The Sirloin is to be roasted, and it is considered the best piece for steaks. The piece next forward of the Sirloin is about as good as any for roasting.
The Rump is to be corned, or cooked à la mode.
The Round is used for corning, or à la mode.
The Edge or Etch Bone is corned, or for soup.
The Hock or Shin is used for soups.
The Rib pieces of the fore quarter are used as roasting pieces. The first cut, which is next the Sirloin, is the best, and the others are better for corning.
The Head is used for mince pies, and the Tongue for smoking. The Legs are used for soups.
The remaining pieces are used for salting down, stews, soups, and mince pies, according to various tastes.
The Tallow is to be tried up for candles.
Veal.
The Loin is used for roasting.
The Fillet (which is the leg and hind flank) is used for cutlets, or to stuff and boil, or to stuff and roast.
The Chump end of the loin is used for roasting.
The Knuckles are used for broths.
The Neck is used for stews, pot pies, and broths, as are most of the remaining pieces.
Many persons roast the fore quarter, which is divided into two pieces, called the brisket, or breast, and the rack.
Mutton.
The Leg is boiled, or stuffed and roasted.
The Loin is roasted.
The rest are for boiling, or corning.
The Loin is chopped into pieces for broiling, called Mutton Chops.
The Leg is often cut into slices and broiled.
Many cure and smoke the leg, and call it smoked venison.
Pork.
The Shoulder and Ham are used for smoking.
The Spare Rib is used for roasting, and often is used as including all the ribs.
The Shoulder sometimes is corned and boiled.
That which is to be salted down must have all the lean taken out, which is to be used for sausages, or broiling.
The Feet use for jelly, head cheese, and souse.
MARKETING.
In selecting Fish, take those that are firm and thick, having stiff fins and bright scales, the gills bright red, and the eyes full and prominent. When Fish are long out of water they grow soft, the fins bend easily, the scales are dim, the gills grow dark, and the eyes sink and shrink away. Be sure and have them dressed immediately, sprinkle them with salt, and use them, if possible, the same day. In warm weather put them in ice, or corning, for the next day. Shell Fish can be decided upon only by the smell. Lobsters are not good unless alive, or else boiled before offered for sale. They are black when alive, and red when boiled. When to be boiled, they are to be put alive into boiling water, which is the quickest and least cruel way to end life.
In selecting Beef, take that which has a coarse, loose grain, which easily yields to the pressure of finger, or knife; which is a purplish red, and has whitish fat. Ox Beef is best. If the lean is purplish and the fat very yellow, it is bad Beef. If it is coarse-grained and hard to break or cut, it is tough. Stall-fed has lighter fat than grass-fed Beef.
If meat is frozen, lay it in cold water to thaw. A piece of ten pounds, or more, will require all night to thaw. Beef and Mutton improve by keeping. Meat is better for not being frozen, except fresh Pork.
In selecting Veal, take that which is firm and dry, and the joints stiff, having the lean a delicate red, the kidney covered with fat, and the fat very white. If you buy the head, see that the eyes are plump and lively, and not dull and sunk in the head. If you buy the legs, get those which are not skinned, as the skin is good for jelly, or soup.
In choosing Mutton, take that which is bright red and close grain, with firm and white fat. The meat should feel tender and springy on pressure. Notice the vein in the neck of the fore quarter, which should be a fine blue.
In selecting Pork, if young, the lean can easily be broken when pinched, and the skin can be indented by nipping with the fingers. The fat also will be white and soft. Thin rind is best.
In selecting Hams, run a knife along the bone, and if it comes out clean, the ham is good, but if it comes out smeared, it is spoilt. Good Bacon has white fat and the lean adheres closely to the bone. If the Bacon has yellow streaks, it is rusty, and not fit to use.
In selecting Poultry, choose those that are full grown, but not old. When young and fresh killed, the skin is thin and tender, the joints not very stiff, and the eyes full and bright. The breast bone shows the age, as it easily yields to pressure if young, and is tough when old. If young, you can with a pin easily tear the skin. A goose, when old, has red and hairy legs, but when young, they are yellow and have few hairs. The pinfeathers are the roots of feathers, which break off and remain in the skin, and always indicate a young bird. When very neatly dressed they are all pulled out.
Poultry and birds ought to be killed by having the neck cut off, and then hung up by the legs to bleed freely. This makes the flesh white and more healthful.
ON THE CARE OF MEATS.
Beef and Mutton are improved by keeping as long as they remain sweet. If meat begins to taint, wash it and rub it with powdered charcoal and it removes the taint. Sometimes rubbing with salt will cure it.
Corn-fed Pork is best. Pork made by still-house slops is almost poisonous, and hogs that live on offal never furnish healthful food.
Measely Pork has kernels in it, and is unhealthful.
A thick skin shows that the Pork is old, and that it requires more time to boil.
If your Pork is very salt, soak it some hours.
Take all the kernels out, that you will find in the round, and thick end of the flank of Beef, and in the fat, and fill the holes with salt. This will preserve it longer.
Salt
