10 THE POOR MAN FASTS BECAUSE HE HAS NO MEAT; 10. PRAWNS AND SHRIMPS, when fresh, are firm and crisp. 11. OYSTERS.-If fresh, the shell is firmly closed; when the shells of oysters are open, they are dead, and unfit for food. The small-shelled oysters, the Byfleet, Colchester, and Milford, are the finest in flavour. Larger kinds, called rock oysters, are generally considered only fit for stewing and sauces, though some persons prefer them. 12. BEEF. The grain of ox beef, when good, is loose, the meat red, and the fat inclining to yellow. Cow beef, on the contrary, has a closer grain, a whiter fat, but meat scarcely as red as that of ox beef. Inferior beef, which is meat obtained from ill-fed animals, or from those which had become too old for food, may be known by a hard, skinny fat, a dark red lean, and, in old animals, a line of horny texture running through the meat of the ribs. When meat pressed by the finger rises up quickly, it may be considered as that of an animal which was in its prime; when the dent made by pressure returns slowly, or remains visible, the animal had probably passed its prime, and the meat consequently must be of inferior quality. firm and close in grain, and red in colour, the fat white and firm. Mutton is in its prime when the sheep is about five years old, though it is often killed much younger. If too young, the flesh feels tender when pinched; if too old, on being pinched it wrinkles up, and so remains. In young mutton, the fat readily separates; in old, it is held together by strings of skin. In sheep diseased of the rot, the flesh is very pale-coloured, the fat inclining to yellow; the meat appears loose from the bone, and, if squeezed, drops of water ooze out from the grains; after cooking, the meat drops clean away from the bones. Wether mutton is preferred to that of the ewe; it may be known by the lump of fat on the inside of the thigh. 15. LAMB.-This meat will not keep long after it is killed. The large vein in the neck is bluish in colour when the fore quarter is fresh, green when becoming stale. In the hind quarter, if not recently killed, the fat of the kidney will have a slight smell, and the knuckle will have lost its firmness. 16. PORK.-When good, the rind is thin, smooth, and cool to the touch; when changing, from being too long killed, it becomes flaccid and clammy. Enlarged glands, called kernels, in the fat, are marks of an ill-fed or diseased pig. 13. VEAL should be delicately white, though it is often juicy and well-flavoured when rather dark in colour. Butchers, it is said, bleed calves purposely before killing them, with a view 17. BACON should have a thin rind, to make the flesh white, but this also and the fat should be firm, and tinged makes it dry and flavourless. On exa-red by the curing; the flesh should be mining the loin, if the fat enveloping the kidney be white and firm-looking, the meat will probably be prime and recently killed. Veal will not keep so long as an older meat, especially in hot or damp weather: when going, the fat becomes soft and moist, the meat flabby and spotted, and somewhat porous like sponge. Large, overgrown veal is inferior to small, delicate, yet fat veal. The fillet of a cow-calf is known by the udder attached to it, and by the softness of the skin; it is preferable to the veal of a bull-calf. of a clear red, without intermixture of yellow, and it should firmly adhere to the bone. To judge the state of a ham, plunge a knife into it to the bone; on drawing it back, if particles of meat adhere to it, or if the smell is disagreeable, the curing has not been effectual, and the ham is not good; it should, in such a state, be immediately cooked. In buying a ham, a short thick one is to be preferred to one long and thin. Of English hams, Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Hampshire are most esteemed; of foreign, the Westphalian. 18. VENISON.-When good, the fat THE RICH MAN FASTS BECAUSE HE WILL NOT EAT. is clear, bright, and of considerable thickness. To know when it is necessary to cook it, a knife must be plunged into the haunch; and from the smell the cook must determine on dressing or keeping it. 19. TURKEY.-In choosing poultry, the age of the bird is the chief point to be attended to. An old turkey has rough and reddish legs; a young one smooth and black. Fresh killed, the eyes are full and clear, and the feet moist. When it has been kept too long, the parts about the vent have a greenish appearance. 