and a smaller amount of fat than the porterhouse or club steaks.

Rib cuts contain 52 per cent. lean meat, 31 per cent. fat, 17 per cent. bone. The greatest percentage of lean meat is found in the sixth rib, and the smallest in the eleventh and twelfth rib cuts.

Round steaks are meat cut from the round. They average 67 per cent.

lean meat, 20 per cent. fat and 16 per cent. bone. The round steaks contain 73 per cent. to 84 per cent. lean meat.

The rump contains 49 per cent. lean meat, the round as a pot roast contains about 86 per cent. lean meat; the largest percentage of fat is found in the rump roast. Soup bones contain from 8 per cent. to 60 per cent. lean meat.

THE FOREQUARTERS

The forequarters of beef contain the chuck, the shoulder, clod, neck and shank. The chuck contains 67 per cent. lean meat, 20 per cent. fat and 12 per cent. bone. Chuck steak varies from 60 per cent. to 80 per cent. lean and from 8 per cent, to 24 per cent. fat.

The clod or bolar cut contains 82 per cent. lean meat and 5 per cent.

bone.

Relatively more lean and less fat meat is found in the chuck rib roast than in the cut from the prime rib roast.

The navel, brisket and rib ends average 52 per cent. lean meat, 40 per cent. fat and 8 per cent. bone. The brisket and navel cuts are similar in proportion, while the rib ends slightly higher in percentage of bone and less lean.

Flank steak contains 85 per cent. lean meat and 15 per cent. fat.

Shank cuts or soup bones from the shank vary from 15 per cent. to 67 per cent. lean meat and from 25 per cent. to 76 per cent. bone, while the boneless shank, used for stews, goulashes, hashes and minces, contain 85 per cent. lean meat and 15 per cent. fat.

The tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs from the loin, in steaks reduce their weights about 13 per cent. and these tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs average 4.6 per cent. fat and 2 per cent. bone. Round steak is reduced about 7 per cent. in weight in tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, princ.i.p.ally in fat; chuck steaks about 6-1/2 per cent., princ.i.p.ally bone.

Rump, shoulder, pot roast and neck are all materially reduced in weight by fat and bone tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, the size and condition of the animal determining the actual amounts. The actual proportion of lean meat, fat and bone in the various cuts, their relative values of economy, fixes the prices to the consumer.

Taking the cuts of meat in their right order we have:

First, the neck for soup, stews and corning. The cost is very low and the waste is considerable.

Second, the chuck. This includes the entire shoulder and contains five ribs. The first two ribs are usually sold as shoulder, roast and steak, and while they are about the same quality as No. 9, they cost considerably less.

Third, the shoulder clod. This is part of the chuck and can be purchased in almost all markets. The price is low and there is no waste. It is used princ.i.p.ally for steaks and pot roasts. When used for steaks, score the meat well.

Fourth, shank. According to the market price, this is the cheapest part of the beef. However, it contains 54 per cent. to 57 per cent.

waste and requires long cooking. It is used for soups and stews.

Fifth, ribs. Contains eight ribs; five of these are the prime cuts and used for roasting exclusively.

Sixth, sirloin. The loin, some cuts contain as low as 3 per cent, waste. The sirloin is tender; therefore, quickly and easily cooked.

For this reason it is one of the most popular cuts.

Seventh, porterhouse. This portion of the loin contains the choicest steaks, excellent and nutritious and easily cooked. The fillet or tenderloin forms a part of the loin and averages about 13 per cent.

waste.

Eighth, rump. This cut is very nutritious, but requires careful cooking to render it tender; it contains slightly more waste than the round. Good steaks are obtained from the rump; it is also used for pot roast braising and coming.

Ninth, pin bone, the middle portion of the loin. It is of excellent quality, tender and of good flavor and quite as popular as the loin.

It is the face cut of the rump.

Tenth, round. An inexpensive cut, containing only 7 per cent, waste.

It is nutritious as tenderloin, but not as tender. The first essential in cooking is to sear the outside in order to retain the juices and then cook slowly until tender.

Steak and roast are cut from the round and the back or heel and is used for pot roast and stews.

One factor in helping to keep up the high prices of food is that the average woman, _when she goes to market, has in mind_ fancy price and choice cuts for roast, steaks and chops. The choice cuts represent about 26 per cent. of the whole carca.s.s, leaving about 74 per cent.

to be disposed of. Now, if this becomes difficult, the fancy cuts must bear the additional cost and so become proportionately high in price.

Take a cross cut of beef, weighing about six pounds and wipe with a damp cloth, and one-half cupful of flour patted into it and then brown quickly on both sides in a frying pan and then place in a fireless cooker or a moderate oven together with