Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/50



IN the first place, take great care the spit be very clean; and be sure to clean it with nothing but sand and water. Wash it clean, and wipe it with a dry cloth; for oil, brick-dust, and such things will spoil your meat.

To roast a piece of beef about ten pounds will take an hour and a half, at a good fire. Twenty pounds weight will take three hours, if it be a thick piece; but if it be a thin piece of twenty pounds weight, two hours and a half will do it; and so on according to the weight of your meat, more or less. Observe, in frosty weather your beef will take half an hour longer.

A leg of mutton of sis pounds will take an hour at a quick fire; if frosty weather an hour and a quarter; nine pounds an hour and a half, a leg of twelve pounds will take two hours; if frosty two hours and a half; a large saddle of mutton will take three hours, because of papering it; a small saddle will take an hour and a half, and so on, according to the size; a breast will take half an hour at a quick fire; a neck, if large, an hour; if very small, a little better than half an hour; a shoulder much about the same time as a leg.

PORK must be well done. To every pound allow a quarter of an hour: for example; a joint of twelve pounds weight three hours, and so on; if it be a thin piece of that weight, two hours will roast it.

THESE three you may baste with fine nice dripping. Be sure our fire be very good and brisk; but don't lay your meat too near the fire, for fear of burning or scorching.