Book of Household Management — 029 - Recipes. Chapter 13. Part 2.

616. INGREDIENTS.

--A few thin slices of cold boiled beef; butter, cabbage, 1 sliced onion, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.

--Fry the slices of beef gently in a little butter, taking care not to dry them up.

Lay them on a flat dish, and cover with fried greens.

The greens may be prepared from cabbage sprouts or green savoys.

They should be boiled till tender, well drained, minced, and placed, till quite hot, in a frying-pan, with butter, a sliced onion, and seasoning of pepper and salt.

When the onion is done, it is ready to serve.

_Time_.

--Altogether, 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the cold beef, 3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Illustration: COLLARED BEEF.

] COLLARED BEEF.

617. INGREDIENTS.

--7 lbs.

of the thin end of the flank of beef, 2 oz.

of coarse sugar, 6 oz.

of salt, 1 oz, of saltpetre, 1 large handful of parsley minced, 1 dessertspoonful of minced sage, a bunch of savoury herbs, 1/2 teaspoonful of pounded allspice; salt and pepper to taste.

_Mode_.

--Choose fine tender beef, but not too fat; lay it in a dish; rub in the sugar, salt, and saltpetre, and let it remain in the pickle for a week or ten days, turning and rubbing it every day.

Then bone it, remove all the gristle and the coarse skin of the inside part, and sprinkle it thickly with parsley, herbs, spice, and seasoning in the above proportion, taking care that the former are finely minced, and the latter well pounded.

Roll the meat up in a cloth as tightly as possible, in the same shape as shown in the engraving; bind it firmly with broad tape, and boil it gently for 6 hours.

Immediately on taking it out of the pot, put it under a good weight, without undoing it, and let it remain until cold.

This dish is a very nice addition to the breakfast-table.

_Time_.

--6 hours.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 4s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.

--During the time the beef is in pickle, it should be kept cool, and regularly rubbed and turned every day.

BEEF-COLLOPS.

618. INGREDIENTS.

--2 lbs.

of rump-steak, 1/4 lb.

of butter, 1 pint of gravy (water may be substituted for this), salt and pepper to taste, 1 shalot finely minced, 1/2 pickled walnut, 1 teaspoonful of capers.

_Mode_.

--Have the steak cut thin, and divide it in pieces about 3 inches long; beat these with the blade of a knife, and dredge with flour.

Put them in a frying-pan with the butter, and let them fry for about 3 minutes; then lay them in a small stewpan, and pour over them the gravy.

Add a piece of butter, kneaded with a little flour, put in the seasoning and all the other ingredients, and let the whole simmer, but not boil, for 10 minutes.

Serve in a hot covered dish.

_Time_.

--10 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1s.

per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MINCED COLLOPS (an Entree).

619. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of rump-steak, salt and pepper to taste, 2 oz.

of butter, 1 onion minced, 1/4 pint of water, 1 tablespoonful of Harvey's sauce, or lemon-juice, or mushroom ketchup; 1 small bunch of savoury herbs.

_Mode_.

--Mince the beef and onion very small, and fry the latter in butter until of a pale brown.

Put all the ingredients together in a stewpan, and boil gently for about 10 minutes; garnish with sippets of toasted bread, and serve very hot.

_Time_.

--10 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1s.

per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 2 or 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

CURRIED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

620. INGREDIENTS.

--A few slices of tolerably lean cold roast or boiled beef, 3 oz.

of butter, 2 onions, 1 wineglassful of beer, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder.

_Mode_.

--Cut up the beef into pieces about 1 inch square, put the butter into a stewpan with the onions sliced, and fry them of a lightly-brown colour.

Add all the other ingredients, and stir gently over a brisk fire for about 10 minutes.

Should this be thought too dry, more beer, or a spoonful or two of gravy or water, may be added; but a good curry should not be very thin.

Place it in a deep dish, with an edging of dry boiled rice, in the same manner as for other curries.

_Time_.

--10 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_ in winter.

TO CLARIFY BEEF DRIPPING.

I.

621. Good and fresh dripping answers very well for basting everything except game and poultry, and, when well clarified, serves for frying nearly as well as lard; it should be kept in a cool place, and will remain good some time.

To clarify it, put the dripping into a basin, pour over it boiling water, and keep stirring the whole to wash away the impurities.

Let it stand to cool, when the water and dirty sediment will settle at the bottom of the basin.

Remove the dripping, and put it away in jars or basins for use.

ANOTHER WAY.

622. Put the dripping into a clean saucepan, and let it boil for a few minutes over a slow fire, and be careful to skim it well.

Let it stand to cool a little, then strain it through a piece of muslin into jars for use.

Beef dripping is preferable to any other for cooking purposes, as, with mutton dripping, there is liable to be a tallowy taste and smell.

ROAST FILLET OF BEEF (Larded).

623. INGREDIENTS.

--About 4 lbs.

of the inside fillet of the sirloin, 1 onion, a small bunch of parsley, salt and pepper to taste, sufficient vinegar to cover the meat, glaze, Spanish sauce, No. 411. _Mode_.

--Lard the beef with bacon, and put it into a pan with sufficient vinegar to cover it, with an onion sliced, parsley, and seasoning, and let it remain in this pickle for 12 hours.

Roast it before a nice clear fire for about 1-1/4 hour, and, when done, glaze it.

Pour some Spanish sauce round the beef, and the remainder serve in a tureen.

It may be garnished with Spanish onions boiled and glazed.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 hour.

Average cost, exclusive of the sauce, 4s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

FRICANDEAU OF BEEF.

624. INGREDIENTS.

--About 3 lbs.

of the inside fillet of the sirloin (a piece of the rump may be substituted for this), pepper and salt to taste, 3 cloves, 2 blades of mace, 6 whole allspice, 1 pint of stock No. 105, or water, 1 glass of sherry, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, 2 shalots, bacon.

_Mode_.

--Cut some bacon into thin strips, and sprinkle over them a seasoning of pepper and salt, mixed with cloves, mace, and allspice, well pounded.

Lard the beef with these, put it into a stewpan with the stock or water, sherry, herbs, shalots, 2 cloves, and more pepper and salt.

Stew the meat gently until tender, when take it out, cover it closely, skim off all the fat from the gravy, and strain it.

Set it on the fire, and boil, till it becomes a glaze.

Glaze the larded side of the beef with this, and serve on sorrel sauce, which is made as follows:--Wash and pick some sorrel, and put it into a stewpan with only the water that hangs about it.

Keep stirring, to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it in a sieve to drain.

Chop it, and stew it with a small piece of butter and 4 or 6 tablespoonfuls of good gravy, for an hour, and rub it through a tammy.

If too acid, add a little sugar; and a little cabbage-lettuce boiled with the sorrel will be found an improvement.

_Time_.

--2 hours to gently stew the meat.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 4s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

FRIED SALT BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

625. INGREDIENTS.

--A few slices of cold salt beef, pepper to taste, 1/4 lb.

of butter, mashed potatoes.

_Mode_.

--Cut any part of cold salt beef into thin slices, fry them gently in butter, and season with a little pepper.

Have ready some very hot mashed potatoes, lay the slices of beef on them, and garnish with 3 or 4 pickled gherkins.

Cold salt beef, warmed in a little liquor from mixed pickle, drained, and served as above, will be found good.

_Time_.

--About 5 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

FRIED RUMP-STEAK.

626. INGREDIENTS.

--Steaks, butter or clarified dripping.

_Mode_.

Although broiling is a far superior method of cooking steaks to frying them, yet, when the cook is not very expert, the latter mode may be adopted; and, when properly done, the dish may really look very inviting, and the flavour be good.

