HOW TO COOK MEAT.
[Illustration: PUTTING THE JOINT INTO THE BAG.
This sketch shows how joints must be placed in the paper bag. The bag
should rest on the table; lift the uppermost edge, and your food or
joint can be slipped in.]
Paper-bag cookery should appeal especially to the caterer for a small
family. The difficulty of providing suitable joints for households of
three or four persons is very great. A small piece of sirloin or half
leg of mutton dries up to nothing when cooked in the ordinary way, and
loud are the complaints that the flavour and juiciness of a large joint
is not to be had under ten to twelve pounds of meat. Yet, if the
housewife invests in the large, juicy joint desired, she finds it a very
expensive business. One day's dinner hot and one cold is all that is
really relished. Then follow the monotonous hash, the grill, the
fried-up pieces, till everybody is tired of the eternal warmed-up
dinners. If it is summer, probably a third of the expensive joint goes
bad before it can be eaten up.
[Illustration: TAKING THE BAG OUT OF THE OVEN.
The nose of the dish should be held about two inches under the grid.
This allows the bag to be pulled out on to the dish.]
Cooked in a paper bag, however, the small joint is full as juicy and
savoury as the eighteen-pound sirloin can be, while a dainty piece of
loin of lamb is a delicacy which must be tasted to be realised.
LOIN OF LAMB.
Two pounds and a half or three pounds of loin of lamb will make a
sufficient dinner for a small family of three or four persons, and leave
enough cold to serve for supper. Wipe the meat over with a cloth dipped
in hot water, and then with a clean dry cloth. Loin of lamb or mutton,
being a fat joint, it is better not to grease the bag. Prepare a nice
veal stuffing and lay it along the inside of the loin, drawing the flap
over and skewering it to keep it in position. Put the meat in a
good-sized bag; have the oven well heated; place the bag on the grid.
Ten minutes later turn the gas about half-way down, and let it cook
forty minutes longer, when it will be done to a turn, and be a rich
golden brown.
SIRLOIN.
A piece of sirloin weighing between three and four pounds would not be
worth eating if cooked in the ordinary way, but cooked in a paper bag it
is a morsel for the gods. The bag must be greased and the joint lightly
rubbed over with a little dripping. Forty-five minutes, ten with the gas
fully turned on, should be sufficient for a joint weighing four pounds
and under, unless liked very well done, when an extra ten minutes will
not be found too much. If liked really underdone, it will be just right
in forty minutes.
SHOULDER OF LAMB.
A small shoulder weighing three pounds or very little over is remarkably
delicate, just the right size for a small household, and, cooked in a
paper bag, is delicious. The butcher should be directed to bone it, and
the cavity should be filled with a good forcemeat. Grease the joint
over, but not the bag, and roast for fifty minutes, the gas being full
on for the first fifteen.
ROAST VEAL
is peculiarly adapted for paper-bag cooking, and a small fillet of veal
makes a capital dish. The centre bone is taken out and the hole left
slightly enlarged. The stuffing to fill this must be rather rich--a
breakfastcupful of fine bread-crumbs, one ounce of grated suet, two
rashers of fat, streaky bacon, finely minced, two or three oysters
chopped coarsely, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, salt and pepper to
taste, the zest of a lemon, and a well beaten egg. This must be firmly
pushed into the cavity, and the joint then rubbed over with plenty of
bacon dripping. Grease the bag thickly both inside and out. If the
fillet weighs three pounds it will take an hour to cook, the gas fully
on for ten minutes, then reduced one-half to finish.
ROAST PORK.
For a small family, a part of the loin should be purchased, a little
stuffing of sage and finely minced onion introduced, and the joint
cooked in a slightly greased bag, allowing twenty-five minutes to each
pound. A roast leg of pork is also particularly well flavoured cooked in
a paper bag. Stuffing may be introduced under the knuckle skin, or a
savoury pudding (see chapter V.) may be cooked along with it. Both
joints should be rubbed over with pure salad oil before being put into
the bag.
ROAST CHICKEN
is a dainty morsel cooked in a paper bag. Nicely stuffed, it is rubbed
over with butter and put into a well greased bag. Forty minutes is
sufficient for a chicken. A large fowl will be tender and beautifully
cooked in an hour.
GRAVY AND DRIPPING.