20. COMMON DOMESTIC FOWLS, when young, have the legs and combs smooth; when old they are rough, and on the breast long hairs are found instead of feathers. Fowls and chickens should be plump on the breast, fat on the back, and white-legged. 21. GEESE. The bills and feet are red when old, yellow when young. Fresh killed, the feet are pliable, stiff when too long kept. Geese are called green while they are only two or three months old. 22. DUCKS. Choose them with supple feet and hard plump breasts. Tame ducks have yellow feet, wild ones red. 11 young and fresh killed. When their Names and Situations of the 27. Meats. In different parts of the kingdom the method of cutting up carcases varies. That which we describe below is the most general, and is known as the English method. i. BEEF-Fore Quarter. - Fore rib (five ribs); middle rib (four ribs); chuck (three ribs). Shoulder piece (top of fore leg); brisket (lower or belly part of the ribs); clod (fore shoulder blade); neck; shin (below the shoulder); cheek. Hind quarter.-Sirloin; rump; aitchbone-these are the three divisions of the upper part of the quarter; buttock and mousese-buttock, which divide the thigh; veiny piece, joining the buttock. ; thick flank and thin flank (belly pieces) and leg. The sirloin and rump of both sides form a baron. Beef is in season all the year; best in the winter. autumn. and ii. MUTTON.-Shoulder; breast (the belly); over which are the loin (chump, or tail end); loin (best end); neck (best end); neck (scrag end). A chine is two necks; a saddle two loins; 23. PIGEONS are very indifferent food then there are the leg and head. Mutwhen they are too long kept. Supple-ton is the best in winter, spring, and ness of the feet shows them to be young; the state of the flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad from keeping. Tame pigeons are larger than the wild. 24. HARES AND RABBITS, when old, have the haunches thick, the ears dry and tough, and the claws blunt and ragged. A young hare has claws smooth and sharp, ears that easily tear, and a narrow cleft in the lip. A leveret is distinguished from a hare by a knob or small bone near the foot. 25. Partridges, when young, have yellowish legs and dark-coloured bills. Old partridges are very indifferent eating. 26. WOODCOCKS AND SNIPES, when old, have the feet thick and hard; when these are soft and tender, they are both iii. LAMB is cut into fore quarter and hind quarter; a saddle, or loin; neck, breast, leg, and shoulder. Grass lamb is in season from Easter to Michaelmas; house lamb from Christmas to Lady-day. iv. PORK is cut into leg, hand, or shoulder; hind-loin; fore-loin; bellypart; spare-rib (or neck); and head. Pork is in season nearly all the year. V. VEAL is cut into neck (scrag end); neck (best end); loin (best end); loin (chump, or tail end); fillet (upper part of hind leg); hind knuckle, which joins the fillet; knuckle of fore leg; blade (bone of shoulder); breast (best end; breast (brisket end), and hand. Veal is always in season," but dear in the winter and spring. 12 THE MISER FASTS WITH GREEDY MIND TO SPARE; vi. VENISON is cut into haunch (or back); neck; shoulder; and breast. Doe venison is best in January, October, November, and December, and buck venison in June, July, August, and September. vii. SCOTTISH MODE OF DIVISION.According to the English method the carcase of beef is disposed of more economically than upon the Scotch plan. The English plan affords better steaks, and better joints for roasting; but the Scotch plan gives a greater variety of pieces for boiling. The names of pieces in the Scotch plan, not found in the English, are the hough, or hind leg; the nineholes, or English buttock; the large and small runner, taken from the rib and chuck pieces of the English plan; the shoulder-lyer, the English shoulder, but cut differently; the sparerib or fore-sye, the sticking piece, &c. The Scotch also cut mutton differently. viii. Ox-TAIL is much esteemed for purposes of soup; so also is the CHEEK. The TONGUE is highly esteemed. ix. CALVES' HEADS are very useful for various dishes; so also are their KNUCKLES, FEET, HEART, &c. 28. Relative Economy of the Joints. i. THE ROUND is, in large families, one of the most profitable parts: it is usually boiled, and, like most of the boiling parts of beef, is generally sold in London at a penny per pound less than roasting joints. ii. THE BRISKET is also a penny a pound less in price than the roasting parts. It is not so economical a part as the round, having more bone to be weighed with it, and more fat. Where there are children, very fat joints are not