Prepare soup stock in a kettle which will retain heat. Fit with a tight cover, for the vapors must be held in to add to the flavor of the stock. Shank and neck of beef, pork or lamb, left-over morsels of meat, bones from steaks, roasts, chops and the carcasses of poultry, are good materials from which to make meat stock.
Crack and saw bones to uniform size, put into kettle and add cold water in the proportion of three cups of cold water to one pound of bones.
Let stand for one-half hour or until water is colored by juices, heat to boiling point. Skim off fat, reduce heat and let simmer or bubble slowly for four hours. The stock must be kept at low temperature in cooking so that the albumen or jelly of the meat will not coagulate, but be retained in the stock, giving it full flavor.
Cook until the meat is shredded and colorless. When nearly done, add vegetables and seasoning. Strain, set stock aside to cool—discard bones, reserving vegetables and meat portions, which are still rich in food value, for further use in pressed loaves. A bit of Extract of Beef will add the desired meat flavor.
Stock is used as the foundation for all meat and vegetable soups. Cream soups have white sauce as a foundation with the vegetable purée added.
So much time is consumed in preparing soup that the great variety of high quality canned soups are a welcome addition to Madam Home Manager’s Labor Savers.
_Armour’s Extract of Beef makes excellent soup stock or bouillon_
To be sure of success in meat cookery, know first the structure of the cut of meat you are to prepare, then use a standard tested method for making that cut tender, flavory and juicy.
Always have a good fire before placing meat over the heat, for all meat cookery requires the greatest heat first to seal the appetizing juices in. Your skill will be shown in your first ten minutes of handling.
The short fibered cuts comprising the loin cuts, porterhouse, and club steaks may be given the entire short cooking over a hot fire. Practically all the other cuts on the carcass require long moist cooking after the searing process.
All boiling pieces should be put into boiling water first and after ten minutes’ brisk boiling, the heat should be reduced so that the meat simmers until the connective tissue softens and the meat is tender and just right for carving. Too long brisk boiling makes the meat stringy. Roasts should be cooked on the same principle. Put into the hot oven for fifteen minutes, then reduce the heat and cook the cut slowly, basting frequently. Steaks and chops that are to be pan broiled, should be put on a hot pan and quickly turned so as to sear and brown evenly, then allowed to cook through, over the hot fire. As salt draws the juices out of meats it should not be added until after the first ten or fifteen minutes of cooking, when the meat is thoroughly seared.