This is a very serious question. Many people are so devoted to gravy
that, to quote Mrs. Todgers, in _Martin Chuzzlewit_, "a whole animal
wouldn't supply them," and they will undoubtedly be disappointed in the
amount of gravy got from a paper-bagged joint. In this method of
cooking, the gravy stays in the meat, and that is what renders it so
delicious, so juicy, so full of flavour. The meat which is dry and
flavourless in proportion as its rich juices have been extracted, is the
meat which yields most gravy. Therefore, paper-bagged joints yield very
little gravy, and to add any water to the few spoonfuls of rich, strong
gravy they do yield would be to spoil the flavour utterly. When the bag
is opened, the small quantity of gravy and dripping within must be
poured into a basin, the fat skimmed off, and the remaining gravy added
to some gravy made from stock, and kept hot in readiness, poured into
the gravy-boat and sent to table.
There will be very little dripping, for the same reason as there is
very little gravy, but the mellowness of fat cooked in a paper bag is
quite indescribable, therefore the scanty supply can be no very great
drawback.
TINNED FOODS.
Tinned foods fill a very important part in housekeeping. It is a great
convenience to have some tins of various preserved foods in the
store-room for use in emergencies. The butcher may fail to call, a
downpour of rain prevent a shopping expedition, or guests may
unexpectedly arrive on a "finish-up" day, that institution so dear to
the heart of the thrifty housewife, who so contrives the fragments of
the larder that they form a sufficient meal for the household without
leaving a crumb over. In all such emergencies it is very comforting to
know that the larder is well furnished with tinned foods of reliable
brands.
Then, again, tinned foods are the great stand-by of people living in
apartments. There is little accommodation for storing food, and it is
not pleasant to keep meat, even for a few hours only, in the room where
one sits; in summer it becomes an impossibility. The landlady may be
obliging enough to offer the use of her safe, but there are obvious
drawbacks to this arrangement. Therefore, tinned foods are frequently
brought into use, and prove very handy to the lonely woman in lodgings,
or the small family living in apartments. Still tinned foods are not
very appetising. Served cold, they neither look tempting nor taste
savoury, especially on a winter's day; heated in the tin they acquire an
unpleasant "tinny" flavour, re-cooked as stews, or put into a hot oven,
they lose all flavour and nutritive value. So utterly do they lose their
distinctive taste that it is impossible to tell beef from mutton, rabbit
from chicken. It is in such cases that paper-bag cookery proves itself
invaluable. A dish specially to be recommended is
MINCED STEAKS.
It is put up in tins costing elevenpence halfpenny each, and one tin
will make an ample dinner for four or five persons, or provide several
meals for one. The method of cooking is simplicity itself.
Well grease a good-sized bag, both inside and out, turn the mince out of
the tin into the bag, with no additions of any kind. Put into a hot oven
for fifteen minutes. Serve with a border of cooked rice (see chapter
IV.), and any vegetable preferred. This is a delicious dish, the flavour
and juice so well preserved by the method of cooking that it cannot be
distinguished from mince made from rump steak.
ROAST BEEF
is rather insipid served cold from the tin, and is flavourless re-cooked
in the tin. Turned out, however, thickly spread with roast-beef
dripping, put into a thoroughly greased bag, laid in a very hot oven for
fifteen minutes, and served on a hot dish with small paper-bagged
tomatoes (see chapter IV.), it is exceedingly nice.
ROAST MUTTON
is prepared in the same manner, but small onions cooked in paper bags
may be substituted for the tomatoes.
TINNED RABBIT
is best served as curry. Well grease a paper bag. Turn the rabbit out of
the tin (it will probably be rather broken and the flesh be separated
from the bones), and put into the bag in neat pieces. Add two finely
minced onions, a cooking apple cut in dice, the juice of half a lemon,
and a teacupful of stock, browned and thickened and with a
dessertspoonful of curry powder stirred smoothly into it. Fifteen
minutes in a hot oven will be sufficient for this.
TINNED CHICKEN
is very nice curried like the rabbit. Or it may be fricasseed. Turn it
out of the tin, add a teacupful of white stock, thickened with arrowroot
and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little ground mace or nutmeg, a
finely minced onion, a few young carrots, and turnips cut into dice,
and a few green peas. Put into a well-greased bag and lay in a hot oven
for fifteen minutes.
BAKED MUTTON IN CRUST.
This is a particularly delightful way of cooking mutton, for it retains
all the juice and flavour of the meat, and is exceedingly light and
digestible.