desirable, being often disagreeable to them, and sometimes prejudicial, especially if they have a dislike to fat. This joint also requires more cooking than many others; that is to say, it requires a double allowance of time to be given for boiling it; it will, when served, be hard and scarcely digestible if no more time be allowed to boil it than that which is sufficient for other joints and meats. When stewed it is excellent; and when cooked fresh (i.e., unsalted), an excellent stock for soup may be extracted from it, and yet the meat will serve as well for dinner. iii. THE EDGEBONE, OR AITCHBONE, is not considered to be a very economical joint, the bone being large in proportion to the meat; but the greater part of it, at least, is as good as that of any prime part. It sells at a penny a pound less than roasting joints. iv. THE RUMP is the part of which the London butcher makes great profit, by selling it in the form of steaks. In the country, as there is not an equal demand for steaks, the whole of it may be purchased as a joint, and at the price of other prime parts. It may be turned to good account in producing many excellent dishes. If salted, it is simply boiled; if used unsalted, it is generally stewed. V. THE VEINY PIECE is sold at a low price per pound; but, if hung for a day or two, it is very good and very profitable. Where there are a number of servants and children to have an early dinner, this part of beef will be found desirable. vi. THE LEG AND SHIN afford excellent stock for soup; and, if not reduced too much, the meat taken from the bones may be served as a stew with vegetables; or it may be seasoned, pounded with butter, and potted; or, chopped very fine, and seasoned with herbs, and bound together by egg and bread crumbs, it may be fried in talls, or in the form of large eggs, and served with a gravy made with a few spoonfuls of the soup. vii. Ox CHEEK makes excellent soup. The meat, when taken from the bones, may be served as a stew. viii. THE SIRLOIN AND THE RIBS are the roasting parts of beef, and these bear in all places the highest price. The most profitable of these two joints at a family table is the ribs. The bones, if removed from the beef before it is roasted, will assist in form THE GLUTTON FASTS TO EAT THE GREATER SHARE. ing the basis of a soup. 29. Indications of Wholesome Mushrooms.-Whenever a fungus is pleasant in flavour and odour, it may be considered wholesome; if, on the contrary, it have an offensive smell, a bitter, astringent, or styptic taste, or even if it leave an unpleasant flavour in the mouth, it should not be considered fit for food. The colour, figure, and texture of these vegetables do not afford any characters on which we can safely rely; yet it may be remarked that in colour the pure yellow, gold colour, bluish pale, dark or lustre brown, wine red, or the violet, belong to many that are eatable; whilst the pale or sulphur yellow, bright or bloodred, and the greenish, belong to few but the poisonous. The safe kinds have most frequently a compact, brittle texture; the flesh is white; they grow more readily in open places, such as dry pastures and waste lands, than in places humid or shaded by wood. In general, those should be suspected which grow in caverns and subterranean passages, on animal matter undergoing putrefaction, as well as those whose flesh is soft or watery. 13 iii. False mushrooms have an astringent, styptic, and disagreeable taste. iv. When cut they turn blue. v. They are moist on the surface, and generally, vi. Of a rose or orange colour. vii. The gills of the true mushroom are of a pinky red, changing to a liver colour. viii. The flesh is white. ix. The stem is white, solid, and cylindrical. 31. Food in Season. There is an old maxim, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." To which we beg to add another, "A season for everything, and everything in season.' 32. JANUARY. [Those Fish, Poultry, &c., distinguished by Italics are to be had in the highest perfection.] i. FISH.-Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabbs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmontrout, shrimps, skate, smelt, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting. ii. MEAT.-Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, and doe venison. iii. POULTRY AND GAME.