The steaks should be cut rather thinner than for broiling, and with a small quantity of fat to each.

Put some butter or clarified dripping into a frying-pan; let it get quite hot, then lay in the steaks.

Turn them frequently until done, which will be in about 8 minutes, or rather more, should the steaks be very thick.

Serve on a very hot dish, in which put a small piece of butter and a tablespoonful of ketchup, and season with pepper and salt.

They should be sent to table quickly, as, when cold, the steaks are entirely spoiled.

_Time_.

--8 minutes for a medium-sized steak, rather longer for a very thick one.

_Average cost_, 1s.

per lb.

_Seasonable all the year, but not good in summer, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.

_ _Note_.

--Where much gravy is liked, make it in the following manner:--As soon as the steaks are done, dish them, pour a little boiling water into the frying-pan, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, a small piece of butter, and a tablespoonful of Harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup.

Hold the pan over the fire for a minute or two, just let the gravy simmer, then pour on the steak, and serve.

A FRENCHMAN'S OPINION OF BEEF.

The following is translated from a celebrated modern French work, the production of one who in Paris enjoys a great reputation as cook and chemist:--The flesh of the ox, to be in the best condition, should be taken from an animal of from four to six years old, and neither too fat nor too lean.

This meat, which possesses in the highest degree the most nutritive qualities, is generally easily digested; stock is made from it, and it is eaten boiled, broiled, roasted, stewed, braised, and in a hundred other different ways.

Beef is the foundation of stock, gravies, braises, &c. ; its nutritious and succulent gravy gives body and flavour to numberless ragoûts.

It is an exhaustless mine in the hands of a skilful artist, and is truly the king of the kitchen.

Without it, no soup, no gravy;

and its absence would produce almost a famine in the civilized world!

BEEF FRITTERS (Cold Meat Cookery).

627. INGREDIENTS.

--The remains of cold roast beef, pepper and salt to taste, 3/4 lb.

of flour, 1/2 pint of water, 2 oz.

of butter, the whites of 2 eggs.

_Mode_.

--Mix very smoothly, and by degrees, the flour with the above proportion of water; stir in 2 oz.

of butter, which must be melted, but not oiled, and, just before it is to be used, add the whites of two well-whisked eggs.

Should the batter be too thick, more water must be added.

Pare down the cold beef into thin shreds, season with pepper and salt, and mix it with the batter.

Drop a small quantity at a time into a pan of boiling lard, and fry from 7 to 10 minutes, according to the size.

When done on one side, turn and brown them on the other.

Let them dry for a minute or two before the fire, and serve on a folded napkin.

A

small quantity of finely-minced onions, mixed with the batter, is an improvement.

_Time_.

--From 7 to 10 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

HASHED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

I.

628. INGREDIENTS.

--Gravy saved from the meat, 1 teaspoonful of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoonful of Harvey's sauce, 1 teaspoonful of good mushroom ketchup, 1/2 glass of port wine or strong ale, pepper and salt to taste, a little flour to thicken, 1 onion finely minced, a few slices of cold roast beef.

_Mode_.

--Put all the ingredients but the beef into a stewpan with whatever gravy may have been saved from the meat the day it was roasted;

let these simmer gently for 10 minutes, then take the stewpan off the fire; let the gravy cool, and skim off the fat.

Cut the beef into thin slices, dredge them with flour, and lay them in the gravy; let the whole simmer gently for 5 minutes, but not boil, or the meat will be tough and hard.

Serve very hot, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread.

_Time_.

--20 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

II.

629. INGREDIENTS.

--The remains of ribs or sirloin of beef, 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 blade of pounded mace, thickening of flour, rather more than 1 pint of water.

_Mode_.

--Take off all the meat from the bones of ribs or sirloin of beef; remove the outside brown and gristle; place the meat on one side, and well stew the bones and pieces, with the above ingredients, for about 2 hours, till it becomes a strong gravy, and is reduced to rather more than 1/2 pint; strain this, thicken with a teaspoonful of flour, and let the gravy cool; skim off all the fat; lay in the meat, let it get hot through, but do not allow it to boil, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread.

