SOUP ACCOMPANIMENTS AND GARNISHES
65. The soup course of a meal is a more or less unattractive one, but it
may be improved considerably if some tempting thing in the way of a
garnish or an accompaniment is served with it. But whatever is selected
to accompany soup should be, in a great measure, a contrast to it in
both consistency and color. The reason why a difference in consistency
is necessary is due to the nature of soup, which, being liquid in form,
is merely swallowed and does not stimulate the flow of the gastric
juices by mastication. Therefore, the accompaniment should be something
that requires chewing and that will consequently cause the digestive
juices, which respond to the mechanical action of chewing, to flow. The
garnish may add the color that is needed to make soup attractive. The
green and red of olives and radishes or of celery and radishes make a
decided contrast, so that when any of these things are served with soup,
an appetizing first course is the result. It is not necessary to serve
more than one of them, but if celery and radishes or celery, radishes,
and olives can be combined in the same relish dish, they become more
attractive than when each is served by itself.
66. RADISHES AND CELERY.--Before radishes and celery are used on the
table, whether with soup or some other part of a meal, they should be
put into cold water and allowed to stand for some time, so that they
will be perfectly crisp when they are served. In the case of radishes,
the tops and roots should first be cut from them, and the radishes then
scrubbed thoroughly. They may be served without any further treatment,
or they may be prepared to resemble flowers. This may be done by peeling the red skin back to show the white inside, and then cutting the sections to look like the petals of a flower. Little difficulty will be experienced in preparing radishes in this artistic way if a sharp knife is used, for, with a little practice, the work can be done quickly and skilfully.
67. Celery that is to be served with soup may be prepared in two ways. The stems may be pulled from the stalk and served separately, as in the group on the right, or the stalk may be cut down through the center with a knife into four or more pieces, as shown at the left of the illustration. The first of these methods is not so good as the second, for by it one person gets all of the tender heart and the coarse outside stems are left for all the others. By the second method, every piece consists of some of the heart and some of the outside stems attached to the root and makes a similar serving for each person.
Whichever way is adopted, however, the celery should be scrubbed and
cleansed thoroughly. This is often a difficult task, because the dirt
sticks tightly between the stems. Still, an effort should be made to
have the celery entirely free from dirt before it goes to the table. A
few tender yellow leaves may be left on the pieces to improve the
appearance of the celery.
68. CRACKERS.--Various kinds of wafers and crackers can be purchased to
serve with soup, and the selection, as well as the serving of them, is
entirely a matter of individual taste. One point, however, that must not
be overlooked is that crackers of any kind must be crisp in order to be
appetizing. Dry foods of this sort absorb moisture from the air when
they are exposed to it and consequently become tough. As heat drives off
this moisture and restores the original crispness, crackers should
always be heated before they are served. Their flavor can be improved by
toasting them until they are light brown in color.
69. CROUTONS.--As has already been learned, croutons are small pieces of
bread that have been fried or toasted to serve with soup. These are
usually made in the form of cubes, or dice, as is shown in the front
group in Fig. 10; but they may be cut into triangles, circles, ovals,
hearts, or, in fact, any fancy shape, by means of small cutters that can
be purchased for such purposes. The bread used for croutons should not
be fresh bread, as such bread does not toast nor fry very well;
left-over toast, stale bread, or slices of bread that have been cut from
the loaf and not eaten are usually found more satisfactory. If the
croutons are not made from slices already cut, the bread should be cut
into slices 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, and, after the crusts have been
closely trimmed, the slices should be cut into cubes. When the cubes
have been obtained, they may be put into a shallow pan and toasted on
all sides quickly, placed in a frying basket and browned in deep fat, or
put into a frying pan and sauted in butter. If toast is used, it should
merely be cut in the desired shape.
Various methods of serving croutons are in practice. Some housewives
prefer to place them in the soup tureen and pour the soup over them,
while others like to put a few in each individual serving of soup. A
better plan, however, and one that is much followed, is to serve a
number of croutons on a small plate or dish at each person's place, as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for then every one may eat them in the way
preferred.