-Capons, chickens, ducks, wild-ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, hares, larks, moor-game, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame), 30. To Distinguish Mush-pullets, rabbits, snipes, turkeys (hen), rooms from Poisonous Fungi. widgeons, woodcocks. i. Sprinkle a little salt on the spongy part or gills of the sample to be tried. If they turn yellow, they are poisonous, -if black, they are wholesome. Allow the salt to act before you decide on the question. ii. False mushrooms have a warty cap, or else fragments of membrane, adhering to the upper surface, are heavy, and emerge from a vulva or bag; they grow in tufts or clusters in woods, on the stumps of trees, &c., whereas the true mushrooms grow in pastures. iv. VEGETABLES.-Beet, brocoli (white and purple), brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), kale (Scotch), leeks, lettuces, mint, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, savoy, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach (winter), tarragon, thyme, turnips. v. FORCED VEGETABLES.-Asparagus, cucumbers, Jerusalem artichokes, and mushrooms. vi. FRUIT.-Almonds. Apples: French 14 THE HYPOCRITE WILL FAST TO SEEM MORE HOLY; pippin, golden pippin, golden russet, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain. Pears: Bergamot d'Hollande, Bon Chrétien, Charmontel, Colmar, winter beurré. Grapes: English and foreign. Chestnuts, medlars, nuts, oranges, walnuts. 33. FEBRUARY. i. FISH.-Barbel, brill, carp, cockles, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabbs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting. ii. MEAT.-Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal. iii. POULTRY AND GAME.-Capons, chickens, ducklings, fowl (wild), green geese, hares, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame and wild), pullets with egg, rabbits (tame), snipes, turkeys, turkey poults, woodcocks. iii. POULTRY AND GAME.-Capons, chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, grouse, leverets, moor-game, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, turkeys, woodcocks. iv. VEGETABLES.-Artichokes (Jerusalem), beet, brocoli (white and purple), brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), kale (sea and Scotch), lettuces, mint, mushrooms, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, savoy, shalots, sorrel, spinach, tarragon, thyme, turnips, turnip-tops. V. FORCED VEGETABLES. Asparagus, beans, cucumbers, and rhubarb. vi. FRUIT.-Apples: French pippins, golden russet, Holland pippin, John apple, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Norfolk beaufin, Wheeler's russet. Chestnuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, Bugi, Charmontel, St. Martial, winter Bon Chrétien. Strawberries (forced). 35. APRIL. iv. VEGETABLES.-Beet, brocoli (white and purple), burnet, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, i. FISH.-Brill, carp, chub, cockles, endive, garlic, dry herbs, leeks, lettuces, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dabbs, dory, eels, mint, mustard, mushrooms, onions, pars- flounders, halibut, herrings, ling, lobnips, parsley, potatoes, radish, rape, sters, mackarel, mullets, mussels, oysrosemary, sage, salsify, savoy, scorzo-ters, perch, pike, prawns, plaice, salmon, nera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach, sprouts, tarragon, thyme, turnips, win ter savoury. V. FORCED VEGETABLES.—Asparagus, cucumbers, Jerusalem artichokes. vi. FRUIT.-Apples: French pippin, golden pippin, golden russet, Holland pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet, winter pearmain. Chestnuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, de Pasque, winter Bon Chrétien, winter Russelet. 34. MARCH. i. FISH.-Brill, carp, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dabbs, dory, eels, flounders, ling, lobsters, mackarel, mullets, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, turbot, tench, and whiting. ii. MEAT.-Beef, house-lamb, ton, pork, veal. shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whitings. ii. MEAT.-Beef, grass-lamb, houselamb, mutton, pork, veal. iii. POULTRY AND GAME.-Chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wood-pigeons. iv. VEGETABLES. - Asparagus, brocoli, chervil, colewort, cucumbers, endive, fennel, herbs of all sorts, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, purslane, radishes, sea-kale, sorrel, spinach, small salad, tarragon, turnip-radishes, turniptops, and rhubarb. v. FRUIT. Apples: Golden russet, John apple, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet. Nuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, Bon Chrétien, Bugi, Carmelite, francreal, St. Martial. A few strawberries, walmut-nuts. Forced: Apricots, cherries, strawberries. |