560 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



may take longer to brown to just the right point as the roast 

 itself will cool down the oven considerably. At the end of 

 this time the extractives will have formed a brown crust all 

 over the outside., which will serve to hold in the juice and any 

 volatile flavors. Our object now is to keep this crust intact 

 until the roast is done. 



If the high temperature is maintained it would soon cause 

 the outer portion to become overcooked, and since it would 

 be harder for the heat to penetrate, the inner portion would 

 remain almost practically raw. On this account the tem- 

 perature of the oven must be lowered (to about 175 degrees) 

 and held there until the roast is done. 



When cut from the lower side the round bone of the arm shows, giving a cut which 

 has some resemblance to a round steak and for which it is sometimes sold. 



When is It Done? — Fifteen minutes to the pound is one rule, 

 but this is inaccurate, since the rapidity of cooking will depend 

 to a large extent upon the shape of the roast and whether there 

 is a large amount of fat or bone. Some state it in terms of so 

 many minutes for each inch in thickness, and though this is a 

 more accurate way to base the time it is still a bit inaccurate. 

 By far the best way is by the use of a thermometer. The ther- 

 mometer is inserted into the thickest part of the roast, and the 

 temperature of the interior of the roast at this point is an ac- 

 curate indication of the color of the roast at that point. Since 

 we are cooking for a color the thermometer tells us just when 