70. BREAD STICKS.--A soup accompaniment similar in nature to croutons,
and known as bread sticks, is made of pieces of bread 1/2 inch wide,
1/2 inch thick, and several inches long. These are toasted on each side
and are served in place of crackers. Variety in bread sticks may be secured by spreading butter over them before the toasting is begun or by sprinkling grated cheese over them a few minutes before they are removed from the oven. Bread sticks are usually served on a bread-and-butter plate to the left of each person's place at the table.
71. PASTRY STRIPS.--A very appetizing addition to soup may be made by
cutting pastry into narrow strips and then baking these strips in the
oven until they are brown or frying them in deep fat and draining them.
Strips prepared in this way may be served in place of crackers,
croutons, or bread sticks, and are considered delicious by those who are
fond of pastry. Details regarding pastry are given in another Section.
72. SOUP FRITTERS.--If an entirely different kind of soup accompaniment
from those already mentioned is desired, soup fritters will no doubt
find favor. These are made by combining certain ingredients to form a
batter and then dropping small amounts of this into hot fat and frying
them until they are crisp and brown. The accompanying recipe, provided
it is followed carefully, will produce good results.
SOUP FRITTERS
1 egg
2 Tb. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
Beat the egg, and to it add the milk, salt, and flour. Drop the batter
in tiny drops into hot fat, and fry until brown and crisp. Drain on
paper and serve with the soup.
73. EGG BALLS.--To serve with a soup that is well flavored but not
highly nutritious, egg balls are very satisfactory. In addition to
supplying nutrition, these balls are extremely appetizing, and so they
greatly improve a course that is often unattractive. Careful attention
given to the ingredients and the directions in the accompanying recipe
will produce good results.
EGG BALLS
3 yolks of hard-cooked eggs
1/2 tsp. melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 uncooked yolk
Mash the cooked yolks, and to them add the butter, salt, and pepper, and
enough of the uncooked yolk to make the mixture of a consistency to
handle easily. Shape into tiny balls. Roll in the white of egg and then
in flour and saute in butter. Serve in the individual dishes of soup.
74. FORCEMEAT BALLS.--Another delicious form of accompaniment that
improves certain soups by adding nutrition is forcemeat balls. These
contain various nutritious ingredients combined into small balls, and
the balls are then either sauted or fried in deep fat. They may be
placed in the soup tureen or in each person's soup.
FORCEMEAT BALLS
1/2 c. fine stale-bread crumbs
1/2 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
White of 1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
Few grains of pepper
2/3 c. breast of raw chicken or raw fish
Cook the bread crumbs and milk to form a paste, and to this add the
butter, beaten egg white, and seasonings. Pound the chicken or fish to a
pulp, or force it through a food chopper and then through a puree
strainer. Add this to the first mixture. Form into tiny balls. Roll in
flour and either saute or fry in deep fat. Serve hot.
75. AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS.--A simple kind of forcemeat balls may be
made according to the accompanying recipe. The meat used may be sausage
provided especially for the purpose or some that is left over from a
previous meal. If it is not possible to obtain sausage, some other
highly seasoned meat, such as ham first ground very fine and then
pounded to a pulp, may be substituted.
AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS
1 Tb. butter
1 small onion
1-1/2 c. bread, without crusts
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 Tb. chopped parsley
1/2 c. sausage meat
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion finely chopped. Fry for
several minutes over the fire. Soak the bread in water until thoroughly
softened and then squeeze out all the water. Mix with the bread the egg,
salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, and meat, and to this add also the butter
and fried onion. Form small balls of this mixture and saute them in
shallow fat, fry them in deep fat, or, after brushing them over with
fat, bake them in the oven. Place a few in each serving of soup.
SOUP
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) (a) Mention the two purposes that soups serve in a meal, (b)
What are the qualities of a good soup?
(2) (a) Mention the two general classes of soup. (b) Explain and
illustrate how to choose a soup.
(3) Why is soup an economical dish?
(4) (a) Explain in full the meaning of stock as applied to soup. (b)
For what purposes other than soup making is stock used?
(5) (a) What is the value of the stock pot? (b) What care should be
given to it?
(6) Mention some of the materials that may be put into the stock pot.
