Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter XVI

by Isabella Beeton

RECIPES FOR COOKING BEEF.

 

CHAPTER XVI

 

817.—BEEF A LA MODE. (Fr.—Bœuf à la Mode.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of rump of beef, larding bacon, 1 quart of stock, 1 glass of claret, 1¼ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 2 carrots, 1 finely-chopped small onion, 10 button onions, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), the juice of ½ a lemon, 2 cloves, salt and pepper.

Method.—Trim, bone and lard the meat, place it in a basin with the wine, lemon-juice, chopped onion, cloves, salt, pepper, and bouquet-garni, and let it stand for 2 hours, basting it frequently. Melt the butter in a stewpan, drain the beef, and fry it brown, and, at the same time, lightly fry the button onions. Remove both from the stewpan, put in the flour, and fry until it acquires a nut-brown colour, then add the stock and the wine-marinade in which the meat was soaked, and stir until boiling. Replace the meat and onions, season to taste, add the carrots thinly sliced, and cook gently for 2½ or 3 hours, stirring and skimming occasionally. When done, place on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and garnish with little groups of onions and carrot.

Time.—2½ to 3 hours. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons.

Good Meat.—If the animal when slaughtered is in a state of perfect health, the meat adheres firmly to the bones. Beef of the best quality is of a deep-red colour, and if the animal has reached maturity and been well fed, the lean is intermixed with fat, which produces the mottled appearance characteristic of the finer qualities of beef. The juice, which is abundant, resembles claret in colour. The fat of the best beef is firm and wavy, and of the tint of the finest grass butter, bright in appearance, neither greasy nor friable to the touch, but moderately unctuous.

818.—BEEF, BAKED. (Fr.—Bœuf cuit au Four.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of cold roast beef, about 2 lb. of mashed potatoes 2 small onions, 2 small carrots, 1 teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt and pepper, 1 pint of gravy.

Method.—Remove the bones and the brown outside parts of the meat, simmer them slowly for at least 2 hours, strain, season, and use as gravy. Cut the meat into thin small slices, cook the vegetables and cut them into very thin slices. Spread a thin layer of mashed potato on the bottom of a pie-dish, on the top place a few slices of meat, add a little carrot and onion, sprinkle on some of the herbs, and season well with salt and pepper. Repeat until the dish is full, pour in as much gravy as the dish will hold, cover with the mashed potato, and bake in a moderate oven until the surface is well browned. The potato should be smoothed and shaped by means of a knife to resemble as nearly as possible a paste crust; and the appearance may be further improved by brushing over the top with beaten egg, or a little milk. Serve the remainder of the gravy separately.

Time.—To bake, about ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 4d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Beef (Fr. boeuf).—The quality of beef is determined by various conditions, such as the age, the sex the breed, and the food upon which the animal has been raised. Bull beef, as a general rule, is dry and tough, and of an inferior flavour. That of the ox is highly nourishing and digestible. The flesh of the cow is also nutritious, but is less palatable than that of the ox; that of the heifer is greatly esteemed. The flesh of the small sized breeds is much sweeter than that of larger kinds. It is in greatest perfection when the animal is about 4 years old.

819.—BEEF CAKE. (Fr.—Gâteau de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef, 4 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 1 small onion chopped finely, 2 ozs. of cooked ham or bacon, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, pepper and salt, 1 egg, 1 gill of stock, about 2 ozs. of bread raspings, 1 oz. of butter.

Method.—Grease a plain mould or shallow cake tin, put in the raspings, and turn the mould round until quite covered with the raspings, Melt the butter, fry the onion until slightly brown, mince the beef and bacon finely, and then mix all the ingredients together, using more stock if the mixture is very dry. Then turn into the prepared mould, press carefully into shape, cover with a greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. Turn out carefully, and pour a little brown sauce round.

Time.—To bake, about 45 minutes. Average Cost, 6d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

820.—BEEF, COLLARED. (Fr.—Bœuf épicé.)

Ingredients.—7 lb. of thin end of the flank of beef, 2 ozs. of coarse sugar, 6 ozs. of salt, 1 oz. of saltpetre, 1 large handful of parsley minced, 1 desertspoonful of minced sage, a bunch of savoury herbs, ½ a teaspoonful of pounded allspice; salt and pepper to taste.

