by soaking the meat in cold water. The quality of the extractives and
the resulting flavor of the meat vary with the condition of the animal
and in different parts of its body. They are usually considered better
developed in older than in very young animals. Many persons suppose
extractives or the flavor they cause are best in the most expensive cuts
of meat; in reality, cuts on the side of beef are often of better flavor
than tender cuts, but owing to the difficulty of mastication this fact
is frequently not detected. The extractives have little or no nutritive
value in themselves, but they are of great importance in causing the
secretion of digestive juices at the proper time, in the right amount,
and of the right chemical character. It is this quality which justifies
the taking of soup at the beginning of a meal and the giving of broths,
meat extracts, and similar preparations to invalids and weak persons.
These foods have little nutritive material in themselves, but they are
great aids to the digestion of other foods.

The amount of the extractives which will be brought out into the water
when meat is boiled depends upon the size of the pieces into which the
meat is cut and on the length of time they are soaked in cold water
before being heated. A good way to hinder the escape of the flavoring
matter is to sear the surface of the meat quickly by heating it in fat,
or the same end may be attained by plunging it into boiling water. Such
solubility is taken advantage of in making beef tea at home and in the
manufacture of meat extract, the extracted material being finally
concentrated by evaporating the water.


GENERAL METHODS OF COOKING MEAT

The advantages of variety in the methods of preparing and serving are to