The Boston cooking-school cook book

to render them tender enough to digest easily. Tough meat which has long and coarse fibres is often found to be very juicy, on account of the greater motion of that part of the creature, which causes the juices to flow freely. Roasting and broiling, which develop so fine a flavor, can only be applied to the more expensive cuts. The liver, kidneys, and heart are of firm, close texture, and difficult of digestion. Tripe, which is the first stomach of the ox, is easy of digestion, but on account of the large amount of fat which it contains, it is undesirable for those of weak digestion. The quality of beef depends on age of the creature and manner of feeding. The best beef is obtained from a steer of four or five years. Good beef should be firm and of fine-grained texture, bright red in color, and well mottled and coated with fat. The fat should be firm and of a yellowish color. Suet should be dry, and crumble easily. Beef should not be eaten as soon as killed, but allowed to hang and ripen,—from two to three weeks in winter, and two weeks in summer. Meat should be removed from paper as soon as it comes from market, otherwise paper absorbs some of the juices. Meat should be kept in a cool place. In winter, beef may be bought in large quantities and cut as needed. If one chooses, a loin or rump may be bought and kept by the butcher, who sends cuts as ordered. Always wipe beef, before cooking, with a cheese-cloth wrung out of cold water, but never allow it to stand in a pan of cold water, as juices will be drawn out. DIVISION AND WAYS OF COOKING A SIDE OF BEEF HIND-QUARTER DIVISIONS WAYS OF COOKING Flank (thick and boneless) Stuffed, rolled and braised, or corned and boiled Round Aitchbone Cheap roast, beef stew, or braised Top Steaks, best cuts for beef tea Lower Part Hamburg steaks, curry of beef, and cecils Vein Steaks Rump Back Choicest large roasts and cross-cut steaks Middle