MEAT. 



MEAT. 



in boiling alone being 6 per cent. From ex- 

 periment 34, it appears that, when the butcher's 

 price of knuckle of veal is 5$d. per lb., the meat, 

 duly boiled, costs lO^d. per lb., the loss in boil- 

 ing being 85 per cent. From an average of 

 experiments 35, 36, 37, it appears that, at the 

 prices of geese quoted, which average 12(/. 

 per lb. for the raw flesh, the cost of the roasted 

 flesh is Is. 7d. per lb., and the loss per cent 19. 

 From an average of three experiments, it ap- 

 pears that, at the prices of turkeys quoted, 

 which average lOd. per lb., the cost of the roast- 

 ed flesh is Is. 2|d per lb., and the loss per cent 

 is 20^. From an average of experiments 41 

 and 42, it appears that, when turkeys are sold 

 at the last-mentioned price, the cost of the boil- 

 ed flesh is Is. l]jd. per lb., and the loss per cent 

 is 16. It appears also, that the roasted flesh of 

 turkeys sometimes amounts to 4s. 2rf. per lb. 

 From experiments 43, 44, and 45, it appears 

 that, at the prices of ducks quoted, which ave- 

 rage Is. IfyL per lb. in the raw state, the cost 

 of the roasted flesh is 2s. 8//. per lb., and the loss 

 per cent, is 27^. From experiments 46, 47, 

 and 48, it appears that, at the prices of chickens 

 quoted, which average Is. 6^r/. per lb. in the 

 raw state, the roasted flesh amounts to 2s. 7d. 

 per lb., and the loss per cent, is 14. From an 

 average of six experiments, it appears that, at 

 the prices of chickens last quoted, the average 

 cost of the boiled flesh is 2s. Sd. per lb. and 

 the average loss is 13^ per cent. From an ex- 

 periment it appears, that, when turbot in the 

 raw state is sold at 9rf. per lb., the boiled fish 

 costs 1 1 $d. per lb. ; the loss in boiling is 5 per 

 cent. From experiment 56, it appears that, 

 when mackerel sells in the raw state at 6|</. 

 per lb., the boiled fish costs 9$d. per. lb., the 

 loss in boiling being 7 per cent. From an ex- 

 periment, it appears that the roasted flesh of a 

 woodcock sometimes costs 16s. per lb., and 

 sometimes 2s. But the flesh of the quail is 

 still more expensive. This bird, when fatten- 

 ed, is sold at the enormous price of 3s. ; and, 

 when allowance is made for the loss in cooking 



800 



and the bones, the meat may be estimated at 

 2 oz., which brings the cost of the cooked flesh 

 to II. 4s. per lb. ! Those to whom such morsels 

 are necessary are not to be envied. A haunch 

 of venison, weighing 26 Ibs., will cost 3 gui- 

 neas. The meat of this, when roasted and 

 detached from the bone, will amount to about 

 3s. lOrf. per lb.; and if the animal was more 

 than usually fat, to 4s. The foregoing table 

 gives the results in a still more abstract form ; 

 but the prices apply to London only. The 

 articles are arranged in the order of their cost- 

 liness in the London market. 



It appears from the experiments, that 



The loss per cent, on roasting beef, viz. sirloins and 



ribs together, is ------ 19^ 



Do. on roasting mutton, viz. legs and shoulders 



together, is 24^ 



Do. on roasting lamb, viz. the fore-quarter, is - 22 



Do. on roasting geese, is ----- 19 



Do. on roasting turkeys, is - 20 



Do. on roasting ducks, is - - - - - 27-j 

 Do. on roasting chickens, is 



Thus, the loss on roasting varies from 142 to 

 nearly double that rate. The average loss on 

 roasting butchers' meat is 22 per cent., and on 

 roasting domestic poultry is 20. 



The loss per cent, on boiling mutton, viz. legs, is - 10 



Do. on boiling hams, is ----- 121 



Do. on boiling salt beef, is - - - - 15 



Do. on boiling salt pork, is 



Do. on burling bacon, is 



Do. on boiling knuckles of veal, is - 



Do. on boiling turkeys, is - - - i - - !6 



Do. on boiling chickens, is .... 13| 



Thus, the Joss on boiling varies from 6^ to 

 16. The average loss on boiling butchers' 

 meat, pork, hams, and bacon, is 12, and on 

 boiling domestic poultry is 14. These esti- 

 mates of butchers' meat do not agree with 

 those of Professor Wallace. I shall select for 

 contrast all those cases that can be compared. 



Wallace. 



100 Ibs. of beef lost in boiling - - - 261 



Do. in roasting ----- 32 



100 Ibs. of legs of mutton lost in boiling - 211 



100 Ibs. of shoulders of mutton lost in 



roasting 31* 2tf 



The average loss in boiling and roasting to- 

 gether is, according to Professor Wallace, 28 

 per cent. ; according to my trials, it is but 

 I know not how to reconcile these results 

 otherwise than by supposing a difference in 

 the meat, or its fatness, or in the duration of 

 the heat. I used meat of sufficient, but not 

 unprofitable fatness, such as is preferred in 

 families; the meat was in all cases a little rare 

 at its centre, and the results were determined 

 with the utmost care. In great public institu- 

 tions, where economy is studied, and every 

 thing is regulated by weight and measure, 

 tables of this kind do not afford a guide that is 

 to be implicitly relied on. It is obvious that 

 another element must be taken into the calcu- 

 lation, to insure true results ; the ratio in which 

 each article of food satisfies the appetite, which 

 varies with almost every individual. 



Butchers' meat, taking one kind with another, 

 averages 35 per cent, of real nutritive matter; 

 at least, such was the estimate presented by 

 MM. Vauquelin and Percy to the French mi- 

 nister of the interior. Adopting this determi- 

 nation, we are prepared to appreciate the 



Mv trial. 

 ' 15 



10 



