Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1418

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As is the case with a loin of mutton, the careful jointing of a loin of veal is more than half the battle in carving it. The butcher should be warned to carefully attend to this, for there is nothing more annoying or irritating to an inexperienced carver than to be obliged to turn his knife in all directions to find the exact place where it should be inserted in order to divide the bones. When jointing is properly performed, there is little difficulty in carrying the knife across and separating each chop. To each guest should be given a piece of the kidney and kidney-fat, which lie underneath, and are considered great delicacies.

A calf's head is nearly always boned before serving, and is then cut into slices like any other boned and rolled joint, but the illustration shows the method of carving when the bones have not been removed. Cut strips from the ear to the nose; with each of these should be helped a piece of what is called the throat sweetbread, cut in semi-circular form from the throat part. The eye, and the flesh round, are favourite morsels with many, and should be given to those at the table who are known to be the greatest connoisseurs. The jawbone being removed, there will then be found some nice lean; and the palate, which is reckoned by some a tit-bit, lies under the head. On a separate dish there is always served the tongue and brains, and each guest should be asked to take some of these.

In carving a fore-quarter of lamb, the separation of the shoulder from the breast is the first point to be attended to; this is done in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and then, by raising with a little force the shoulder, into which the fork should be firmly fixed, it will come away with just a little more exercise of the knife. In dividing the shoulder and breast the carver should take care not to cut away too much of the meat from the latter, as that would rather spoil its appearance when the shoulder is removed. Unless the whole of the quarter is to be cut up, the shoulder should be transfered [sic] to another dish and put aside to be served cold. The joint is then ready to be served to the guests; cutlets are carved from the ribs in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and the shoulder is carved in the usual manner. (See illustration No. 7, Figs. 2 and 3). When the shoulder is being used, the carver may ask those at the table which parts they prefer, ribs, brisket, or a piece of shoulder, or he may serve a piece of shoulder and a cutlet in each portion.