The frugal housewife; or, experienced cook : wherein the art of dressing all sorts of viands with cleanliness, decency, and elegance is explained in five hundred approved receipts ... / originally written by Susanna Carter, but now improved by an experienced cook in one of the principal taverns in the city of London.
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How to choose Veal, Mutton and Beef. Veal. If the bloody vein in the shoulder looks blue, or of a bright red, it is new killed; but if black, green, or yellow,it is flabby and stale, if wrapped in wet cloths, smell whether it be musty or not. The loin first taints under the kidney; and the flesh, if stale killed, will be soft and slimy. The breast and neck taints first at the upper end, and you will perceive dusky, yellow, or green appearance ; and the sweetbread on the breast will be clammy, other- wise it is fresh and good. The leg is known to be new by the stiffness of the joint: if limber and the flesh seems clammy, and has green or yellow specks, it is stale. The head is known as the lamb’s. The flesh of a bull-calf is more red and firm than that of a cow-calf, and tliefat more hard curdled. Mutton. If it be young, the flesh will pinch tender; if old, it will wrinkle, and remain so: if young, the fat will easily part from the lean; if old, it will stick by strings and skins; if ram mutton, the fat feels spungy, the flesh close grained and tough, not rising again when dented: if ewe mutton, the flesh is paler than wether mutton, a closer grain and easily parting. If there be a rot, the flesh will be pale, and the fat a faint white inclin- ing’to yellow, and the flesh will be loose at the bone. If you squeeze it hard, some drops of waterwill stand up like sweat. As to the newness and staleness, the same is to be observed as inlamb. Beef. If it be right ox-beef, it will have an open grain ; if young a tender and oily smoothness; if rough and spunky it is old, or inclined to be so, except the neck, brisket’ and such parts as are very fibrous, which in young meat will be more rough than in other parts. A arnation, pleasant colour betokens good spending meat: the suet, a curious white; yellow is not good. Cow-beef is less bound and closer grained than ox, the fat whiter, but the lean somewhat paler; if young, the dent made with the finger will rise again in a little time. Bull-beef is close grained, deep dusky red, tough in pinching, the fat skinny, hard, and has a rammish rank