There is little to be said about grilling or frying any form of meat. Grilling is the oldest traditional method in the world and is, of course, the same process as roasting. Man must have roasted lumps of meat on a stick long before he thought of making a pot and boiling them. Almost all meat with the exception, perhaps, of liver, breaded veal or breaded lamb chops or cutlets is better grilled than fried. Sausages are equally good cooked by either method.

The grill can hardly be too fierce: the whole point of grilled beef or lamb is that it should be cut in a slice or chop about 1 inch thick and should be crisp and brown on the outside and for about ⅛ inch inwards; after that it should be pink and juicy right through. This depends on a really hot grill, careful basting with a little butter and the juices from the drip tray, and on turning. Grilled pork or veal should, of course, be cooked more slowly until it is brown outside and white right through the inside.

If meat is to be fried rather than grilled, the pan must be made very hot so that the fat used is smoking. The fat should not be more than ¼ inch (½ cm.) deep, and for preference butter or half butter, half oil should be used. Steaks, chops or veal escalopes should be lightly rubbed with well-seasoned flour, as this helps to seal them and adds to the crispness and flavour of the outsides.

Rissoles, meat balls and croquettes should be deep-fried or fried in at least ½ inch (1½ cm.) of very hot fat, preferably half butter and half oil or a good manufactured cooking fat.

As grilling and frying are the quickest and simplest methods of cooking and familiar to everyone, not many separate recipes are given, but I have included a few traditional dishes which are not very often seen today.