To Keep Meat in Hot Weather. (Mrs. Thomas.)

The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Til... · Lady Clark of Tillypronie · 1909
Source
The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Tillypronie
Time
Cook: 20 min Total: 20 min
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (9)
For the brine
For testing brine strength
For preparing meat
For discolored meat
For unfresh fowl
Instructions (17)
  1. Prepare a strong brine of common salt and water, to 1 qt. of water nearly 1 lb. of salt.
  2. Boil 20 minutes.
  3. Skim well.
  4. To test the strength of the brine throw in a raw egg in its shell; if it floats the brine is strong enough.
  5. Let it get quite cold.
  6. Soak a clean cloth in the brine, wring the cloth out and wipe each joint of mutton or beef well with it; but before you wipe them, cut out the kernels or any parts likely to taint.
  7. Between each joint wring out the cloth again, first in fresh water and then in the brine.
  8. Hang the joints up.
  9. Next day a sort of slime or scum will have come out over the meat. Wipe this off first, and then, when you have dried the meat well, take another fresh cloth, well wrung out in the brine, and go over each joint again.
  10. Do not, however, apply brine more than twice or it will salt the meat; but daily wipe each joint of meat with a clean cloth, and before roasting go over the meat with a clean cloth, rung out in fresh water to take away all taste of salt.
  11. In hot weather a round will keep some time so rubbed, before roasting, and "eat most tender."
  12. If meat turns green or is discoloured, cut the bit out before roasting and put into the hole thus made a piece of dry bread.
  13. Take the bread out when the meat is cooked and throw it away; the meat itself will be sweet.
  14. In the same way you also put a bit of bread into any fowl you are not sure is very fresh, before roasting, but take out the bread before you dish it.
  15. If joints are tough, put them in the meat screen an hour or so before cooking, to warm through.
  16. In winter cut up the meat in joints and bring it into the house, sometimes even into the kitchen, to "ripen."
  17. All meat should be well beaten before cooking, especially legs of mutton.
Original Text
To Keep Meat in Hot Weather. (Mrs. Thomas.) Prepare a strong brine of common salt and water, to 1 qt. of water nearly 1 lb. of salt. Boil 20 minutes. Skim well. To test the strength of the brine throw in a raw egg in its shell; if it floats the brine is strong enough. Let it get quite cold. Soak a clean cloth in the brine, wring the cloth out and wipe each joint of mutton or beef well with it; but before you wipe them, cut out the kernels or any parts likely to taint. Between each joint wring out the cloth again, first in fresh water and then in the brine. Hang the joints up. Next day a sort of slime or scum will have come out over the meat. Wipe this off first, and then, when you have dried the meat well, take another fresh cloth, well wrung out in the brine, and go over each joint again. Do not, however, apply brine more than twice or it will salt the meat; but daily wipe each joint of meat with a clean cloth, and before roasting go over the meat with a clean cloth, rung out in fresh water to take away all taste of salt. In hot weather a round will keep some time so rubbed, before roasting, and "eat most tender." If meat turns green or is discoloured, cut the bit out before roasting and put into the hole thus made a piece of dry bread. Take the bread out when the meat is cooked and throw it away; the meat itself will be sweet. In the same way you also put a bit of bread into any fowl you are not sure is very fresh, before roasting, but take out the bread before you dish it. If joints are tough, put them in the meat screen an hour or so before cooking, to warm through. In winter cut up the meat in joints and bring it into the house, sometimes even into the kitchen, to "ripen." All meat should be well beaten before cooking, especially legs of mutton.
Notes
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