enty
minutes to the pound. In fact, we should always have a little
consultation with ourselves before we begin to roast, and say to
ourselves, 'Is this meat solid and thick with little bone, or is it thin
and small?'"

"How long must we give the sirloin of beef?"

"A quarter of an hour to the pound and a quarter of an hour over. Cook
is now going to put down the dripping-tin and screen for us. I should
like you to watch her and then try to remember what is necessary. Do you
notice that she puts a large slice of dripping into the pan first
thing?"

"What is that for?" said Margaret. "I thought the dripping dropped from
the fat."

"So it will in a little time, but we want some hot fat to baste the meat
with immediately. If we put a slice in the tin a few minutes before the
meat is hung on the hook, the fat will melt and be ready for our
purpose. Never wash the meat before roasting it. If you do, it will not
brown properly, and the juices will be drawn out. Some cooks are very
particular to wash meat, and they say that it is dirty not to do so, for
we never know by whom meat has been handled. For my part I never feel
uneasy about meat which has been bought of a good butcher. If I had any
doubt on the subject I should wipe it well, but not wash it."

"The dripping is quite melted now, mother. Shall we hang the meat on the
hook, and wind up the jack?" said Margaret.

"Yes, dear; wind the jack before you put the meat up. In hanging the
meat recollect to put the thickest part downwards, because the heat of
the fire will be greatest at the bottom. Be careful, too, to pass the
hook through a secure place where there is little juice, for the flesh
will give way with cooking, and if you do not provide for this your
joint may fall into the pan. Do you recollect that when we were boiling
meat we first plunged the meat into boiling water to harden the albumen
on the outside so as to make a case to keep in the juices."

"We cannot do that now, though," said Mary.

"We can do something of the same sort. If we put the meat close to the
fire and baste it with hot fat for a few minutes at the beginning we
shall harden the outside. Then we may draw it back and roast it more
slowly till done. Above all things, however, we must be careful to baste
it well. Stand at one side of the fire, take the fat up carefully with
the basting-spoon, and pour it over the lean part of the meat. The
basting-spoon will not become too hot if you put