Lamb and Veal
LEG OF MUTTON OR LAMB, OR KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
Before cooking, remove the rump-bones at the
larger end. For a small family it is more
economical to remove all the bones and fill the
cavity with stuffing. Tie or skewer it into
compact shape; there is then less waste, as the
meat that is not used at the first dinner does not
become dry and hard by keeping.
In serving, the thickest part of the leg should
be toward the back of the platter. Put the fork in
at the top, turn the leg toward you to bring the
thickest part up, and cut through to the bone. Cut
several slices of medium thickness, toward the
thickest part, then slip the knife under and cut
them away from the bone. A choice bit of crisp fat
may be found on the larger end, and there is a
sweet morsel near the knuckle or lower joint. If
more be required, slice from the under side of the
bone in the same manner.
LEG OF VENISON.
This is carved in the same way as a leg of
mutton,--through the thickest part down to the
bone.
SADDLE OF LAMB.
Remove the ends of the ribs and roll the flank
under before cooking.
Place it on the platter with the tail end at
the left. Put the fork in firmly near the centre,
and carve down to the ribs in long slices,
parallel with the backbone, and the whole length.
Slip the knife under and separate the slices from
the ribs; do the same on the other side of the
back. Divide the slices if very long. Cut the
crisp fat from the sides in slanting slices. Turn
partly over and remove the choice bit of
tenderloin and kidney fat under the ribs.
 Carving a saddle of mutton in this way is
really cutting with the grain of the meat, but it
is the method adopted by the best authorities. It
is only the choicest quality of mutton, and that
which has been kept long enough to be very tender,
that is prepared for cooking in this way. The
fibres are not so tough as those of beef; there is
no perceptible difference in the tenderness of the
meat when cut in this manner, and there is an
advantage in obtaining slices which are longer,
and yet as thin as those from cutting across the
grain.
SADDLE OF VENISON.
Carve the same as a saddle of mutton. Serve
some of the dish gravy with each portion. Venison
and mutton soon become chilled, the fat
particularly, thus losing much of their delicacy.
Send them to the table very hot, on hot platters;
carve quickly, and serve at once on warm plates.
HAUNCH OF VENISON OR LAMB.
This is the leg and loin undivided, or, as more
commonly called, the hind quarter.
The butcher should split the whirl-bone,
disjoint the backbone, and split the ribs in the
flank. The rump-bone and aitch-bone may be removed
before cooking. Place it on the platter with the
loin or backbone nearest the carver. Separate the
leg from the loin; this is a difficult joint to
divide when the bones have not been removed, but
it can be done with practice. When the leg has
been taken off, carve that as directed on page 19.
Carve the loin by first cutting off the flank and
dividing it, then divide between each rib in the
loin, or cut long slices parallel with the
backbone, in the same way as directed for a saddle
of mutton. Some English authorities recommend
cutting perpendicularly through the thickest part
of the leg near the knuckle, and then cutting
across at right angles with this first cut, in
long thin slices, the entire length of the joint;
the slices are then separated from the bone and
divided as desired. When carved in this way the
loin and leg are not divided. This is not so
economical as the first method.
LOIN OF MUTTON, LAMB, VEAL, PORK, OR VENISON.
These should always be divided at the joints in
the backbone by the butcher; then it is an easy
matter to separate the ribs, serving one to each
person, with a portion of the kidney and fat if
desired. But if the butcher neglect to do this,
and you have no cleaver with which to do it, it is
better to cut slices down to the ribs parallel
with the backbone, as directed in the saddle of
mutton, than to suffer the annoyance of hacking at
the joints.
Before cooking a loin of pork, gash through the
fat between the ribs; this will give more of the
crisp fat, and will aid in separating the ribs.
SHOULDER OF MUTTON OR VEAL.
Place it on the platter with the thickest part
up. From the thickest part cut thin slices,
slanting down to the knuckle; then make several
cuts across to the larger end, and remove these
slices from the shoulder-blade. Separate the blade
at the shoulder-joint, and remove it. Cut the meat
under the blade in perpendicular slices.
Any part of the forequarter of mutton is more
tender and palatable, and more easily carved, if
before cooking it be boned and stuffed. Or it may
be boned, rolled, and corned.
FOREQUARTER OF LAMB OR VEAL.
This is a difficult joint for a beginner, but
after a little study and practice one may
manipulate it with dexterity. Some time when a
lamb stew or fricassee is to be prepared, study
the joint carefully and practise cutting it up,
and thus become familiar with the position of the
shoulder-blade joint,--the only one difficult to
reach. The backbone should always be disjointed.
The ribs should be divided across the breast and
at the junction of the breast-bone, and the
butcher should also remove the shoulder-blade and
the bone in the leg. Unless the joint be very
young and tender, it is better to use the breast
portion for a stew or fricassee; but when nice and
tender the breast may be roasted with the other
portions, as the choice gelatinous morsels near
the breast-bones are preferred by many. This joint
consists of three portions,--the shoulder or
knuckle, the breast or brisket, and the ribs. Put
it on the platter with the backbone up. Put the
fork in near the knuckle. Cut through the flesh
clear round the leg and well up on the shoulder,
but not too far on the breast. With the fork lift
the leg away from the shoulder, cutting in till
you come to the joint, after separating which,
remove the leg to a separate dish, to be afterward
cut into thin slices through the thickest part.
Cut across from left to right where the ribs have
been broken, separating the gristly breast from
the upper portion. Then remove the blade if it has
not been done before cooking. Divide each of these
portions between the ribs, and serve a piece of
the rib, the breast, or a slice from the leg, as
preferred.
NECK OF VEAL.
The vertebrae should be disjointed, and the
ribs cut on the inside through the bone only, on
the thin end. Place it on the platter with the
back up and cut across from left to right, where
the ribs were divided, separating the small ends
of the ribs from the thicker upper portion; then
cut between each short rib. Carve from the back
down in slanting slices, then slip the knife under
close to the ribs and remove the slices. This
gives a larger portion than the cutting of the
slices straight would give, and yet not so large
as if each were helped to a whole rib. Serve a
short rib with each slice.
BREAST OF VEAL.
Place it on the dish with the breast-bone or
brisket nearest you. Cut off the gristly brisket,
then separate it into sections. Cut the upper part
parallel with the ribs, or between each rib if
very small. Slice the sweetbread, and serve a
portion of brisket, rib, and sweetbread to each
person.
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