The Chemistry of Cookery

is like pouring new life into the body, but it is not what is required for the normal sustenance of the healthy body. For ordinary food, all the nutritious constituents should be retained, either in the meat itself or in its liquid surrounding. Regarding it theoretically, I should demand the retention of the albumen in the meat, and insist upon its remaining there in the condition of tender semi-solidity, corresponding to the white of an egg when perfectly cooked, as described in page 22. Also that the gelatin and fibrin be softened by sufficient digestion in hot water, and that the saline juices (those constituting beef-tea) be _partially_ extracted. I say ‘partially,’ because their complete extraction, as in the case of the macerated minced-meat, would too completely rob the meat of its sapidity. How, then, may these theoretical desiderata be attained? It is evident from the principles already expounded that cold extraction takes out the albumen, therefore this must be avoided; also that boiling water will harden the albumen to leathery consistence. This may be shown experimentally by subjecting an ordinary beefsteak to the action of boiling water for about half an hour. It will come out in the abominable condition too often obtained by English cooks when they make an attempt at stewing—an unknown art to the majority of them. Such an ill-used morsel defies the efforts of ordinary human jaws, and is curiously curled and distorted. This toughening and curling is a result of the coagulation, hardening, and shrinkage of the albumen as already described. It is evident, therefore, that neither cold water nor boiling water should be used in stewing, but water at the temperature at which albumen just begins to coagulate—_i.e._ about 134°, or between this and 160° as the extreme. My definition of stewing demands a qualification as regards the albumen. Although this is one of the juices of the meat when cold, it should not be extracted in ordinary stewing, as it is in the maceration for beef-tea, and thereby appear as a scum to be rejected. It should be barely coagulated, and thus