fire operate equally on each part of it; therefore, be provided with
balancing-skewers and cookholds, and see it is properly jointed.

Roasting should be done by the radiant heat of a clear, glowing fire,
otherwise it is in fact _baked_: the machines the economical
grate-makers call ROASTERS, are, in plain English, ovens.

Count Rumford was certainly an exact economist of fuel, when he
contrived these things; and those philosophers who try all questions
"according to Cocker" may vote for baked victuals; but the rational
epicure, who has been accustomed to enjoy beef well roasted, will soon
be convinced that the poet who wrote our national ballad at the end of
this chapter, was not inspired by Sir Benjamin Thompson's cookery.

All your attention in roasting will be thrown away, if you do not take
care that your meat, especially beef, has been kept long enough to be
tender. See "ADVICE TO COOKS," and obs. to No. 68.

Make up the fire in time; let it be proportioned to the dinner to be
dressed, and about three or four inches longer at each end than the
thing to be roasted, or the ends of the meat cannot be done nice and
brown.

A cook must be as particular to proportion her fire to the business she
has to do, as a chemist: the degree of heat most desirable for dressing
the different sorts of food ought to be attended to with the utmost
precision.

The fire that is but just sufficient to receive the noble sirloin (No.
19), will parch up a lighter joint.

From half an hour to an hour before you begin to roast, prepare the fire
by putting a few coals on, which will be sufficiently lighted by the
time you wish to make use of your fire; between the bars, and on the
top, put small or large coals, according to the bulk of the joint, and
the time the fire is required to be strong; after which, throw the
cinders (wetted) at the back.

Never put meat down to a burned-up fire, if you can possibly avoid it;
but should the fire become fierce, place the spit at a considerable
distance, and allow a little more time.

Preserve the fat,[75-*] by covering it with paper, for this purpose
called "kitchen-paper," and tie it on with fine twine; pins and skewers
can by no means be allowed; they are so many taps to let out the gravy:
besides, the paper often starts from them and catches fire, to the great
injury of the meat.

If the thing to be roasted be thin and tender, the fire should be little
and brisk: when you have a large jo