HOME ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION 567 



before beginning the long cooking, or tough meat may be pounded 

 or chopped to break down the tissues to a certain extent, and thus 

 permit shorter cooking. Besides using such devices as browning 

 meat in fat to retain and develop the natural flavor of the meat, 

 other flavors may be added to supplement them. These may be put 

 into the meat before cooking or may be added later in the form of 

 relish or sauce. 



Vegetables of distinctive flavor such as onions, carrots, or celery ; 

 savory herbs such as parsley, sage, bay leaf, or thyme; and mate- 

 rials such as vinegar, pickles, or currant jelly ; spices such as pepper, 

 cloves, or curry mixtures ; and sharp or highly seasoned meat sauces 

 are all types of flavoring materials which are useful for such pur- 

 poses and which may be used in a great variety of ways. 



In fact, the number of tasty dishes which a good cook can make 

 out of the cheaper cuts of meat or meat left over is almost endless. 

 Undoubtedly more time and skill are required in their preparation 

 than in the simple cooking of the more expensive cuts, just as more 

 time and skill are required for careful, intelligent marketing than 

 for haphazard ordering; but the real superiority of a good cook lies 

 not so much in the preparation of expensive or fancy dishes as in the 

 attractive preparation of inexpensive dishes for every day and in 

 the skillful combination of flavors. 



The advantages of variety in the methods of preparing and 

 serving are to be considered even more seriously in the cooking of 

 the cheaper cuts than in the cooking of the more expensive ones, 

 and yet even in this connection it is a mistake to lose sight of the fact 

 that, though there is a great variety of dishes, the processes involved 

 are few in number. (0. E. S. 141.) 



An experienced teacher of cooking says that she tries to reduce 

 the cooking of meat to its lowest terms and teach only three ways of 

 cooking. The first is the application of intense heat to keep in the 

 juices. This is suitable only for portions of clear meat where the 

 fibers are tender. By the second method the meats are put in cold 

 water and cooked at a low temperature. This is suitable for bone, 

 gristle, and the toughest portions of the meat, which for this purpose 

 should be divided into small bits. The third is a combination of 

 these two processes and consists of searing and then stewing the 

 meat. A few recipes, somewhat uncommon, are here given : 



Fat. A double boiler is the best utensil to use in trying out 

 small portions of fat as there is no danger of burning and less odor. 

 Excepting where the purpose of clarifying fat is to remove flavors, a 

 good method is to pour boiling water over the fat, to boil thoroughly, 

 and to cool. The cold fat may be removed in a solid cake and any 

 impurities clinging to it may be scraped off. 



A slight burned taste or similar objectionable flavors often can 

 be removed from fat by means of potatoes. After melting the fat, 

 put into it thick slices of raw potato ; heat gradually. When the fat 

 ceases to bubble and the potatoes are brown, strain through a cloth 

 placed in a wire strainer. 



