in. thick, trim them all to the same size in the shape of cutlets,
and lard them thickly on one side with fine lardoons of bacon fat.
Lay them out, the larded side uppermost, into a flat pan, and put
into it as much highly flavoured rich stock or gravy as will come
up to the grenadins without covering them. Cover the pan, and place
it in the oven to braise gently for an hour. Then remove the cover,
baste the grenadins with the gravy, and let them remain uncovered
in the oven till the larding has taken colour; they are then ready.
Take equal quantities of carrots and turnips cut into the shape of
olives, also equal quantities of peas, of green haricot beans, of
asparagus points, and of small sprigs of cauliflowers. Boil all
these vegetables in salted water, then melt a piece of butter in a
saucepan, add a tablespoonful of flour, stir in sufficient milk to
make a sauce, add pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg. Put all
the vegetables into this sauce, of which you should have just enough
to make them hold together; toss them gently in it to make them quite
hot. Dress them in the middle of a dish, round them dispose the
grenadins in a circle, and, having removed the superfluous fat from
their gravy, pour this round the grenadins, and serve.
Alamode.--Rub your beef with saltpetre, if it is a large round it
will take 3 oz., and the same weight of coarse sugar, then salt it
very thick. Strew some black pepper over it and turn it frequently.
Do not salt in too wide a pan, as the beef should be nearly covered
with the brine. Let it be 3 weeks in salt; then wash it, and rub over
it some pounded cloves and mace, and Jamaica pepper, then bind it up,
and put some chopped suet into the pan, and cover it with water, and
bake it. You must have it from the oven hot, as it will want binding
up afresh. Bind with strong wide tape, unbleached.
À la Napolitaine.--Take a piece of fresh silverside, make 2 or 3
holes in it, and insert in each a piece of bacon rolled in powdered
sweet herbs and pepper. Tie up the meat with string carefully. Take
a piece of the fat of bacon, mince it with a meat chopper, adding to
it a clove of garlic, an onion, some parsley, thyme, and marjoram.
When the whole is finely minced and well amalgamated, put it into
a saucepan with the meat, and keep turning the latter until it is
browned on all sides; then moisten with plenty of French tomato
sauce, diluted with a little stock, add salt to taste, and let
the meat stew slowly till done. Remove the string and serve with
macaroni, dressed with the sauce, round the meat. Having boiled the
macaroni, mix with it a fair allowance of the above sauce, strained
and freed from any superfluity of fat, and plenty of grated Parmesan
cheese. The macaroni should be mixed or dressed in a warmed tureen,
not in a saucepan on the fire.
Boiled.--Take a piece of the round, silverside, aitch-bone, or
brisket; skewer it if absolutely necessary, and tie it up with
string. Put it into a saucepan, cover it with cold water, and let
it come gradually to the boil, removing the scum as it rises, and
throwing in a small quantity of cold water from time to time. When
well skimmed add 2 or more carrots, an onion, and a bundle of sweet
herbs, and salt to taste. Draw the pan to the side of the fire, and
let the beef slowly boil till done. 2-2½ hours from the time of
boiling for a piece of beef 10-12 lb. weight. Strain and preserve the
liquor for stock.
Braised.--Put in a stewpan a layer of slices of onion, and over this
a layer of slices of fat bacon ½ in. thick; on this place a piece of
round of beef 8-10 lb. weight, neatly tied up with string; set the
saucepan on the fire for 20 minutes, and turn the beef over once or
twice during the process, then add a cupful of wine (red or white), 2
carrots, and an onion cut in slices, a bundle of sweet herbs, pepper
and salt to taste, and a few cloves. Lastly, fill up the saucepan
with just enough common stock to come up to the top of the piece of
beef; cover the pan close, and braise it for 4-5 hours, keeping a few
hot cinders on the lid. Serve with its own gravy, freed from fat, and
strained.
Brasciolette.--Take a piece of rump steak freed from fat, skin,
and gristle, mince it finely, and pound it to a paste. Grate some
breadcrumb and mix with it pepper, salt, spices, and chopped parsley
to taste. Take some lean bacon and cut it in thin strips, 1 in. wide.