(7) (a) Why are the tough cuts of meat more suitable for soup than the
tender ones? (b) Name the pieces that are best adapted to soup making
(8) (a) What proportion of bone to meat should be used in making soup
from fresh meat? (b) For what two purposes are vegetables used
in soup?
(9) Explain briefly the making of stock from meat.
(10) (a) Why should the cooking of the meat for stock be started with
cold water rather than with hot water? (b) What disposal should be
made of meat from which stock is made?
(11) (a) Of what value are flavorings in the making of soups? (b)
What precaution should be taken in the use of flavorings?
(12) Explain how grease may be removed from soup.
(13) How may soup be cleared?
(14) (a) For what purposes is thickening used in soups? (b) Mention
the materials most used to thicken soups.
(15) What precaution should be taken to keep soup or stock from
spoiling.
(16) What point about the serving of soup should be observed if an
appetizing soup is desired?
(17) What kind of dish is used for serving: (a) thin soup? (b) thick
soup?
(18) (a) What is a cream soup? (b) Give the general directions for
making soup of this kind.
(19) (a) How may the soup course of a meal be made more attractive?
(b) In what ways should soup accompaniments be a contrast to the soup?
(20) (a) Explain the making of croutons. (b) What is the most
satisfactory way in which to prepare celery that is to be served
with soup?
ADDITIONAL WORK
Plan and prepare a dinner menu from the recipes given in the lessons
that you have studied. Submit the menu for this dinner and give the
order in which you prepared the dishes. In addition, tell the number of
persons you served, as well as what remained after the meal and whether
or not you made use of it for another meal. Send this information with
your answers to the Examination Questions.
* * * * *
MEAT (PART 1)
* * * * *
MEAT IN THE DIET
VALUE OF MEAT AS FOOD
1. In its broadest sense, MEAT may be considered as "any clean, sound,
dressed or properly prepared edible part of animals that are in good
health at the time of slaughter." However, the flesh of carnivorous
animals--that is, animals that eat the flesh of other animals--is so
seldom eaten by man, that the term meat is usually restricted to the
flesh of all animals except these. But even this meaning of meat is too
broad; indeed, as the term is generally used it refers particularly to
the flesh of the so-called domestic animals, and does not include
poultry, game, fish, and the like. It is in this limited sense that meat
is considered in these Sections, and the kinds to which attention is
given are beef, veal, lamb, mutton, and pork. Meat, including these
varieties, forms one of the principal sources of the family's food
supply. As such, it is valuable chiefly as a food; but, in the form of
broths and extracts made from it, meat stimulates the appetite and
actually assists the flow of gastric juice. Therefore, so that the
outlay for meat will not be greater than it should be and this food will
provide the greatest amount of nourishment, every housewife should be
thoroughly familiar with the place it occupies in the dietary.
2. In the first place, it should be remembered that the food eaten by
human beings comes from two sources--animal and vegetable. The foods of
animal origin, which include milk, eggs, and meat, have a certain
similarity that causes them to be classed together and this is the fact
that they are high-protein foods. Milk is the first protein food fed to
the young, but a little later it is partly replaced by eggs, and,
finally, or in adult life, meat largely takes the place of both. For
this reason, meat has considerable importance in the dietary. In
reality, from this food is obtained the greatest amount of protein that
the average person eats. However, it will be well to note that milk and
eggs, as well as cheese and even cereals and vegetables, can be made to
take the place of meat when the use of less of this food is deemed
advisable.
3. As the work of protein foods is to build and repair tissue, it is on
them that the human race largely depends. Of course, protein also yields
energy; but the amount is so small that if one variety of protein food,
such as meat, were eaten simply to supply energy to the body, huge
quantities of it would be needed to do the same work that a small amount
of less expensive food would accomplish. Some persons have an idea that
meat produces the necessary strength and energy of those who perform
hard work. This is entirely erroneous, because fats and carbohydrates
are the food substances that produce the energy required to do work.
Some kind of protein is, of course, absolutely necessary to the health
of every normal person, but a fact that cannot be emphasized too
strongly is that an oversupply of it does more harm than good.
Scientists have been trying for a long time to determine just how much
of these tissue-building foods is necessary for individuals, but they
have found this a difficult matter. Nevertheless, it is generally
conceded that most persons are likely to use too much rather than too
little of them. It is essential then, not only from the standpoint of
economy, but from the far more important principle of health, that the
modern housewife should know the nutritive value of meats.
