The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual Part 25

Is a delicate, and commonly considered tender meat; but those who talk of tender lamb, while they are thinking of the age of the animal, forget that even a chicken must be kept a proper time after it has been killed, or it will be tough picking.

Woful experience has warned us to beware of accepting an invitation to dinner on Easter Sunday, unless commanded by a thorough-bred _gourmand_; our _incisores_, _molares_, and _princ.i.p.al viscera_ have protested against the imprudence of encountering young, tough, stringy mutton, under the _misnomen_ of gra.s.s lamb. The proper name for "Easter gra.s.s lamb" is "hay mutton."

To the usual accompaniments of roasted meat, green mint sauce (No. 303), a salad (Nos. 372 and 138*), is commonly added; and some cooks, about five minutes before it is done, sprinkle it with a little fresh gathered and finely minced parsley, or No. 318: lamb, and all young meats, ought to be thoroughly done; therefore do not take either lamb or veal off the spit till you see it drop white gravy.

Gra.s.s lamb is in season from Easter to Michaelmas.

House lamb from Christmas to Lady-day.

Sham lamb, see _Obs._ to following receipt.

N.B. When green mint cannot be got, mint vinegar (No. 398) is an acceptable subst.i.tute for it; and crisp parsley (No. 318), on a side plate, is an admirable accompaniment.

_Hind-Quarter_,--(No. 41).

Of eight pounds, will take from an hour and three-quarters to two hours: baste and froth it in the same way as directed in No. 19.

_Obs._--A quarter of a porkling is sometimes skinned, cut, and dressed lamb-fas.h.i.+on, and sent up as a subst.i.tute for it. The leg and the loin of lamb, when little, should be roasted together; the former being lean, the latter fat, and the gravy is better preserved.

_Fore-Quarter_,--(No. 42.)

Of ten pounds, about two hours.

N.B. It is a pretty general custom, when you take off the shoulder from the ribs, to squeeze a Seville orange over them, and sprinkle them with a little pepper and salt.

_Obs._--This may as well be done by the cook before it comes to table; some people are not remarkably expert at dividing these joints nicely.

_Leg_,--(No. 43.)

Of five pounds, from an hour to an hour and a half.

_Shoulder_,--(No. 44.)

With a quick fire, an hour.

See _Obs._ to No. 27.

_Ribs_,--(No. 45.)

About an hour to an hour and a quarter: joint it nicely, crack the ribs across, and divide them from the brisket after it is roasted.

_Loin_,--(No. 46.)

An hour and a quarter.

_Neck_,--(No. 47.)

An hour.

_Breast_,--(No. 48.)

Three-quarters of an hour.

_PORK._--(No. 49.)

The prime season for pork is from Michaelmas to March.

Take particular care it be done enough: other meats under-done are unpleasant, but pork is absolutely uneatable; the sight of it is enough to appal the sharpest appet.i.te, if its gravy has the least tint of redness.

Be careful of the crackling; if this be not crisp, or if it be burned, you will be scolded.

For sauces, No. 300, No. 304, and No. 342.

_Obs._--Pease pudding (No. 555) is as good an accompaniment to roasted, as it is to boiled pork; and most palates are pleased with the savoury powder set down in No. 51, or bread-crumbs, mixed with sage and onion, minced very fine, or zest (No. 255) sprinkled over it.

N.B. "The western pigs, from Berks, Oxford, and Bucks, possess a decided superiority over the eastern, of Ess.e.x, Suss.e.x, and Norfolk; not to forget another qualification of the former, at which some readers may smile, a thickness of the skin; whence the crackling of the roasted pork is a fine gelatinous substance, which may be easily masticated; while the crackling of the thin-skinned breeds is roasted into good block tin, the reduction of which would almost require teeth of iron."--MOUBRAY _on Poultry_, 1816, page 242.

_A Leg_,--(No. 50.)

Of eight pounds, will require about three hours: score the skin across in narrow stripes (some score it in diamonds), about a quarter of an inch apart; stuff the knuckle with sage and onion, minced fine, and a little grated bread, seasoned with pepper, salt, and the yelk of an egg.

See Duck Stuffing, (No. 61.)

Do not put it too near the fire: rub a little sweet oil on the skin with a paste-brush, or a goose-feather: this makes the crackling crisper and browner than basting it with dripping; and it will be a better colour than all the art of cookery can make it in any other way; and this is the best way of preventing the skin from blistering, which is princ.i.p.ally occasioned by its being put too near the fire.

_Leg of Pork roasted without the Skin, commonly called_ MOCK GOOSE.[131-*]--(No. 51.)

Parboil it; take off the skin, and then put it down to roast; baste it with b.u.t.ter, and make a savoury powder of finely minced, or dried and powdered sage, ground black pepper, salt, and some bread-crumbs, rubbed together through a colander; you may add to this a little very finely minced onion: sprinkle it with this when it is almost roasted. Put half a pint of made gravy into the dish, and goose stuffing (No. 378) under the knuckle skin; or garnish the dish with b.a.l.l.s of it fried or boiled.

_The Griskin_,--(No. 52.)

Of seven or eight pounds, may be dressed in the same manner. It will take an hour and a half roasting.

_A Bacon Spare-Rib_,--(No. 53.)

Usually weighs about eight or nine pounds, and will take from two to three hours to roast it thoroughly; not exactly according to its weight, but the thickness of the meat upon it, which varies very much. Lay the thick end nearest to the fire.