Choose a nice solid piece of mutton, the fillet end of the leg is the
best. Make a good suet crust, using beef suet and water; roll it out to
about a quarter of an inch in thickness; it must not be too thin. Keep
it a square shape, and make it large enough to contain the meat and
completely cover it. Place the meat in the centre of the crust, which
neatly fold over it, pinching the opening well together after damping,
and sprinkle flour over it. Then thickly grease a paper bag large enough
to hold it easily, and gently slide it in. If the meat weighs about four
pounds it will take about an hour and a half to cook, the oven being
very hot at first, and the heat reduced by half after ten minutes. This
dish is extremely nice, the meat particularly juicy and tender, and the
crust superior in flavour to that cooked in any other way.
THE HOMELY IRISH STEW
is admirable cooked in a paper bag. Buy two pounds of small neck of
mutton chops, trim nicely and take away excess of bone and fat. Cut two
or three small onions into rather thin slices, and two pounds of
potatoes into thick slices, sprinkle meat, onions, and potatoes with
herbs finely rubbed to powder, salt and pepper to taste, add a large
breakfastcupful of water. Fasten the bag very securely, and cook in a
hot oven for one hour. Turn into a very hot dish.
HARICOT STEAK.
Take a pound and a half of good steak, with no gristle or sinew in it.
Cut into neat pieces about two inches square. Chop an onion finely, cut
several tomatoes in slices and add these, also some green peas, and
young carrots and turnips cut in dice. Rub a teaspoonful of "Bisto"
smooth with a little water, and add it to a breakfastcupful of water. If
any sour milk is at hand, a tablespoonful of this will be a great
improvement. Tie together a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme,
and put this in also. Put all the materials into a good-sized paper bag,
which has been well greased, fasten very carefully, and cook in a hot
oven for forty-five minutes.
STEAKS.
It has been said that a steak grilled over an open fire is the
perfection of steak, but that is merely because steak cooked in a paper
bag has not yet become known. Well grease a paper bag, put in a pound of
rump steak cut in a thick slice, and put on the grid in a hot oven for
about fifteen minutes.
CHOPS
are daintier and more savoury done in a paper bag than in any other way.
Choose loin chops, trim them very nicely, and lay side by side in a well
greased bag. Put in a hot oven and cook for about fifteen minutes.
BEEF OLIVES.
A pound of beefsteak cut into neat slices, longer than broad, makes a
nice dish of beef olives. Mix a nice stuffing of two ounces of grated
suet, two of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, a little
ground mace, pepper and salt to taste, and a well beaten egg. Spread
each olive with this, roll up, tie with string, lay tidily in a greased
bag, put in a hot oven and cook for forty-five minutes. Serve on a very
hot dish, with a pat of _Maître d'hôtel_ butter placed on each olive.
BEEFSTEAK PUDDING.
Make a nice suet crust with finely chopped or shredded suet,
self-raising flour, and water. Roll it out to a medium thickness, and
cut it in two. Shape both pieces into a neat round. On the one round
lay a pound of steak cut into small pieces rather larger than dice; add
two sheep kidneys cut small, season with salt, pepper, a finely minced
onion, a tablespoonful of flour; add a teaspoonful of vinegar or lemon
juice, and a tablespoonful of water. Cover with the other piece of
crust, pinching the edges well together. Put into a greased bag, and
cook in a hot oven for about forty-five minutes.
IMITATION HARE.
Mince one pound of beefsteak with half a pound of raw fat bacon, add
half the quantity of bread-crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, a
teaspoonful of anchovy sauce and a well beaten egg. Form into a neat
shape, slide into a greased bag, and cook forty minutes.
A CARPET BAG.
This is an uncommon and very delicious dish. Choose a large thick steak
in one piece and of equal thickness all over. Cover it thickly with
small plump oysters, roll it up, secure each end, put it into a greased
bag, and cook it in a very hot oven for forty-five minutes.
INDIAN CURRY.
Cut the meat, mutton, steak, or poultry into small pieces; peel and chop
an onion very finely, mix with the juice of half a lemon, pepper and
salt to taste; add a cup of sour milk, in which a dessertspoonful of
curry powder and one of flour have been mixed smooth; put it into a
large bag, and cook for forty-five minutes.
PAPER-BAGGED RABBIT.
Cut the rabbit into neat joints, add a bunch of sweet herbs, two finely
chopped onions, three cloves, three whole allspice, half a teaspoonful
of black pepper, a thinly cut piece of lemon rind, two tablespoonfuls of
mushroom ketchup, and two rashers of fat bacon cut in dice. Add a
teacupful of stock, thickened and browned, and put into a well greased
bag. Cook in a hot oven for forty minutes, if the rabbit is young and
tender. If not, an hour will not be too much.