4. In her efforts to familiarize herself with these matters, the
housewife should ever remember that meat is the most expensive of the
daily foods of a family. Hence, to get the greatest value for the money
expended, meat must be bought judiciously, cared for properly, and
prepared carefully. Too many housewives trust the not over-scrupulous
butcher to give them the kind of meat they should have, and very often
they do not have a clear idea as to whether it is the best piece that
can be purchased for the desired purpose and for the price that is
asked. Every housewife ought to be so familiar with the various cuts of
meat that she need not depend on any one except herself in the purchase
of this food. She will find that both the buying and the preparation of
meats will be a simple matter for her if she learns these three
important things: (1) From what part of the animal the particular piece
she desires is cut and how to ask for that piece; (2) how to judge a
good piece of meat by its appearance; and (3) what to do with it from
the moment it is purchased until the last bit of it is used.
5. Of these three things, the cooking of meat is the one that demands
the most attention, because it has a decided effect on the quality and
digestibility of this food. Proper cooking is just as essential in the
case of meat as for any other food, for a tender, digestible piece of
meat may be made tough and indigestible by improper preparation, while a
tough piece may be made tender and very appetizing by careful,
intelligent preparation. The cheaper cuts of meat, which are often
scorned as being too tough for use, may be converted into delicious
dishes by the skilful cook who understands how to apply the various
methods of cookery and knows what their effect will be on the
meat tissues.
6. Unfortunately, thorough cooking affects the digestibility of meat
unfavorably; but it is doubtless a wise procedure in some cases because,
as is definitely known, some of the parasites that attack man find their
way into the system through the meat that is eaten. These are carried to
meat from external sources, such as dust, flies, and the soiled hands of
persons handling it, and they multiply and thrive. It is known, too,
that some of the germs that cause disease in the animal remain in its
flesh and are thus transmitted to human beings that eat such meat. If
there is any question as to its good condition, meat must be thoroughly
cooked, because long cooking completely eliminates the danger from
such sources.
65. The soup course of a meal is a more or less unattractive one, but it
may be improved considerably if some tempting thing in the way of a
garnish or an accompaniment is served with it. But whatever is selected
to accompany soup should be, in a great measure, a contrast to it in
both consistency and color. The reason why a difference in consistency
is necessary is due to the nature of soup, which, being liquid in form,
is merely swallowed and does not stimulate the flow of the gastric
juices by mastication. Therefore, the accompaniment should be something
that requires chewing and that will consequently cause the digestive
juices, which respond to the mechanical action of chewing, to flow. The
garnish may add the color that is needed to make soup attractive. The
green and red of olives and radishes or of celery and radishes make a
decided contrast, so that when any of these things are served with soup,
an appetizing first course is the result. It is not necessary to serve
more than one of them, but if celery and radishes or celery, radishes,
and olives can be combined in the same relish dish, they become more
attractive than when each is served by itself.
66. RADISHES AND CELERY.--Before radishes and celery are used on the
table, whether with soup or some other part of a meal, they should be
put into cold water and allowed to stand for some time, so that they
will be perfectly crisp when they are served. In the case of radishes,
the tops and roots should first be cut from them, and the radishes then
scrubbed thoroughly. They may be served without any further treatment,
or they may be prepared to resemble flowers. This may be done by peeling the red skin back to show the white inside, and then cutting the sections to look like the petals of a flower. Little difficulty will be experienced in preparing radishes in this artistic way if a sharp knife is used, for, with a little practice, the work can be done quickly and skilfully.
67. Celery that is to be served with soup may be prepared in two ways. The stems may be pulled from the stalk and served separately, as in the group on the right, or the stalk may be cut down through the center with a knife into four or more pieces, as shown at the left of the illustration. The first of these methods is not so good as the second, for by it one person gets all of the tender heart and the coarse outside stems are left for all the others. By the second method, every piece consists of some of the heart and some of the outside stems attached to the root and makes a similar serving for each person.