Method.—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 10 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, seasoning, in the above proportions, taking care that the former are finely minced. Roll the meat up in a cloth as tightly as possible, 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.

Time.—6 hours. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 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.

821.—BEEF COLLOPS (See Scotch Collops.)

822.—BEEF CROQUETTES. (Fr.—Croquettes de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—4 ozs. of lean cooked beef, ½ a pint of gravy or stock, ½ an oz. of butter, ½ an oz. of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, about 4 ozs. of paste, 1 egg, vermicelli or breadcrumbs, frying-fat.

Method.—Chop the meat very finely. Heat the butter in a small stewpan, fry the onion slightly, stir in the flour, add the stock, and boil well. Now add the meat, parsley, and nutmeg, season to taste, and when well mixed turn on a plate to cool. Roll the paste out to the thickness of foolscap paper, cut it into rounds of 1¼ or 2 inches diameter, place a little of the meat mixture on one half, moisten the edges of the paste, fold the other half over, making the croquette half-moon or crescent shape, and press the edges of the paste together. Brush them over with beaten egg, roll them in crushed vermicelli or breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat.

Time.—From 40 to 50 minutes. Average Cost, 7d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 1 dish.

823.—BEEF CROQUETTES. (Fr.—See Veal Croquettes.)

824.—BEEF GALANTINE. (Fr.—Galantine de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean beef, ½ a lb. of bacon, 6 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, ¼ of a pint of stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the beef and bacon into small pieces, add the breadcrumbs, a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper, and mix well together. Beat the eggs, add to them the stock, and stir into the dry ingredients. Shape the mixture into a short thick roll, tie it in a buttered pudding cloth, boil gently in stock or water for 2 or 2½ hours, then press until cold. Before serving, brush over with dissolved meat glaze, and decorate with creamed butter, or aspic jelly.

Time.—To cook, from 2 to 2½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 9d.

825.—BEEF, HASHED. (Fr.—Hachis de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef cut into slices, 1 onion sliced, 2 ozs. of streaky bacon, 1 oz. of butter, ¾ of a pint of Spanish and Tomato sauces in equal proportions.

Method.—Melt the butter, add the bacon cut into dice, then the onions, and fry a light brown. Now lay in the slices of meat, pour the sauces over, and cook slowly for ½ an hour, without boiling. Dish up neatly with croûtes of bread fried in fat as garnish.

Time.—About ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d.

826.—BEEF, HASHED. (Fr.—Hachis de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef cut into slices, 1 pint of stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of beef dripping, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 sliced onion, 1 small sliced carrot, ½ a sliced turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 6 peppercorns, salt and pepper.

Method.—Trim off the brown outside parts of the meat, remove the bones, and break them into small pieces. Melt the dripping in a stewpan, put in the bones, trimmings of meat, bouquet-garni, and vegetables, fry until well browned, then drain off the fat. Cover with cold water, add the peppercorns and a little salt, boil gently for at least 2 hours, then strain and remove the fat. Melt the butter in a stewpan, put in the flour, and stir over the fire until a brown roux is formed, when add 1 pint of the stock from the bones, and stir until boiling. Let the sauce simmer gently for 20 minutes, then add seasoning to taste, and when slightly cooled lay in the slices of meat, draw the saucepan aside, cover closely, and let it remain for about ½ an hour, where the contents will be kept hot without boiling. Garnish with croûtes of fried bread, or groups of turnips and carrot cut into dice or julienne strips, and boiled separately.

Time.—About 1 hour, after the stock is made. Average Cost, 1s. 4d., to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

827.—BEEF, CURRIED. (Fr.—Kari de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean tender uncooked beef, 1¼ pints of stock or water, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1 dessertspoonful of curry-powder, 1 teaspoonful of curry-paste, 1 sour apple, 2 small onions coarsely-chopped, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, salt, 4 ozs. of rice.

Method.—Cut the meat into slices about ½ an inch thick and 1 inch square. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the meat quickly and lightly, then take it out on to a plate, put in the onion, flour, and curry-powder, and fry gently for 10 minutes. Add the stock, curry-paste, apple sliced, and salt to taste, boil, replace the meat, cover closely, and cook gently for 1½ hours. Boil the rice, drain and dry thoroughly. When the meat is done, remove it to a hot dish, season the sauce to taste, add the lemon-juice, and strain over the meat. The rice should be served separately.

Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

828.—BEEF FRITTERS. (Fr.—Beignets de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—¼ of a lb. of cold roast beef, 6 ozs. of flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of oiled butter, ¼ of a pint of tepid water, the whites of 2 eggs, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, the rind of ½ a lemon, a good pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, frying-fat.

Method.—Chop the meat finely. Mix the flour, tepid water and melted butter into a smooth batter, add to it the meat, herbs, lemon rind, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and lastly the stiffly-whipped whites of eggs. Have ready a deep pan of hot fat, drop in the mixture in tablespoonfuls, and fry until golden-brown. Drain well, dish in a pyramidal form on a folded napkin or dish-paper, and garnish with fried parsley. The mixture may be varied by the addition of a teaspoonful of powdered sage, and a tablespoonful of parboiled and finely-chopped onion, instead of lemon-rind and nutmeg.

Time.—To prepare and cook, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

829.—BEEF OLIVES. (Fr.—Olives de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of rump steak, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), ¾ of a pint of either Espagnole or brown sauce.

Method.—Remove all fat from the meat, cut it into very thin slices, about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide, and flatten them with a wet cutlet-bat or rolling pin. Prepare the forcemeat as directed, spread a little on each slice of meat, roll up tightly, and tie securely with twine. Have the brown sauce ready in a stewpan, bring it to boiling point, put in the olives, and simmer gently for about 1 hour. Remove the strings, arrange the olives in 2 rows on a bed of mashed potato, and strain the sauce over.

Time.—1 hour to cook. Average Cost, about 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

NOTE.—Sausage meat may be used instead of forcemeat in preparing this dish.

830.—BEEF ROLLS OR OLIVES. (Another Method.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of rump steak, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), ¾ of a pint of stock or water, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 small onion sliced, a few slices of carrot, salt and pepper.

Method.—Prepare, stuff, and bind the olives as in the preceding recipe. Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the olives until their entire surface is lightly browned, then remove them from the stewpan. Now put in the carrot and onion, fry quickly for 3 or 4 minutes, then sprinkle in the flour, fry brown, pour in the stock, and stir until boiling. Replace the olives in the stewpan, add salt and pepper, cover with a greased paper and the lid of the stewpan, and simmer slowly for 1½ hours. Remove the strings, dish the olives on a bed of mashed potato, season the sauce to taste, and strain it over them.

Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 4d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

831.—BEEF, RIB BONES OF.

Ingredients.—Rib bones, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 onion finely chopped, ¼ of a pint of good gravy, salt and pepper, mashed potato.

Method.—The bones should have on them a slight covering of meat. Peel the carrot and turnip, scoop out small pea shapes with a special cutter, or, if more convenient, cut them into dice. Saw the bones into pieces 3 inches long, place them in a stewpan with the turnip, carrot and onion, add the gravy, and season to taste. Stew very gently until the vegetables are tender, and serve piled within a border of mashed potato.

Time.—About ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, exclusive of the bones, 4d. Seasonable at any time.

832.—BEEFSTEAK, GRILLED

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of steak cut off the fillet, rump, sirloin or tenderloin, ½ oz. of butter, salt and pepper.

Method.—Grilling is a very simple process in cookery, the success of which depends almost entirely upon the fire being clear bright and free from smoke. A handful of salt will assist in clearing the fire; it should be sprinkled on the top a few minutes before required for use. Before using the gridiron it should be heated and the bars well rubbed with paper, and afterwards with fat or suet, to prevent the meat sticking to them. The chief point in grilling is to quickly harden the outside of the meat, in order to keep in the flavour and goodness, and this result is achieved more quickly if the meat be brushed over with salad-oil or warm butter before grilling. The steak should be turned frequently, by means of steak-tongs, or failing these a fork, which must not, however, be thrust into the lean part of the meat to make holes through which the juices of the meat would escape. A steak cooked to perfection should be very dark on the outside, and the inside red and full of gravy. When done, spread the butter lightly on the surface, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve on a very hot dish. If liked, the dish may be garnished with watercress or scraped horse-radish. Oyster sauce, grilled or baked tomatoes, or fried onions, are frequently served with beefsteak; they must always be cooked first, as the shortest possible time must be allowed to elapse between the steak leaving the grill and being served.