KIDNEYS
are delicious cooked in a paper bag. Take four sheep's kidneys, cut in
two, take out the core. Wrap each kidney in a thin slice of fat bacon.
Put into a well greased bag, and cook in a hot oven for twelve minutes.
KIDNEY STEW.
Skin and trim the kidneys, remove the core, cut into quarters. Roll each
piece in flour, highly seasoned with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and a
little dry mustard. Place in a greased bag with a tablespoonful of
minced onion, half as much minced parsley, and a teacupful of stock,
browned and thickened. Thirty minutes in a hot oven will cook this.
LIVER AND BACON.
Cut a pound of sheep's liver into small pieces, dip each in seasoned
flour, wrap round with a very thin piece of fat bacon; put into a
greased bag with two tablespoonfuls of water and a teaspoonful of lemon
juice. Cook from fifteen to twenty minutes.
MINCE COLLOPS.
Mince one pound of beefsteak very finely, dust with a little flour and
season with salt and pepper. If liked, a finely minced onion may be
added. Put this in a greased paper bag with half a teacupful of water,
and cook for twenty-five minutes.
SAUSAGES.
Put a pound of pork sausages into cold water for five minutes. Then take
them out and strip off the skins. Put them in a lightly greased bag, and
cook them for twelve minutes. As a pleasant variety, two or three
tomatoes, skinned and cut in halves, may be cooked in the same bag, and
are excellent. Other savoury breakfast dishes are:--
ANGELS ON HORSEBACK.
Take some very thin slices of bacon, lay an oyster on each, secure, and
put in a well buttered bag. Six minutes will cook these nicely.
HAM AND EGGS.
The national breakfast dish is greatly improved by being cooked in a
paper bag. The required number of rashers are put into a bag in a hot
oven, and after six minutes a hole is cut in the paper and the eggs
dropped carefully in. As soon as they are set, which will be in a few
minutes, the dish is ready for serving.
EGGS.
Eggs put into a bag with a cup of water, and placed in a hot oven for
four to five minutes, are superior to those cooked in a saucepan.
DRESDEN PATTIES.
Take some slices of stale bread and cut out rounds of about two inches
in diameter. Scoop out the centre to form a deep cavity. Dip these in a
thick batter. Have ready a mixture of minced cooked chicken and ham,
stirred to a thick paste with white sauce. Fill the rounds with this,
put into a buttered bag, and cook ten minutes.
SAVOURY EGGS.
Put into a paper bag as many eggs as may be required, add a cupful of
water, and put into a hot oven for fifteen minutes. Take out and drop
into cold water. When cold shell and cut them in halves lengthways; take
out the yolks, and pound them with minced ham, minced parsley, salt,
pepper, and butter. Return the mixture to the whites, press firmly
together, brush over with oiled butter, put into a greased bag, and
return to the oven for five minutes.
SCOTCH EGGS.
Proceed with the eggs as in the previous recipe, but cut the cooked eggs
in halves across, not lengthways. Have ready sausage-meat mixed with a
raw beaten egg. Lightly flour the halves of the eggs, and wrap each half
in sausage-meat, rolling into the shape of a ball. Put into a buttered
bag, and cook twelve minutes.
POTATO SURPRISE.
Take six raw potatoes, wash and peel them, and scoop out a good deal of
the inside; fill with nicely minced meat (cooked or raw), chopped
parsley, salt, pepper, a little butter, and a tablespoonful of tomato
sauce. Put into a greased bag, and cook from thirty to forty-five
minutes, according to size.
SCOTCH WOODCOCK.
Take a dessertspoonful of Yarmouth bloater-paste, a tablespoonful of
cream, a piece of butter the size of an egg, the beaten yolks of two
eggs, and a little cayenne pepper. Mix all very thoroughly, put into a
buttered bag, and cook five minutes. Have ready hot buttered toast cut
in strips. Spread each strip with the paste and serve very hot.
EPIGRAMS.
This is a very savoury breakfast dish and easily made. Cut neat slices
from a cold leg of mutton. Spread them with Strasbourg meat or any
nicely flavoured potted meat that may be at hand. Make a very thick
batter with four ounces of flour, one tablespoonful of oil (or oiled
butter), pepper, salt, a gill of milk, and an egg. Press two slices
together, thus making a sandwich, dip into the batter, and place in a
well buttered bag. Do this with all the pieces, arranging them side by
side in the bag, but a little apart, that they may not run together in
the cooking. Slide cautiously on to the hot grid, without disturbing
them, and cook fifteen minutes. Serve on a very hot dish and
immediately, for they lose their lightness very quickly.