Whichever way is adopted, however, the celery should be scrubbed and
cleansed thoroughly. This is often a difficult task, because the dirt
sticks tightly between the stems. Still, an effort should be made to
have the celery entirely free from dirt before it goes to the table. A
few tender yellow leaves may be left on the pieces to improve the
appearance of the celery.
68. CRACKERS.--Various kinds of wafers and crackers can be purchased to
serve with soup, and the selection, as well as the serving of them, is
entirely a matter of individual taste. One point, however, that must not
be overlooked is that crackers of any kind must be crisp in order to be
appetizing. Dry foods of this sort absorb moisture from the air when
they are exposed to it and consequently become tough. As heat drives off
this moisture and restores the original crispness, crackers should
always be heated before they are served. Their flavor can be improved by
toasting them until they are light brown in color.
69. CROUTONS.--As has already been learned, croutons are small pieces of
bread that have been fried or toasted to serve with soup. These are
usually made in the form of cubes, or dice, as is shown in the front
group in Fig. 10; but they may be cut into triangles, circles, ovals,
hearts, or, in fact, any fancy shape, by means of small cutters that can
be purchased for such purposes. The bread used for croutons should not
be fresh bread, as such bread does not toast nor fry very well;
left-over toast, stale bread, or slices of bread that have been cut from
the loaf and not eaten are usually found more satisfactory. If the
croutons are not made from slices already cut, the bread should be cut
into slices 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, and, after the crusts have been
closely trimmed, the slices should be cut into cubes. When the cubes
have been obtained, they may be put into a shallow pan and toasted on
all sides quickly, placed in a frying basket and browned in deep fat, or
put into a frying pan and sauted in butter. If toast is used, it should
merely be cut in the desired shape.
Various methods of serving croutons are in practice. Some housewives
prefer to place them in the soup tureen and pour the soup over them,
while others like to put a few in each individual serving of soup. A
better plan, however, and one that is much followed, is to serve a
number of croutons on a small plate or dish at each person's place, as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for then every one may eat them in the way
preferred.
70. BREAD STICKS.--A soup accompaniment similar in nature to croutons,
and known as bread sticks, is made of pieces of bread 1/2 inch wide,
1/2 inch thick, and several inches long. These are toasted on each side
and are served in place of crackers. Variety in bread sticks may be secured by spreading butter over them before the toasting is begun or by sprinkling grated cheese over them a few minutes before they are removed from the oven. Bread sticks are usually served on a bread-and-butter plate to the left of each person's place at the table.
71. PASTRY STRIPS.--A very appetizing addition to soup may be made by
cutting pastry into narrow strips and then baking these strips in the
oven until they are brown or frying them in deep fat and draining them.
Strips prepared in this way may be served in place of crackers,
croutons, or bread sticks, and are considered delicious by those who are
fond of pastry. Details regarding pastry are given in another Section.
72. SOUP FRITTERS.--If an entirely different kind of soup accompaniment
from those already mentioned is desired, soup fritters will no doubt
find favor. These are made by combining certain ingredients to form a
batter and then dropping small amounts of this into hot fat and frying
them until they are crisp and brown. The accompanying recipe, provided
it is followed carefully, will produce good results.
SOUP FRITTERS
1 egg
2 Tb. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
Beat the egg, and to it add the milk, salt, and flour. Drop the batter
in tiny drops into hot fat, and fry until brown and crisp. Drain on
paper and serve with the soup.
73. EGG BALLS.--To serve with a soup that is well flavored but not
highly nutritious, egg balls are very satisfactory. In addition to
supplying nutrition, these balls are extremely appetizing, and so they
greatly improve a course that is often unattractive. Careful attention
given to the ingredients and the directions in the accompanying recipe
will produce good results.
EGG BALLS
3 yolks of hard-cooked eggs
1/2 tsp. melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 uncooked yolk
Mash the cooked yolks, and to them add the butter, salt, and pepper, and
enough of the uncooked yolk to make the mixture of a consistency to
handle easily. Shape into tiny balls. Roll in the white of egg and then
in flour and saute in butter. Serve in the individual dishes of soup.
74. FORCEMEAT BALLS.--Another delicious form of accompaniment that
improves certain soups by adding nutrition is forcemeat balls. These
contain various nutritious ingredients combined into small balls, and
the balls are then either sauted or fried in deep fat. They may be
placed in the soup tureen or in each person's soup.
