_Ingredients._—An ox-cheek, 2 oz. of butter, 3 or 4 slices of lean ham
or bacon, 1 parsnip, 3 carrots, 2 onions, 3 heads of celery, 3 blades
of mace, 4 cloves, a faggot of savoury herbs, 1 bay leaf, a teaspoonful
of salt, half that of pepper, 1 head of celery, browning, the crust of
a French roll, 5 quarts of water. _Mode._—Lay the ham in the bottom of
the stewpan, with the butter; break the bones of the cheek, wash it
clean, and put it on the ham. Cut the vegetables small, add them to the
other ingredients, and set the whole over a slow fire for ¼ of an hour.
Now put in the water, and simmer gently till it is reduced to 4 quarts;
take out the fleshy part of the cheek, and strain the soup into a clean
stewpan; thicken with flour, put in a head of sliced celery, and simmer
till the celery is tender. If not a good colour, use a little browning.
Cut the meat into small square pieces, pour the soup over, and serve
with the crust of a French roll in the tureen, A glass of sherry much
improves this soup. _Time._—3 to 4 hours. _Average cost_, 8_d._ per
quart. _Seasonable_ in winter. _Sufficient_ for 12 persons.
OX-CHEEK, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—1 cheek, salt and water, 4 or 5 onions, butter and
flour, 6 cloves, 3 turnips, 2 carrots, 1 bay-leaf, 1 head of celery,
1 bunch of savoury herbs, cayenne, black pepper, and salt to taste, 1
oz. of butter, 2 dessertspoonfuls of flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of Chili
vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, 2 tablespoonfuls of
port wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of Harvey’s sauce. _Mode._—Have the cheek
boned, and prepare it the day before it is to be eaten, by cleaning
and putting it to soak all night in salt and water. The next day, wipe
it dry and clean, and put it into a stewpan. Just cover it with water,
skim well when it boils, and let it gently simmer till the meat is
quite tender. Slice and fry 3 onions in a little butter and flour, and
put them into the gravy; add 2 whole onions, each stuck with 3 cloves,
3 turnips quartered, 2 carrots sliced, a bay-leaf, 1 head of celery, a
bunch of herbs, and seasoning to taste of cayenne, black pepper, and
salt. Let these stew till perfectly tender; then take out the cheek,
divide into pieces fit to help at table, skim and strain the gravy, and
thicken 1½ pint of it with butter and flour in the above proportions.
Add the vinegar, ketchup, and port wine; put in the pieces of cheek;
let the whole boil up, and serve quite hot. Send it to table in a
ragoût-dish. If the colour of the gravy should not be very good, add a
tablespoonful of the browning. _Time._—4 hours. _Average cost_, 3_d._
per lb. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
OX-TAIL, Broiled (an Entrée).
_Ingredients._—2 tails, 1½ pint of stock, salt and cayenne to
taste, bread-crumbs, 1 egg. _Mode._—Joint and cut up the tails into
convenient-sized pieces, and put them into a stewpan, with the stock,
cayenne, and salt, and, if liked very savoury, a bunch of sweet herbs.
Let them simmer gently for about 2½ hours; then take them out, drain
them, and let them cool. Beat an egg upon a plate; dip in each piece
of tail, and, afterwards, sprinkle them well with fine bread-crumbs;
broil them over a clear fire, until of a brownish colour on both
sides, and serve with a good gravy, or any sauce that may be preferred.
_Time._—About 2½ hours. _Average cost_, from 9_d._ to 1_s._ 6_d._,
according to the season. _Sufficient_ for 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at
any time.
_Note._—These may be more easily prepared by putting the tails in a
brisk oven, after they have been dipped in egg and bread-crumb; and,
when brown, they are done. They must be boiled the same time as for
broiling.