Clueless questions II (The Ones You Really Want Answered)

[g.johnson]

Whenever a colleague says "Can I ask a stupid question?", I respond, "Can you ask any other kind?". Just one of the reasons I am universally loved.

[Guest Adam]

why is meat not cooked very long called "rare" when all the other grades are more directly descriptive?

Call yourself an academic and you can't use a dictionary?

 

It's a corruption of rear meaning underdone from the old English hrér.

Originally, this use of the word "rare" as undeercooked was applied to eggs. 'raw' and 'rare' have the same root, but now mean different things. Un-cooked v undercooked. It is pretty common for this sort of divergence of meaning and to occur in English, it is one of its great strengths.

 

Often this happens due to geographic isolation, were the same word in different regions develops slightly different meanings, in some cases when the two words come in contact again, if the means are divergent enough they will remain seperate words. The modern "Rare" seems to have developed from a dialectal UK source (as "Rear" in Cumbld., Durham, Lancs., Yks., Lincs., Shropsh., Dorset), but it wasn't that commonly used in regards to food after the mid 19th century - in the UK. Remained common in America and on reintroduction to the UK it was regarded as an Americanism.

 

Meat was either cooked ("Done") or raw. The main UK descriptor for "Rare" was "Under-done". Cooked meat therefore was descibed as "Under-done" or "Well done" ("Veal and pork must be well done. Venison must be underdone.").

 

So if you ordered a steak in the London during the 1850's, it would have come as "Under-done" and "Well-done", I sure you could have got something that has half way between the two ("Medium", maybe no that word at the time then). Thanks to loud mouthed Americans demanding "rare" steaks for the last 150 years, you now get the modern descriptors.

 

It would feel a little odd to order a "under-done" steak now wouldn't it?

 

Strange that the French terminology didn't cross the channel during the 19th century, it isn't like it hasn't happened before (most modern English words for animals are A-S, where as the words for the flesh of these animals is mostly Norman-French in origin, Cattle-Beef, Pig-Pork, Deer-Venison, Sheep-Mutton etc).

[g.johnson]

Strange that the French terminology didn't cross the channel during the 19th century, it isn't like it hasn't happened before (most modern English words for animals are A-S, where as the words for the flesh of these animals is mostly Norman-French in origin, Cattle-Beef, Pig-Pork, Deer-Venison, Sheep-Mutton etc).

That's because we managed to stop the French crossing the channel in the 19th century having failed to stop the Normans in the 11th.

[Guest Adam]

Apart from: Careme, Escoffier, Soyer, Ude, Gouffe. Hell, if they French and they could cook they were in England for a time, that is where the money was at.

[mongo_jones]

can anyone give me an idea of how cold it is likely to be in madison/chicago next week? will be passing through chicago on my way to and from madison (3 days there). will one jacket be enough or do i need to pack more layers?

[yvonne johnson]

This is my favorite weather site.

[g.johnson]

Apart from: Careme, Escoffier, Soyer, Ude, Gouffe. Hell, if they French and they could cook they were in England for a time, that is where the money was at.

We don't take any notice of the hired help.

[Tamar G]

What is this Malta thing and which thread/site does it come from?

[Orik]

It comes from nowhere and it goes nowhere and by no means is it meant as any form of parody of anything.

[Guest Suzanne F]

You mean it isn't a Malteser?

[NeroW]

It comes from nowhere and it goes nowhere and by no means is it meant as any form of parody of anything.

[Wilfrid1]

Serious question in two parts:

 

1. What's the phrase used to describe States where employers don't have to give notice of terminating employment - I know it's been used here recently, but since I don't know what it is, I can't search for it.

 

2. New York is such a state, right?

 

Thanks.

[GrantK]

At will?

[Wilfrid1]

Thanks, and with that information I was able to answer part two in the affirmative.

[Liza]

Is there any use for salted butter?