Time.—10 to 15 minutes, for steaks of average thickness. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d. per lb. Sufficient, for 4 persons.

Different Seasons for Beef.—The Scots breed of oxen is esteemed the first in quality. Each county has its particular season, and the London and other large markets are supplied by those counties where animals, from local circumstances, are in the best condition. Thus, the season in Norfolk and Suffolk, from whence the Scots come, begins about Christmas and ends about June, their place being then taken by grass fed oxen. A large quantity of most excellent beef is sent from Scotland, and some of the best London butchers are supplied from this source.

833.—BEEFSTEAK, FRIED.

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of rump steak, salt and pepper, butter or frying-fat.

Method.—Although this method of cooking steaks is not to be recommended, it is often more convenient than grilling, and with proper care the tender juicy qualities of the steak may be preserved, but it is less easily digested, in consequence of the fat in which it is fried. Make the butter or fat hot in a frying-pan, have sufficient to barely cover the bottom of the pan, put in the steak, fry one side quickly, then turn and fry the other side. When the entire surface is browned and hardened the cooking should be done a little more slowly, to avoid burning the fat in the pan, the steak being repeatedly turned. The steak may be served with a little butter spread lightly on the surface, or with gravy. To make this, drain off all the fat, add a little boiling water to the sediment in the frying-pan, season with salt and pepper, boil up, skim, strain, and serve round the dish or separately in a sauce-boat.

Time.—From 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 4d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 to 5 persons.

834.—BEEFSTEAK AND FRIED POTATOES. (Fr.—Bifteck aux Pommes de Terre Frites.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of rump steak, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 good teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice cayenne, salt, 4 or 5 potatoes, frying-fat.

Method.—Knead the butter, parsley, lemon-juice, and a little cayenne together, spread the mixture smoothly on a plate, and put it aside, to become firm and cold. Peel the potatoes, cut them across into slices, and dry thoroughly in a cloth. Have ready a deep pan of fat, put the potatoes into a frying-basket, lower them into the fat, and cook until tender. Stand the basket and potatoes on a plate or baking sheet until the fat boils up again, then replace them in the pan, and fry for 2 or 3 minutes to make them crisp. Meanwhile, grill the steak over a clear bright fire (see p. 497), and stamp the maître d'hôtel butter into rounds, by means of a small cutter. Serve the steak on a hot dish, garnished with the potatoes, with the pats of butter placed on the top of it.

Time.—7 to 10 minutes to cook the steak, according to thickness. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 10d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

835.—BEEFSTEAK PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of beefsteak, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 level teaspoonful of salt, ½ a teaspoonful of pepper, the yolk of an egg, puff paste or short crust paste.

Method.—Cut the meat into thin slices, about 3 inches in length and width, but of no particular shape. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate, dip the slices of meat in the mixture, and place them in a pie-dish, which should be sufficiently small to allow the meat to be well raised in the centre, and thus give to the pie a desirable plump appearance. Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning mixture between the layers of meat, and pour in enough boiling water to ¾ fill the dish. Make the paste as directed, roll it out to a suitable thickness, invert a pie-dish of the same size as the one filled with meat, in the centre of the paste, and cut round, leaving a margin of about ¾ of an inch. Line the edge of the dish with the trimmings, for paste is always lighter when not re-rolled. Put on the cover, ease it well over the raised meat, for which purpose the ¾ of an inch margin was allowed, moisten and press the edges together, and notch them at regular intervals. Make a hole in the centre of the top, decorate with leaves, and brush over with the yolk of egg. The pie must be baked in a hot oven until the paste has risen and set, afterwards it must be cooked more slowly, otherwise the paste will be overbaked before the meat is done. Before serving, pour in through the hole in the top either a little beef gravy, or hot water seasoned with salt and pepper.

Time.—To bake the pie, about 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

Note.—If preferred, the meat may be partially cooked before covering with paste. In which case it should be closely packed in a pie-dish or baking-dish, covered with an inverted dish or tin, and gently cooked in the oven for about 1½ hours. A saucepan is not to be recommended for this preliminary process, for unless the meat is closely packed it is apt to curl up and lose its shape. The meat must be transferred to a cold pie-dish, and allowed to cool slightly before being covered with paste.

