Whether meat salads are economical or not depends upon the way in which
the materials are utilized. If in chicken salad, for example, only the
white meat of chickens especially bought for the purpose and only the
inside stems of expensive celery are used, it can hardly be cheaper than
plain chicken. But, if portions of meat left over from a previous
serving are mixed with celery grown at home, they certainly make an
economical dish, and one very acceptable to most persons. Cold roast
pork or tender veal--in fact, any white meat can be utilized in the same
way. Apples cut into cubes may be substituted for part of the celery;
many cooks consider that with the apple the salad takes the dressing
better than with the celery alone. Many also prefer to marinate (i.e.,
mix with a little oil and vinegar) the meat and celery or celery and
apples before putting in the final dressing, which may be either
mayonnaise or a good boiled dressing.
MEAT WITH EGGS
Occasionally eggs are combined with meat, making very nutritious dishes.
Whether this is an economy or not of course depends on the comparative
cost of eggs and meat.
In general, it may be said that eggs are cheaper food than meat when a
dozen costs less than 1-1/2 pounds of meat; for a dozen eggs weigh about
1-1/2 pounds and the proportions of protein and fat which they contain
are not far different from the proportions of these nutrients in the
average cut of meat. When eggs are 30 cents a dozen they compare
favorably with a round of beef at 20 cents a pound.
Such common dishes as ham and eggs, bacon or salt pork and eggs, and
omelette with minced ham or other meat are familiar to all cooks.
ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING
The beef is roasted as usual and the pudding made as follows:
3 eggs.
1 pint milk.
1 cupful flour.
1 teaspoonful salt.
Beat the eggs until very light, then add the milk. Pour the mixture over
the flour, add the salt, and beat well. Bake in hissing hot gem pans or
in an ordinary baking pan for forty-five minutes, and baste with
drippings from the beef. If gem pans are used they should be placed on a
dripping pan to protect the floor of the oven from the fat. Many cooks
prefer to bake Yorkshire pudding in the pan with the meat; in this case
the roast should be placed on a rack and the pudding batter poured on
the pan under it.
CORNED-BEEF HASH WITH POACHED EGGS
A dish popular with many persons is corned-beef hash with poached eggs
on top of the hash. A slice of toast is sometimes used under the hash.
This suggests a way of utilizing the small amount of corned-beef hash
which would otherwise be insufficient for a meal.
Housekeepers occasionally use up odd bits of other meat in a similar
way, chopping and seasoning them and then warming and serving in
individual baking cups with a poached or shirred egg on each.
STUFFING