Spread out the meat paste to the thickness of ½ in. Cut it into
squares about 2½ by 4½ in. Put a strip of bacon on each square, with
a small piece of butter, and 4 or 5 pine cone kernels (pignoli).
Strew over a little breadcrumb prepared as above, and roll up tight
on the table each brasciolette in meat paste, then roll it between
the palms of the hands. When they are all done, pack them up close in
one layer in a well-buttered baking tin. Strew plenty of the prepared
breadcrumbs over them, and some little bits of butter. Bake in a
quick oven. Look at them frequently, and when the brown gravy shows
on the top they are done. They should not in any case be baked longer
than 15 minutes. They may be served plain, or with some tomato sauce
poured over them.
Bubble and Squeak.--Cut from a piece of boiled beef slices the
thickness of a penny piece, trim and cut them into any shape you
please--parts underdone being the best; plain boil 1 large cabbage,
1 carrot, 1 onion; when cooked, drain and mince them together very
fine, removing any hard part of the cabbage. Put into a sauté pan a
piece of butter the size of an egg; when melted put in the beef to
warm, taking care it does not dry; this done, remove the meat and
put in the vegetables; stir on the fire until they are very hot,
moisten with a little good stock, add salt and pepper, a little
grated nutmeg; place them and the meat on the dish in the same way as
cutlets, pour over a little stock, and serve. (J. Burtenshaw.)
Bullock’s heart.--(_a_) A bullock’s heart, stuffed in the usual
way, should first be gently simmered for an hour or more, according
to size; then roasted slowly, being basted continuously, as all
meat should; if preferred, it may be larded. Thus managed, it is an
excellent dish.
(_b_) Put the heart in lukewarm water, and let it soak for 1½ hour,
then have ready a good supply of veal stuffing, which put in the
heart in every available place; sew it up carefully, and plunge it
into boiling water, allowing it to boil 2 hours; then take it out,
put it in the oven with a good piece of dripping on the top; baste
occasionally, and bake 1½ hour. Have a tureen of good gravy, slightly
thickened, sent to table with it, and, of course, currant jelly.
(Kate Campion.)
Cow-heel.--(_a_) Wash, clean, and scald a cow-heel, and cut into
pieces about 2 in. long and 1 wide. Dip these into the yolk of an egg
beaten up. Cover them with breadcrumbs mixed with chopped parsley,
pepper and salt, and a little cayenne. Fry them in boiling batter.
(_b_) Split the cow-heel, wash it, and place it in a stewpan with
just enough water to cover it. Simmer gently for 3 hours, chop
enough parsley to fill a tablespoon, put it into the stewpan. Mix
2 tablespoonfuls baked flour, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 saltspoonful
pepper, and 1 teacupful cold water, pour it in, and stir till it
thickens. Boil for 10 minutes longer, then serve.
Croquettes.--The croquettes can be made from any remains of cold
beef, whether boiled or roast, that will cut into neat slices. These
slices must be rather thin and nicely trimmed. Make a forcemeat by
chopping parsley, fat bacon, dried herbs, and a suspicion of lemon
peel together; season well, spread a little on each slice of meat,
roll up and dip in a thin batter, then fry in boiling fat.
Fillet.--Take a piece of fillet of beef (the undercut of the
sirloin), trim off the fat neatly and the thin skin next to it, lard
not too finely the outside of the fillet with fat bacon, and lay
it for a whole day in a pie dish with plenty of olive oil, pepper,
salt, parsley, slices of onion, and bay leaves. Turn it occasionally.
Cover the larded side with a piece of oiled paper, roast it at a
brisk fire, and do not let it be overdone. Baste it frequently with
butter, or with some of the marinade and a short time before serving
remove the paper, sprinkle the fillet with salt, and cease basting,
to let the larding take colour. Collect what gravy is in the dripping
pan, free it entirely from fat, or serve it under the fillet; which
may be garnished either with fried potatoes or with watercresses.
If the gravy collected in the dripping pan is not sufficient, some
well-flavoured and reduced clear beef stock can be added to it.
Frizzled.--Brown a piece of butter the size of an egg in a saucepan,
add a cup of cream or milk, 1 teaspoonful flour, mixed with a little
cold milk. Have ready ½ lb. of thinly-shaved smoked beef, add it to
the mixture, let it just come to a boil; serve. (F. E. W.)
Hash.--(_a_) Two tumblers hot water, 1 large spoonful butter, 3
tablespoonfuls grated cheese, and the same of fine breadcrumbs; then
season highly with cayenne pepper, adding three tumblers cold beef,
minced. All stirred well together, and served as soon as hot.
(_b_) Fry a small onion, cut in thin slices in butter; when it begins
to colour stir in a tablespoonful of flour, then add a cupful of
stock, pepper and salt, a small pinch of powdered sweet herbs, and ½
wineglassful tarragon vinegar. When the sauce has boiled for a minute
or two strain it into another saucepan; when cold, put in the beef
cut in thin slices. If roast beef, all outside parts must be trimmed
off. Set the saucepan by the side of the fire for the contents to get
gradually warm; when nearly so, a fair allowance of sliced gherkins
would be added. The longer the process of warming, the better the
hash will be.
(_c_) Cut some thin slices of underdone roast or boiled beef, lay
them in a buttered tin, strew over them some mushrooms and onions and
a little parsley, all finely chopped, add pepper and salt, and pour
in at the side as much stock as will come up to, but not over, the
meat. Strew plenty of baked breadcrumbs over all, and put the tin in
the oven for ½ hour, or till the moisture is nearly dried up. A very
small quantity of wine may be added along with the stock.
Hung Beef.--(_a_) This is served in America, shaved very thin, so
thin as to curl up; or grated, to spread on toast; also shred in
omelettes.
(_b_) It should be soaked for a few hours, then boiled slowly until
tender with carrots and cabbages. It is best eaten cold, or it may be
shaved or grated, and served on buttered toast. Slices of it can be
broiled on a gridiron and served with any green vegetables.
Kidney.--Parboil a beef kidney and cut it in slices, the thickness of
a penny piece, toss them in a saucepan with a piece of butter for 5
minutes; in another saucepan put 1 oz. butter, and 1 dessertspoonful
flour; stir on the fire until it begins to brown; moisten with 1
teacupful stock, add some finely minced parsley, the juice of a
lemon, pepper and salt to taste; pour this sauce into the saucepan
with the kidneys, and let them very gently simmer until thoroughly
done.
Minced Collops.--Mince some raw beef very finely, put the mince into
a saucepan with a bit of butter to prevent it sticking to the pan.
When they are hot add 1 teaspoonful flour and a little gravy or
water. They should be stirred often, to prevent their getting lumpy:
they take about 20 minutes to cook. Onions minced may be added, or a
little hot pickle. Hare collops are dressed the same way, with the
addition of a little claret.
Mock Brawn.--Take 4 cowheels, clean and wash them thoroughly, boil
them in plenty of water till very tender, then take them out and
shred them in long pieces, which put in a stewpan; just cover them
with stock, and let them stew a little. Have ready chopped a handful
of capers, half as many gherkins, and one glass of vinegar stir in
with the heels; put all into a mould; when quite cold turn out.
Ox Brains.--Lay the brains in plenty of lukewarm water to blanch.
Put them into scalding water, with some salt, to boil slowly about
½ hour. Take them up, drain, and divide them into small pieces. Dip
these into a well-beaten egg, sprinkle them with grated bread; fry
them in plenty of butter a delicate brown. Sprinkle with lemon juice
when done, and serve with slices of lemon as garnish.
Ox Cheek.--(_a_) One of the nicest dishes that comes to table is an
ox cheek. It will require to be well washed, not soaked, and to be
put on the fire in a large boiler full of cold water, and when it
boils it must continue to do so for 4 hours. 1½-2 pints peas should
be in soak all the night before, and put in with the cheek at first.
