98 FOOD AND DRINK 



to preserve or promote these qualities, is to place the meat in 

 boiling water, which, after a few minutes, should be reduced 

 in temperature. In this way the intense heat, at first, coagu- 

 lates the exterior layers of albumen, and imprisons the delicate 

 juices; after that, moderate heat best softens it throughout. 

 When soup is to be made an opposite course should be pursued ; 

 for then the object is to extract the juices and reject the fibre. 

 Meat, for such purpose, should be cut in small pieces and put 

 into cold water, which should then be gradually raised to boil- 

 ing heat. (Read Note 9.) 



20. Eoasting is probably the best method of cooking meat, 

 especially "joints" or large pieces, as by this process the meat 

 is cooked in its own juices. Roasting should begin with intense 

 heat, and be continued at a moderate temperature, in order 

 to prevent the drying out of the nutritious juices, as by this 

 process an outer coating or crust of coagulated albumen is 

 formed. During this process the meat loses one-fourth of its 



9. Cooking Paves the Way for Easy Digestion. The objects to be 

 obtained by cooking meat are: 1. To coagulate the albumen and blood 

 of the tissues, so as to render the meat agreeable to the sight. 2. To 

 develop flavors, and to make the tissue crisp, as well as tender, and there- 

 fore more easy of mastication and digestion. 3. To secure a certain 

 temperature, and thus to be a means of conveying warmth to the system. 

 4. To kill parasites in the tissues of the meat. 



The action of heat should not be continued after these objects are 

 accomplished, as the meat will thereby be rendered indigestible. If a 

 piece of meat be placed in water which is briskly boiling, a crust, so to 

 speak, is formed by the rapid coagulation of the albumen upon and near 

 the surface ; so that the juice of the meat cannot escape, nor the water 

 penetrate its interior. If, on the other hand, the meat be put in cold 

 water, and slowly heated, the meat is left poor and tasteless. Even in 

 roasting meat the heat must be strongest at first, and it may then be 

 much reduced. The juice which, as in boiling, flows out, evaporates, in 

 careful roasting, from the surface of the meat, and gives to it the dark 

 brown color, the lustre, and the strong aromatic taste of roast meat. All 

 baked and roasted fatty foods are apt to disagree with delicate stomachs : 

 and it is often remarked that, although bread and butter, boiled puddings, 

 boiled fish, or boiled poultry can be eaten freely without discomfort, yet 

 toast and butter, or meat pies and pastry, or fried fish, or roasted fowl 

 will disagree with the stomach. Letheby on Food. 



20. Roasting ? How should it be done ? Give the philosophy of the process. Frying ? 