836.—BEEFSTEAK AND KIDNEY PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Bœuf et de Rôgnon.)

Ingredients.—The same as the preceding recipe, with the addition of 2 sheep's kidneys, or ½ a lb. of ox kidney.

Method.—Cut the kidney into thin slices across, place 1 on each slice of meat, roll up tightly, and put the rolls on end in the piedish. In other respects proceed as directed in the recipe for "Beefsteak Pie."

Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

837.—BEEFSTEAK AND OYSTER PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Bœuf aux Huitres.)

Ingredients.—The same as the preceding recipe, substituting 2 dozen sauce oysters for the kidney.

Method.—Beard the oysters, and blanch the beards in the oyster liquor, which must be re-heated, seasoned, strained and added to the gravy in the pie just before serving. Place an oyster on each slice of meat, roll up tightly, and put the rolls on end in the piedish. See "Beefsteak Pie" for directions for making.

Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d., Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

838.—BEEFSTEAK AND POTATO PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Bœuf et de Pommes de Terre.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of beefsteak, potatoes to fill the dish, 1 small onion parboiled and finely-chopped, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 teaspoonful of salt, ½ a teaspoonful of pepper, short crust paste.

Method.—Peel the potatoes, and cut them into thick slices. Cut the meat into thin slices, about 2 inches long and an inch wide. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a plate, dip the slices of meat in the mixture, and roll them up tightly. Line the bottom of the pie-dish with slices of potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with rolls of meat, and add a little onion, but use it very sparingly unless the flavour is much liked. Repeat until the dish is full, add boiling water to ¾ fill the dish, and cover with paste (see Pastes). Bake for 2 hours in a moderately hot oven, and, before serving, pour a little hot beef gravy, or hot water seasoned with salt and pepper, through the hole in the top.

Time.—To bake, about 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 2d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

839.—BEEF AU GRATIN. (Fr.—Bœuf au Gratin.)

Ingredients.—¾ of a lb. of cold beef, very finely minced, 1 oz. of butter 1 oz. of flour, ¾ of a pint of stock, 1 small Spanish onion sliced, 1 small onion, a few slices of carrot, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf), salt and pepper, breadcrumbs.

Method.—Break up the bones, put them into a stewpan, add the trimmings off the meat, the small onion, bouquet-garni, carrot, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Cover with cold water, simmer gently for 1 hour, then strain and add stock or water to make up ¾ of a pint. Melt the butter in a saucepan, fry the Spanish onion until lightly-browned, then add the flour and stir and cook slowly until it acquires a nut-brown colour. Put in the stock, stir until boiling, season to taste, simmer gently for 20 minutes, then strain and add to the meat. Fill well-buttered scallop shells with the preparation, cover rather thickly with breadcrumbs, and add a few bits of butter. Bake in a moderate oven until the surface is nicely browned, then serve.

Time.—To bake, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d.

840.—BEEFSTEAK PUDDING. (Fr.—Pouding de Bœuf à l'Anglaise.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of beefsteak, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 level teaspoonful of salt, ½ a teaspoonful of pepper, 1 lb. of suet paste.

Method.—Cut the meat into thin slices, about 3 inches in length and width, but not necessarily uniform in shape. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a plate, and dip each slice in the mixture. Make the paste as directed, cut off about ¼ of it, and put it aside for the lid, roll out the remainder to the size of the basin, which must be previously well greased. Line the basin with the paste, put in the meat, sprinkle the rest of the seasoning mixture between the layers, and leave spaces to admit water, thus preventing the pudding becoming too dry. Three-quarters fill the basin with boiling water, which extracts less of the juices of the meat than cold water, put on the cover, and moisten and seal the edges. If the pudding is to be boiled, tie over a scalded and floured pudding cloth. If steamed, cover with a greased paper. Let the water be quite boiling, put in the pudding, and boil for 3½ hours, or steam for 4 hours.

Time.—From 4 to 4½ hours to cook. Average Cost, 2s. 4d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

841.—BEEFSTEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING. (Fr.—Pouding de Bœuf et de Rognon.)

Ingredients.—The same as in the preceding recipe, with the addition of 2 sheep's kidneys, or ½ a lb. of ox kidney.