Onions, carrots, turnips, and celery are also added, and require 2 or
3 hours’ boiling. This makes delicious soup for the following days,
and the cheek itself a savoury and tender dish for a family. What is
left can either be made into a shape for the breakfast or luncheon
table, or cut into dice about 1 in. square and sent to table in the
soup. Hard-boiled eggs, pepper, salt, and nutmeg must be added to the
shape.
(_b_) It has long been in the north a favourite dish for breakfasts,
or lunch when made into a pie; it is a most economical, excellent,
and appetising dish, gentlemen like it for breakfast before a hard
day’s shooting or hunting. Wash the ox cheek in several waters, let
it soak 1 hour, then stew gently until the meat is cooked; remove it
from the stew pot, take out all the bones, which return to the stew
pot--use a digester for this purpose; put the meat on one side until
quite cold, boil 2 eggs hard and leave until cold; any remnants of
bacon or ham you have should be cut into pieces about ½ in. in size.
Take 1½ pint of the stock from which you took the meat, reduce it
one-third by boiling, flavour it with a teaspoonful of Yorkshire
relish or Worcester sauce, pepper, and for those who like it, a
little tarragon vinegar. Trim the meat, that is, take off the white
skin, cut the rest into pieces, about 1 in. in size, lay them in your
dish with the egg cut in slices, bacon or ham, till full, then pour
in your gravy, cover with the paste, taking care to make an incision
in the centre, and bake until the crust is sufficiently cooked. The
pie should be eaten cold. If you have any other bones from meat they
should be added to the stock and boiled for some hours; we always
boil them for 3-4 days, removing the stock occasionally and filling
up again with water, for the longer they are boiled, the more the
stock is likely to jelly, you then have the foundation of many good
soups. The ox cheek may be made into a galantine instead of pie. (M.
E. S.)
Ox-head.--People who have to study economy are often puzzled as to
what is the cheapest and most profitable dish for a Saturday early
hot dinner when the boys and girls of the family are generally
in from school. To those who are not already aware of the many
excellencies and useful purposes to which half an ox head can be
applied, this dish can be safely recommended. At a butcher’s in an
unfashionable locality half a head can be bought uncooked for 5_d._
a lb. with the bones out, or 4_d._ with the bones in. The wary
housekeeper will prefer having the bones left in as so much more
stock is obtained in this case. The head must be soaked 12 hours
in cold water. Then place it in a large saucepan, after dividing
it into 2 portions, with about 4 gals. cold water, 2 onions stuck
with cloves, 4 carrots, 3 turnips, ½ a burnt onion, a bay leaf,
some mixed herbs in a muslin bag, salt and pepper to taste. Stew
slowly for 4-5 hours. The liquor will gradually become reduced in
quantity, and consequently, another gallon of water must be added.
When quite tender, take it out of the saucepan and cut off sufficient
slices to fill a dish: if the appearance of the head on the table
is objected to, serve the meat with some of the gravy, and a fresh
lot of vegetables. The slices do very well indeed for the dining
room, and the servants can have a good dinner from what remains.
Some nice pieces should be left, which can be made into a mould of
collared head for Sunday night’s supper, in the following way: Cut
the meat into little squares and also a small quantity of fat bacon.
Put this into rather more than 1 pint stock with a teaspoonful of
mixed herbs, 3 cloves in muslin, ½ teaspoonful of parsley, a dash of
cayenne pepper, and some salt. Stew all these ingredients together
for about 1 hour. When it has become tepid, wet a plain mould, pour
in the mixture, and set it aside to get cool; serve garnished with
aspic jelly made of gelatine and flavoured with tarragon vinegar.
