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Sect. 4.-General Management of the Fire

68. During the Preparation of the Articles to be Roasted, the fire should be gradually getting into a proper condition for the process; but in order to this it must have been made up previously, with enough coal to carry it well through, unless the joint to be roasted is a very large one. Thus, a haunch of mutton or venison, or sirloin of beef, require a large fire to be made up an hour before they are put down, without which they cannot possibly be properly roasted; while for smaller joints half an hour is long enough. It is not desirable that the fire should be at its best when the meat is first put down, but it must be burning up briskly, and throwing out a good heat. For small joints, or for poultry, &c., a small brisk fire will suffice, and, in fact, will roast better than a very large one. In every case, the fire should be made up to the top-bar with lumps, and as soon as these are burning pretty strongly they should be somewhat damped, by heaping up some wetted small coal or cinders upon them, so that a very slight stirring at intervals will keep the fire at a strong but steady heat without flame. Just before the joint is put down a stir should be given, which should be forcible enough to last for some time. Unlike boiling, the temperature of the open fire varies greatly, according to its size and kind of coal used. Some of these throw out a scorching heat, such as the Brooch coal of Staffordshire, and yet their temperature in the mass itself is said to be really lower than that of the Newcastle coals. It is difficult to measure the heat in roasting, without a thermometer of a description different to the ordinary ones, as it is far above the boiling point of water, as evidenced by the charring effect on the fat, which is not altered at that temperature from its natural state as to colour. In Dr. Kitchener's justly celebrated Cook's Oracle, at page 125, the calculations for roasting are said to be "for a temperature of about 50 degrees of Fahrenheit;" but this is evidently a mistake, either of his own or of his printer, as that temperature would not even warm the meat, much less roast it. I believe that it ranges from 350 to 600 degrees of Fahrenheit, or even still higher in very fierce fires. This calculation is for the distance of twelve inches from the front of the fire, that being about the average. In small fires there must be a much closer proximity of the joint, say at six or seven inches, while in very large ones fifteen inches will not be too far off. 69. IF THERE IS A SMOKE-JACK, place the dripping-pan under the meat, far enough from the fire to escape the coals dropping out, but near enough to catch all the dripping as it falls from the meat. Then put down the spit in the rack, and bring up the screen, placing it so that it will not only reflect the heat of the fire, but keep off all draughts of ROASTING. cold air. Where a screen and jack together are used with a drippingpan attached, the whole are placed before the fire at the same time.