ROASTS AND STEAKS 85 



and coagulates the albumin into a soft digestible mass. Rapid 

 cooking at high temperature dissolves the connective tissue, 

 but hardens and toughens the muscle tubes and the albumin, 

 and dries out the extractives. 



You may be familiar with the stringy, tasteless meat which 

 has been cooked at too high a temperature. The intelligent 

 application of a few facts regarding the effects of heat upon 

 food constituents will make more savory and healthful dishes 

 for the table. 



Roasts and steaks. All of us know the difference between 

 a tender, juicy, tasty roast and a tough, dry, tasteless one. 

 The flavor of meat depends mainly upon extractives found in 

 the meat juices, and if cooked meat is to be tasty and savory 

 it must be cooked in such a way that its juices and extractives 

 are not lost. 



Meat that is to be roasted should be placed for a few min- 

 utes in a hot oven, because strong heat coagulates the pro 

 tein on the surface and forms a brown hard crust over the meat 

 which prevents the escape of juices and extractives. The oven 

 should then be cooled and the meat cooked more slowly at 

 a lower temperature, because if the high temperature is con- 

 tinued, the surface crust thickens and the whole roast becomes 

 leathery, hard, and tough. The crust, which prevents the escape 

 of juices and extractives, also hinders the passage of heat to the 

 inside of the meat, and hence if the roast is large and thick, its 

 cooking must be hastened by basting; that is, by dipping up 

 the fatty liquid which drips into the pan and pouring it over 

 the outside of the meat. Large roasts that are not basted cook 

 so slowty that the outside crust becomes hard and burned before 

 the inside flesh is sufficiently cooked. 



Steaks that are to be broiled should also be put over a fire 

 hot enough to sear the outside quickly and prevent the escape 

 of meat juices. Steaks that are to be fried need a very hot 