The first lot of stock makes splendid soup after all the fat has
been carefully removed, and into which anything that is liked can
be put, such as some pieces of ox tail from a tin containing tails
only, because, the stock being so good, it is not necessary to add ox
tail soup to it. A small quantity of French sago and the well beaten
yolks of 2 eggs are a very good addition. The second stock, which is
extracted from the bones, is naturally poorer; but it can be utilised
very successfully for soup, thickened with tinned tomatoes, prepared
tapioca, chestnuts, cold boiled potatoes, leeks, cabbage, carrots,
lettuce, &c.; in fact, it can be employed in any way most handy. Such
a large quantity of stock can be made from this very inexpensive
dish, that, with the addition of 6_d._ worth of fresh bones, enough
soup and gravy for a moderate-sized family can be obtained to last
about a week. (C.)
Ox-tails.--Thoroughly wash and divide into 4 in. pieces 1 or 2 ox
tails, put them into a stewpan, with a bunch of sweet herbs, a little
salt and cayenne pepper, and rather more than 1½ pint stock. Simmer
very gently for 2½ hours, then take out, and let them drain on a
sieve. Brush them thickly over with the yolk of a well-beaten egg,
and cover with breadcrumbs. Broil a fine brown on both sides very
quickly, serve with a good gravy or sauce tartare.
Potted.--Take 1 lb. cold roast beef, free from skin and sinews, mince
and then pound in a mortar to a paste. In pounding, add by degrees a
large saltspoonful of salt, scarcely that quantity of black pepper, a
pinch of cayenne, a little finely powdered mace, and 2 oz. clarified
butter. Press into small jars, and cover with a slight coating of
warm clarified butter; tie down tightly with bladder or paper. The
clarified butter, after being used for covering, need not be wasted,
but will do nicely for basting poultry or game.
Pressed.--(_a_) Take a piece of the brisket, or of the thick flank,
trim it, and rub it well for 3 days with salt and saltpetre. Pound
3 oz. allspice, 1 oz. cloves, 1 oz. black pepper, 2 lb. salt, and ½
lb. brown sugar in a mortar. Tie up the beef, and put in a pan, rub
it with the above ingredients every 12 hours for a week, drain it
from the pickle, pour over it the juice of 2 or 3 lemons, and 1 glass
brandy. Chop up 2-3 lb. beef suet, put a layer at the bottom of the
dish, under the beef, and the rest on the top, cover it with a paste
of flour and water, and bake for 6-7 hours. When done remove the
crust (drain off the juice), and put the beef to press under heavy
weights. Glaze it, and garnish with aspic jelly.
(_b_) To glaze.--The easiest way is to cut a thick slice from a
piece of glaze, which may be bought at no great expense; remove the
surrounding skin, and place it in a small-sized jam-pot to melt in
the oven. When it has become quite liquid, and while it is still hot,
apply it with a paste brush over the upper surface of the beef, which
should be already trimmed and placed on the dish on which it is to be
served, before the application of the glaze. It will soon get cold,
and will then be ready for serving.
Pot au feu.--Take a piece of fresh silverside of beef weighing 6
lb., and about ½ lb. bones, tie up the meat neatly with string,
and put both into a 6 qt. saucepan; fill it up with sufficient
water to come well over the meat and bones, and set it on the fire;
remove carefully with a skimmer the scum that will rise as the water
gets warm but do not allow it to boil. Add at intervals during the
process about 1 pint cold water in small quantities; this will have
the effect of checking the ebullition, and will help the scum to
rise. When the scum is all removed, put in about 1 oz. salt, a small
handful of whole pepper and allspice, 1 onion stuck with 12 cloves,
1 onion toasted almost black before the fire or on the hob, 1 leek,
3 carrots of average size cut in 2 in. lengths, 2 turnips of average
size each cut in 4, and a _bouquet garni_--i.e., 2 bay leaves, 2 or
3 sprigs each of thyme and marjoram, a clove of garlic, and a small
handful of parsley, all tied together into a small faggot. The above
vegetables should not be put in all at once, but gradually, so as not
to check the gentle simmering of the _pot au feu_, which should be
now skimmed for the last time, and placed by the side of the fire to
simmer gently for at least 4 hours. According to the season, all or
some of the following vegetables may be added: A head of celery cut
in 2 in. lengths, 2 tomatoes, 2 parsnips, a handful of chervil. At
the time of serving, strain the broth and skim off all the fat, add
the least bit of sugar (not burnt sugar) and more salt if necessary;
make the broth boiling hot, and pour it into the soup tureen over
small slices of toasted bread, adding according to taste, a portion
of the vegetables cut in thin slices.