FORCEMEAT BALLS
1/2 c. fine stale-bread crumbs
1/2 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
White of 1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
Few grains of pepper
2/3 c. breast of raw chicken or raw fish
Cook the bread crumbs and milk to form a paste, and to this add the
butter, beaten egg white, and seasonings. Pound the chicken or fish to a
pulp, or force it through a food chopper and then through a puree
strainer. Add this to the first mixture. Form into tiny balls. Roll in
flour and either saute or fry in deep fat. Serve hot.
75. AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS.--A simple kind of forcemeat balls may be
made according to the accompanying recipe. The meat used may be sausage
provided especially for the purpose or some that is left over from a
previous meal. If it is not possible to obtain sausage, some other
highly seasoned meat, such as ham first ground very fine and then
pounded to a pulp, may be substituted.
AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS
1 Tb. butter
1 small onion
1-1/2 c. bread, without crusts
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 Tb. chopped parsley
1/2 c. sausage meat
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion finely chopped. Fry for
several minutes over the fire. Soak the bread in water until thoroughly
softened and then squeeze out all the water. Mix with the bread the egg,
salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, and meat, and to this add also the butter
and fried onion. Form small balls of this mixture and saute them in
shallow fat, fry them in deep fat, or, after brushing them over with
fat, bake them in the oven. Place a few in each serving of soup.
SOUP
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) (a) Mention the two purposes that soups serve in a meal, (b)
What are the qualities of a good soup?
(2) (a) Mention the two general classes of soup. (b) Explain and
illustrate how to choose a soup.
(3) Why is soup an economical dish?
(4) (a) Explain in full the meaning of stock as applied to soup. (b)
For what purposes other than soup making is stock used?
(5) (a) What is the value of the stock pot? (b) What care should be
given to it?
(6) Mention some of the materials that may be put into the stock pot.
(7) (a) Why are the tough cuts of meat more suitable for soup than the
tender ones? (b) Name the pieces that are best adapted to soup making
(8) (a) What proportion of bone to meat should be used in making soup
from fresh meat? (b) For what two purposes are vegetables used
in soup?
(9) Explain briefly the making of stock from meat.
(10) (a) Why should the cooking of the meat for stock be started with
cold water rather than with hot water? (b) What disposal should be
made of meat from which stock is made?
(11) (a) Of what value are flavorings in the making of soups? (b)
What precaution should be taken in the use of flavorings?
(12) Explain how grease may be removed from soup.
(13) How may soup be cleared?
(14) (a) For what purposes is thickening used in soups? (b) Mention
the materials most used to thicken soups.
(15) What precaution should be taken to keep soup or stock from
spoiling.
(16) What point about the serving of soup should be observed if an
appetizing soup is desired?
(17) What kind of dish is used for serving: (a) thin soup? (b) thick
soup?
(18) (a) What is a cream soup? (b) Give the general directions for
making soup of this kind.
(19) (a) How may the soup course of a meal be made more attractive?
(b) In what ways should soup accompaniments be a contrast to the soup?
(20) (a) Explain the making of croutons. (b) What is the most
satisfactory way in which to prepare celery that is to be served
with soup?
ADDITIONAL WORK
Plan and prepare a dinner menu from the recipes given in the lessons
that you have studied. Submit the menu for this dinner and give the
order in which you prepared the dishes. In addition, tell the number of
persons you served, as well as what remained after the meal and whether
or not you made use of it for another meal. Send this information with
your answers to the Examination Questions.
* * * * *
MEAT (PART 1)
* * * * *
MEAT IN THE DIET
VALUE OF MEAT AS FOOD
1. In its broadest sense, MEAT may be considered as "any clean, sound,
dressed or properly prepared edible part of animals that are in good
health at the time of slaughter." However, the flesh of carnivorous
animals--that is, animals that eat the flesh of other animals--is so
seldom eaten by man, that the term meat is usually restricted to the
flesh of all animals except these. But even this meaning of meat is too
broad; indeed, as the term is generally used it refers particularly to
the flesh of the so-called domestic animals, and does not include
poultry, game, fish, and the like. It is in this limited sense that meat
is considered in these Sections, and the kinds to which attention is
given are beef, veal, lamb, mutton, and pork. Meat, including these
varieties, forms one of the principal sources of the family's food
supply. As such, it is valuable chiefly as a food; but, in the form of
broths and extracts made from it, meat stimulates the appetite and
actually assists the flow of gastric juice. Therefore, so that the
outlay for meat will not be greater than it should be and this food will
provide the greatest amount of nourishment, every housewife should be
thoroughly familiar with the place it occupies in the dietary.
