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Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

"Volume 3: Soup; Meat; Poultry and Game; Fish and Shell Fish"

Bone or tough portions may also be
removed if they can be used to better advantage for soups or stews.
* * * * *
COOKING OF MEAT
PURPOSES OF COOKING MEAT
20. It is in the preparation of food, and of meat in particular, that
one of the marked differences between uncivilized and civilized man is
evident. Raw meat, which is preferred by the savage, does not appeal to
the appetite of most civilized persons; in fact, to the majority of them
the idea of using it for food is disgusting. Therefore, civilized man
prepares his meat before eating it, and the higher his culture, the more
perfect are his methods of preparation.
While it is probably true that most of the methods of cookery render
meat less easy to digest than in its raw condition, this disadvantage is
offset by the several purposes for which this food is cooked. Meat is
cooked chiefly to loosen and soften the connective tissue and thus cause
the muscle tissues to be exposed more fully to the action of the
digestive juices. Another important reason for cooking meat is that
subjecting it to the action of heat helps to kill bacteria and
parasites. In addition, meat is cooked to make it more attractive to the
eye and to develop and improve its flavor.

METHODS OF COOKING MEAT
21. The result desired when meat is cooked has much to do with the
method of cookery to choose, for different methods produce different
results.


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