Method.—Cut the kidney into thin slices 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, dip them in the seasoning mixture, place one on each slice of meat, roll up tightly, and place the rolls on end in the basin. In other respects, proceed as directed in the recipe for "Beefsteak Pudding."

Time.—4 to 4½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

842.—BEEF PALATES, TO DRESS. (See Ox Palates Stewed.)

843.—BEEF QUENELLES EN CHAUDFROID. (Fr.—Quenelles de Bœuf en Chaudfroid.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean beefsteak, ¼ of a pint of Espagnole sauce, ¼ of a pint of Tomato sauce (see Sauces), ¼ of a pint of aspic jelly, (see Aspic), ½ an oz. of leaf gelatine, 2 eggs, 2 olives, 2 anchovies, salt and pepper. For the panada 1 oz. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of stock. For the garnish, hard-boiled white of egg, coarsely-chopped aspic jelly, and salad.

Method.—Make the quenelles according to recipe for veal quenelles, pounding the fillets of anchovy and the stoned olives with the meat. Shape and poach the quenelles, and, when cold, coat 6 of them with the Espagnole sauce, in which 4 or 5 sheets of gelatine have been dissolved, and 6 with tomato sauce, which must also be stiffened with gelatine. Decorate the quenelles with small, fancifully-cut pieces of white of egg, and pour over them the nearly cold liquid aspic jelly. Arrange the quenelles on a bed of crisp salad, alternating the colours, intersperse and garnish with small tufts of endive and chopped aspic jelly, and serve cold.

Time.—2 or 3 hours. Average Cost, 3s. Sufficient for a dish of 12 quenelles.

844.—BEEF, PICKLE FOR.

Ingredients.—4 quarts of cold water, 1 lb. of common salt, 6 ozs. of brown sugar, ¾ of an oz. of saltpetre.

Method.—Boil the above ingredients together for 10 minutes, skimming frequently. Strain into an earthenware vessel; when cold, put in the meat, and let it remain in the pickle for 10 days. If not completely immersed, it must be turned every day.

845.—BEEF, PRESSED.

Ingredients.—Brisket of beef salted according to recipe 844, 1 onion, 1 carrot, ½ a turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 10 peppercorns, glaze.

Method.—Wash the beef well in cold water, put it into a saucepan with sufficient warm water to cover it, boil up, skim well, add the prepared and sliced vegetables, bouquet-garni, and peppercorns, and simmer gently until the bones can be easily removed. Take the meat out of the saucepan, and having removed the bones, press it between 2 boards or dishes until cold. Brush over with glaze before serving.

846.—BEEF, DRY PICKLE FOR.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of common salt, 2 ozs. of brown sugar, ¾ of an oz. of saltpetre, ½ a teaspoonful of ground black pepper.

Method.—Pound the above ingredients in a mortar until reduced to a fine powder. Rub them well into the meat, which must be turned and rubbed every day for 7 or 8 days, or until it is sufficiently salt.

Note.—Before applying dry pickling or salting ingredients, it is as well to rub the meat all over with common salt, and allow it to drain for 24 hours.

847.—BEEF, SPICED.

Ingredients.—10 or 12 lb. of pickled beef (see recipe No. 844), 1 dessertspoonful of black pepper, ½ a teaspoonful of ginger, 1 saltspoonful of powdered cloves, 1 saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, ½ a saltspoonful of ground mace, 1 glass of claret or port wine.

Method.—Drain the beef from the pickle, mix together the above ingredients (except the wine), and sprinkle them over the entire surface of the meat, which must then be rolled, bound, and skewered into a good shape. Put the meat into an earthenware stewpot with a lid, pour over it the wine, cover the top of the vessel with 2 or 3 thicknesses of greased paper, and put on the lid. As no other liquid than the wine is added, it is absolutely necessary that the steam generated should be kept within the vessel, and for this purpose the lid is frequently covered with a paste of flour and water. The meat should be cooked slowly in the oven for about 4 hours, and then pressed between 2 boards or dishes until cold.

848.—BEEF, SPICED. (Another Method.)

Ingredients.—10 or 12 lb. of thin flank of beef, ½ an oz. of saltpetre, ½ an oz. of bay-salt, ¼ of an oz. of black pepper, ