Page:Meier - The Art of German Cooking and Baking.djvu/394



Roasting means the rapid confining of the meat's juices by coagulating the albumen in the surface tissues, the slow changing of the outer layers into a brown palatable crust, dissolving of the natural fats of the meat, changing the albumen gradually to a semi-fluid form and loosening and breaking up the fibers by steam generated in the mass of the meat. Roasting may be done on a stove in a pan, or over the open fire on a spit, or in an oven.

Heat a clean pan, put in the fat of the meat or butter and heat it; the fat must be steaming and the butter have a light brown color before the meat is put into the pan. Fat and butter mixed may also be used.

Beef steak, veal, mutton or pork chops, liver, pork or veal steak, etc., are cut into uniformly thick slices; the time for frying is estimated according to the average weight of the pieces. Do not salt too soon as this will draw out the juice. Breading must be done immediately before frying, otherwise the juices of the meat will be drawn out and the breading will not hold.

Do not leave meat on boards, as the juices will be absorbed by the wood; it is better to put meat on china. The pieces of meat, the largest first are placed In the hot fat with a cake turner, not