BOILING MEAT. 241 



should never be boiled rapidly, not only for the reason 

 just given, but also because, when the water boils 

 strongly, the steam carries off a large portion of the 

 volatile matters of the meat, and so renders it less 

 savory and palatable. The best effect is produced by 

 only allowing the water to simmer or boil very gently. 

 In a large kitchen, boiling by steam is better, more 

 manageable, and more economical, than with an open 

 fire. 



622. The gelatine of flesh, on the other hand, is 

 softened by the action of the hot water; it is chiefly 

 in a solid form, and softens and gradually dissolves 

 in the heated water. In steaming, by the long-con- 

 tinued action of a gentle heat, the whole of the 

 gelatine is softened and brought into an easily 

 digestible condition. 



623. When meat is made into soup, if simply sim- 

 mered in water, the gelatine only will be dissolved. 

 The fat either remains entangled in the fibre of the 

 meat, or melts and rises to the surface of the water. 

 By adding vegetables, or any substance containing 

 starch, which acts as a thickener, a sort of emulsion 

 is formed, and a large quantity of the oil remains 

 divided and suspended throughout the soup, much in 

 the same way that the oil or butter is naturally dif- 

 fused in milk (573). 



624. Generally speaking, gelatine is more easily 

 digested than albumen, though the latter is the more 

 nutritious. It is a mistake to suppose that the jelly 

 of meat is the most nutritious part of it ; the value 



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