The gravy may be flavoured as in the preceding recipe.

_Time_.

--Rather more than 2 hours.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, 2d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.

--Either of the above recipes may be served in walls of mashed potatoes browned; in which case the sippets should be omitted.

Be careful that hashed meat does not boil, or it will become tough.

TO PREPARE HUNG BEEF.

630. This is preserved by salting and drying, either with or without smoke.

Hang up the beef 3 or 4 days, till it becomes tender, but take care it does not begin to spoil; then salt it in the usual way, either by dry-salting or by brine, with bay-salt, brown sugar, saltpetre, and a little pepper and allspice; afterwards roll it tight in a cloth, and hang it up in a warm, but not hot place, for a fortnight or more, till it is sufficiently hard.

If required to have a little of the smoky flavour, it may be hung for some time in a chimney-corner, or smoked in any other way: it will keep a long time.

HUNTER'S BEEF.

631. INGREDIENTS.

--For a round of beef weighing 25 lbs.

allow 3 oz.

of saltpetre, 3 oz.

of coarse sugar, 1 oz.

of cloves, 1 grated nutmeg, 1/2 oz.

of allspice, 1 lb.

of salt, 1/2 lb.

bay-salt.

_Mode_.

--Let the beef hang for 2 or 3 days, and remove the bone.

Pound spices, salt, &c. in the above proportion, and let them be reduced to the finest powder.

Put the beef into a pan, rub all the ingredients well into it, and turn and rub it every day for rather more than a fortnight.

When it has been sufficiently long in pickle, wash the meat, bind it up securely with tape, and put it into a pan with 1/2 pint of water at the bottom; mince some suet, cover the top of the meat with it, and over the pan put a common crust of flour and water; bake for 6 hours, and, when cold, remove the paste.

Save the gravy that flows from it, as it adds greatly to the flavour of hashes, stews, &c. The beef may be glazed and garnished with meat jelly.

_Time_.

--6 hours.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

_Note_.

--In salting or pickling beef or pork for family consumption, it not being generally required to be kept for a great length of time, a less quantity of salt and a larger quantity of other matters more adapted to retain mellowness in meat, may be employed, which could not be adopted by the curer of the immense quantities of meat required to be preserved for victualling the shipping of this maritime country.

Sugar, which is well known to possess the preserving principle in a very great degree, without the pungency and astringency of salt, may be, and is, very generally used in the preserving of meat for family consumption.

Although it acts without corrugating or contracting the fibres of meat, as is the case in the action of salt, and, therefore, does not impair its mellowness, yet its use in sufficient quantities for preservative effect, without the addition of other antiseptics, would impart a flavour not agreeable to the taste of many persons.

It may be used, however, together with salt, with the greatest advantage in imparting mildness and mellowness to cured meat, in a proportion of about one part by weight to four of the mixture; and, perhaps, now that sugar is so much lower in price than it was in former years, one of the obstructions to its more frequent use is removed.

TO DRESS BEEF KIDNEY.

I.

632. INGREDIENTS.

--1 kidney, clarified butter, pepper and salt to taste, a small quantity of highly-seasoned gravy, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1/4 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.

_Mode_.

--Cut the kidneys into neat slices, put them into warm water to soak for 2 hours, and change the water 2 or 3 times; then put them on a clean cloth to dry the water from them, and lay them in a frying-pan with some clarified butter, and fry them of a nice brown; season each side with pepper and salt, put them round the dish, and the gravy in the middle.

Before pouring the gravy in the dish, add the lemon-juice and sugar.

_Time_.

--From 5 to 10 minutes.

_Average cost_, 9d.

each.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

II.

