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To Prepare Suet for Making Puff-Paste

Cut the suet very small, leaving out all dark meat stained pieces, and set on the side of the range in a boiler with plenty of hot water. The suet must not boil but steep in scalding water for a few hours. Then pour water and all into a large strainer with a bottom of perforated tin--a gravy strainer--and rub the fat through with a potato masher. Get a pan of broken ice and water and a little salt in it, and dip the strained fat by ladlefuls into it, stirring the ice about at the same time. The fat sets instantly on falling into the cold water in crumbs like meal. Gather it by straining. press it together and pound it with a masher in a bowl as you would butter. Salt it for use. Some years ago--about the close of the war--the writer had a friendly contention with a fine cook who made splendid pastry, as to whether as fine puff paste could not be made by the old-fashioned way just explained, as by this following. It was finally decided, after both ways had been tested to the utmost, that there was no difference in the results, but there are certain every-day work considerations in favor of the old way. The leaf paste is fine for fancy tarts. The workman who would be perfect in his trade will practice both. It's bad to have a fellow come along and beat you.