Cooking in Smiths Bible Dictionary

As meet did not form an article of ordinary diet among the Jews, the art of cooking was not carried to any perfection. Few animals were slaughtered except for purposes of hospitality or festivity. The proceedings on such occasions appear to have been as follows: --On the arrival of a guest, the animal, either a kid, lamb or calf, was killed, Ge 18:7; Lu 15:23 its throat being cut so that the blood might be poured out, Le 7:26 it was then flayed, and was ready for either roasting or boiling. In the former case the animal was preserved entire, Ex 12:46 and roasted either over a fire, Ex 12:8 of wood, Isa 44:16 or perhaps in an oven, consisting simply of a hole dug in the earth, well heated, and covered up. Boiling, however, was the more usual method of cooking.