633. INGREDIENTS.

--1 kidney, 1 dessertspoonful of minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful of minced shalot, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 pint of gravy, No. 438, 3 tablespoonfuls of sherry.

_Mode_.

--Take off a little of the kidney fat, mince it very fine, and put it in a frying-pan; slice the kidney, sprinkle over it parsley and shalots in the above proportion, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and fry it of a nice brown.

When it is done enough, dredge over a little flour, and pour in the gravy and sherry.

Let it just simmer, but not boil any more, or the kidney would harden; serve very hot, and garnish with croûtons.

Where the flavour of the shalot is disliked, it may be omitted, and a small quantity of savoury herbs substituted for it.

_Time_.

--From 5 to 10 minutes, according to the thickness of the slices.

_Average cost_, 9d.

each.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

III.

_A more Simple Method_.

634. Cut the kidney into thin slices, flour them, and fry of a nice brown.

When done, make a gravy in the pan by pouring away the fat, putting in a small piece of butter, 1/4 pint of boiling water, pepper and salt, and a tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup.

Let the gravy just boil up, pour over the kidney, and serve.

BOILED MARROW-BONES.

635. INGREDIENTS.

--Bones, a small piece of common paste, a floured cloth.

_Mode_.

--Have the bones neatly sawed into convenient sizes, and cover the ends with a small piece of common crust, made with flour and water.

Over this tie a floured cloth, and place them upright in a saucepan of boiling water, taking care there is sufficient to cover the bones.

Boil them for 2 hours, remove the cloth and paste, and serve them upright on a napkin with dry toast.

Many persons clear the marrow from the bones after they are cooked, spread it over a slice of toast and add a seasoning of pepper; when served in this manner, it must be very expeditiously sent to table, as it so soon gets cold.

_Time_.

--2 hours.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.

--Marrow-bones may be baked after preparing them as in the preceding recipe; they should be laid in a deep dish, and baked for 2 hours.

[Illustration: MARROW-BONES.

] MARROW-BONES.

--Bones are formed of a dense cellular tissue of membranous matter, made stiff and rigid by insoluble earthy salts; of which, phosphate of lime is the most abundant.

In a large bone, the insoluble matter is generally deposited in such a manner as to leave a cavity, into which a fatty substance, distinguished by the name of marrow, is thrown.

Hollow cylindrical bones possess the qualities of strength and lightness in a remarkable degree.

If bones were entirely solid, they would be unnecessarily heavy; and if their materials were brought into smaller compass, they would be weaker, because the strength of a bone is in proportion to the distance at which its fibres are from the centre.

Some animals, it must, however, be observed, have no cavities in the centre of their bones; such as the whale tribe, skate, and turtles.

MINCED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

636. INGREDIENTS.

--1 oz.

of butter, 1 small onion, 2 tablespoonfuls of gravy left from the meat, 1 tablespoonful of strong ale, 1/2 a teaspoonful of flour, salt and pepper to taste, a few slices of lean roast beef.

_Mode_.

--Put into a stewpan the butter with an onion chopped fine; add the gravy, ale, and 1/2 a teaspoonful of flour to thicken; season with pepper and salt, and stir these ingredients over the fire until the onion is a rich brown.

Cut, but do not chop the meat _very fine_, add it to the gravy, stir till quite hot, and serve.

Garnish with sippets of toasted bread.

Be careful in not allowing the gravy to boil after the meat is added, as it would render it hard and tough.

_Time_.

--About 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MIROTON OF BEEF.

637. INGREDIENTS.

--A few slices of cold roast beef, 3 oz.

of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 3 onions, 1/2 pint of gravy.

_Mode_.

--Slice the onions and put them into a frying-pan with the cold beef and butter; place it over the fire, and keep turning and stirring the ingredients to prevent them burning.

When of a pale brown, add the gravy and seasoning; let it simmer for a few minutes, and serve very hot.

This dish is excellent and economical.

_Time_.

--5 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.