THE REAL HOME: KEEPER

The fats used are lard, cottolene and olive oil. To clear fat after using cut
a raw potato into one-fourth-inch slices and add to the cooled fat. Heat gradually
and when potatoes are browned strain fat through cheesecloth placed over a
strainer. If carefully strained each time the fat can be used repeatedly.

Boiling—In boiling, as in roasting, the general principle is to subject the
meat to a high degree of heat at first until a layer of albumen hardens over the
entire surface. The temperature should then be dropped much below boiling
point and kept there until the gelatine and connective tissues are softened to
almost the point of dissolving. Let the meat partly cool in the liquor, and if
the slices are served on very hot plates they will be juicy, tender and well-flavored.

Larding—Use a piece of salt pork fat. Shave off the rind as closely as possible,
cut the fat in one-fourth-inch strips, and cut these into strips the same width.
With a larding needle draw these strips into the meat, leaving the stitches evenly
distributed and in alternate rows until the whole upper surface is covered.

Daubing—When the large lardoons are forced through meat from surface
to surface the process is called daubing.

CARVING

To master the art of carving one must understand the anatomy of the meat
to be carved. The carver should insist upon having a sharp knife, a large platter,
and sufficient space to move his arms.

Whole Fish—The carving of fish is extremely simple. Run the knife the
whole length of the back fin, then cut from the back fin to the middle of the fish;
the flesh may then be separated from the bone. When one side is served, turn
the fish over and carve the other side the same way. ‘The centre of the fish is
considered the best, as it is the fattest portion. The meat around the head and
neck is decidedly gelatinous. Medium-sized fish like mackerel, salmon trout,
and so forth, are cut through the bone, thus giving a piece of fish on either side
of the backbone for each serving.

Beef—for carving roast beef, a long, broad-bladed knife is required. Always
cut across the grain of the meat; never with the grain. The joint of the beef
known as the porterhouse roast or sirloin roast consists of the sirloin, the tender-
loin, and the flank. The flank is tough, and if roasted, with the meat, is generally
used for some made dish, such as croquettes, or hashed meat on toast; it is
seldom carved at the table.

The tenderloin and sirloin must be carved against the grain. Cut thin
slices parallel with the vertebre, then cut close to the backbone, thus separating
the slices. Rib roasts are carved the same way as the sirloin.

Rolled Ribs and round of beef are carved in round slices as thin as possible,
each slice having considerable fat mixed with the lean.

Beef Steaks are carved across the grain.

Sirloin Steak—Cut slices at right angles to the vertebre in both the sirloin
and the tenderloin, then separate.

LAMB AND MUTTON

A Leg of Mutton is considered by many the most difficult piece of meat to
serve. If the hip bone is removed, the carving of this joint is simple, but it is

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