2. In the first place, it should be remembered that the food eaten by
human beings comes from two sources--animal and vegetable. The foods of
animal origin, which include milk, eggs, and meat, have a certain
similarity that causes them to be classed together and this is the fact
that they are high-protein foods. Milk is the first protein food fed to
the young, but a little later it is partly replaced by eggs, and,
finally, or in adult life, meat largely takes the place of both. For
this reason, meat has considerable importance in the dietary. In
reality, from this food is obtained the greatest amount of protein that
the average person eats. However, it will be well to note that milk and
eggs, as well as cheese and even cereals and vegetables, can be made to
take the place of meat when the use of less of this food is deemed
advisable.
3. As the work of protein foods is to build and repair tissue, it is on
them that the human race largely depends. Of course, protein also yields
energy; but the amount is so small that if one variety of protein food,
such as meat, were eaten simply to supply energy to the body, huge
quantities of it would be needed to do the same work that a small amount
of less expensive food would accomplish. Some persons have an idea that
meat produces the necessary strength and energy of those who perform
hard work. This is entirely erroneous, because fats and carbohydrates
are the food substances that produce the energy required to do work.
Some kind of protein is, of course, absolutely necessary to the health
of every normal person, but a fact that cannot be emphasized too
strongly is that an oversupply of it does more harm than good.
Scientists have been trying for a long time to determine just how much
of these tissue-building foods is necessary for individuals, but they
have found this a difficult matter. Nevertheless, it is generally
conceded that most persons are likely to use too much rather than too
little of them. It is essential then, not only from the standpoint of
economy, but from the far more important principle of health, that the
modern housewife should know the nutritive value of meats.
4. In her efforts to familiarize herself with these matters, the
housewife should ever remember that meat is the most expensive of the
daily foods of a family. Hence, to get the greatest value for the money
expended, meat must be bought judiciously, cared for properly, and
prepared carefully. Too many housewives trust the not over-scrupulous
butcher to give them the kind of meat they should have, and very often
they do not have a clear idea as to whether it is the best piece that
can be purchased for the desired purpose and for the price that is
asked. Every housewife ought to be so familiar with the various cuts of
meat that she need not depend on any one except herself in the purchase
of this food. She will find that both the buying and the preparation of
meats will be a simple matter for her if she learns these three
important things: (1) From what part of the animal the particular piece
she desires is cut and how to ask for that piece; (2) how to judge a
good piece of meat by its appearance; and (3) what to do with it from
the moment it is purchased until the last bit of it is used.
5. Of these three things, the cooking of meat is the one that demands
the most attention, because it has a decided effect on the quality and
digestibility of this food. Proper cooking is just as essential in the
case of meat as for any other food, for a tender, digestible piece of
meat may be made tough and indigestible by improper preparation, while a
tough piece may be made tender and very appetizing by careful,
intelligent preparation. The cheaper cuts of meat, which are often
scorned as being too tough for use, may be converted into delicious
dishes by the skilful cook who understands how to apply the various
methods of cookery and knows what their effect will be on the
meat tissues.
6. Unfortunately, thorough cooking affects the digestibility of meat
unfavorably; but it is doubtless a wise procedure in some cases because,
as is definitely known, some of the parasites that attack man find their
way into the system through the meat that is eaten. These are carried to
meat from external sources, such as dust, flies, and the soiled hands of
persons handling it, and they multiply and thrive. It is known, too,
that some of the germs that cause disease in the animal remain in its
flesh and are thus transmitted to human beings that eat such meat. If
there is any question as to its good condition, meat must be thoroughly
cooked, because long cooking completely eliminates the danger from
such sources.