Roast.--(_a_) Cut off most of the flap of the sirloin and trim the
joint neatly. Have a clear, brisk fire well built up. Place the joint
close to it for the first half-hour, then move it further off. Baste
frequently. When nearly done sprinkle the joint well over with salt.
Put a small quantity of water in the dripping pan, then pour off the
gravy, free it effectually from fat, and pour it over the joint in
the dish. Time of roasting about 3 hours for a 10-12 lb. sirloin.
Garnish with scraped horseradish and Yorkshire pudding. Serve
horseradish sauce in a tureen.
(_b_) Take a piece of the undercut of sirloin of beef, trim off the
fat neatly, and the thin skin next to it; lard (not too finely) that
side of it with fat bacon, and lay it for a whole day in a pie dish,
with plenty of olive oil, pepper, salt, parsley, slices of onion,
and laurel leaves. Tie it on the spit, cover the larded side with a
piece of buttered paper, roast it at a brisk fire, and do not let
it be overdone. Baste it frequently with its own gravy, and a short
time before serving remove the piece of paper to let the larding take
colour. Serve with its own gravy.
Salt.--Wash the piece of beef thoroughly, then proceed as in boiling
fresh beef, omitting the salt. Serve garnished with carrots.
Scalloped.--Melt together 2 oz. Parmesan cheese and 2 oz. butter,
finely mince ½ lb. tender and rather underdone cold roast beef; mix
this with the cheese and butter, seasoning it with a little pepper
and salt; have ready some tin or plated scallop shells, buttered and
sprinkled over with breadcrumbs finely grated; pour in the mixture,
sprinkle over it some more breadcrumbs, and then grate Parmesan
cheese over the top; they may be baked either in the oven or in a
Dutch oven before the fire. Serve very hot.
Spiced.--(_a_) Take the bones from a piece of thin flank, and put it
for 10 days into the following pickle--it should be covered. Boil
for 20 minutes 2 gal. water, 5 lb. salt, 2 lb. coarse sugar, 2 oz.
saltpetre, 2 oz. black pepper and of mixed spice, bruised and tied in
muslin, and bay leaves. Clear the scum as it rises, and let it stand
till cold. To boil the meat, put it in cold water, to cover, with a
wineglassful of vinegar and a few vegetables. Let it come very slowly
to boiling point, simmer it very slowly, and leave it in the pickle
till it is cold. If it is hard, it is cooked too fast. Vinegar helps
to make it tender, and it (as well as all boiled meat) is much less
dry if it is left till cold in the liquor. Before boiling, the thin
flank should be sprinkled with chopped parsley, herbs, and allspice,
rolled, and tied with tape. (E. A. B.)
(_b_) ½ lb. black pepper, ½ lb. white ditto, 3 oz. allspice, 3 oz.
cloves, 2 oz. saltpetre, 1 lb. salt, 1 lb. coarse brown sugar. Grind
all the spice, and pound the saltpetre fine; mix all the ingredients
well together. Get a round of about 26 lb. small beef, with 2 lb.
extra fat, to replace the marrow bone, which must be cut out of the
centre; let the meat be as fresh as possible, remove any kernels,
then thoroughly hand-rub every inch of the round, put it with all
the ingredients into a stone crock, or pan, where it will make its
own pickle, rub it well, and turn it in the pan every second day for
2-3 weeks. To cook it: Bind it into good shape with tape; put 1 qt.
cold water, and a plate of suet or good dripping into a large pot;
put in the beef, and completely cover it with suet or dripping; place
another plate above all, and put the cover on the pot. Bake for 6
hours in an oven, turning the beef at the end of the third hour.