COOKING OF MEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 184, 5 August 1936, Page 14

COOKING OF MEAT.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

INTERESTING DEMONSTRATION GIVEN.

Following 011 the interesting talk and practical demonstration of the various cuts of beef and mutton, given early in July, a practical demonstration of meat-cooking was given at the monthly meeting of the Auckland branch of the Home Economics Association, held last evening at the Seddou Memorial Technical College. The demonstration was given by Miss A. Seay, assisted bv Miss X. Burley, Miss J. Shale and Miss E. Wood.

Miss Seay explained the principles and aims used in meat cookery, and said that the processes varied according as it was required, either to extract all the soluble substance of the meat, as in the making of beef tea, meat stocks and soups, or to retain all the soluble substance as in roasting, grilling, baking, steaming, boiling and frying meat. The process of stewing, she said, was a compromise between these two aims. In that case the meat chosen was usually rather tough, and to make it tender it was necessary to extract part of the soluble substance. In deciding on the process to be used in cooking any particular piece of meat, it was necessary to consider the quality, weight and thickness of the meat. For baking, roasting, grilling and frying, meat should be of good quality, well hung and tender. Meat of less good quality should be steamed, boiled or stewed to soften and gelatinise the connective tissues. In baking, roasting and grilling the only moisture available was that in the meat itself, and that was insufficient when tough tissues were plentiful. Boiling, steaming and stewing were not suited to meat which had much fat; that was generally baked or roasted. Baking, roasting and boiling were suitable for thick pieces of meat, while grilling and frying were advisable for smaller, thinner pieces of the same quality. Small thinner pieces of rather less good quality, she said, should be steamed or stewed, the latter method being most suitable for flavourless and tough meat. Steaming was suitable for both small and large pieces of meat.

The principles involved in the cooking of meat, Miss Seay continued, were to retain all the soluble albumen, salts and extractives, to develop the flavours, and to set the proteins and soften the connective tissue, thu3 making the meat tender and palatable. The first step would be to apply sufficient heat to harden the surface of the meat and thus prevent, as far as possible, the loss of the soluble substances. Inside the casing thus formed the meat would cook in its own juices. The subsequent cooking would be carried on more slowly to allow the heat to reach the centre of the meat, which, like all foods, was a bad conductor of heat. If the high temperature required for the first few minutes of the cooking were maintained, Miss Seay pointed out, the outer layers of the meat would be overcooked and dry, while the interior was still raw and tough. For grilling the meat should be of good quality, with only a little fat, and should be in pieces not less than one inch and not more than 1J inch thick. Rump steak, loin chops, and fillets were all suitable. During tlio demonstration on braising, pot-roasting, baking, stewing, grilling, pan-broiling, and made-up cutlets, all these principles were observed. The lecturer also took great pains to show how the cheaper cuts of meat, such as neck chops, breasts of veal and mutton, and cheap cuts of steak could be made into the most appetising and tasty dishes at a minimum cost. She also laid emphasis on the nutritional value of the inner organs, such as liver, sheeps' hearts and kidneys, sweetbreads and brains, these being the only meat foods rich in vitamins and disease-resisting factors. I The high iron content of liver was also stressed to show its value in the treatment of anaemia. Suitable vegetables were also cooked by the most nutritional methods to accompany the meat dishes. During the evening -17 different meat dishes were cooked, served and displayed at the end of the demonstration.

N.Z. Agenti: Salmond & Spraggon Ltd.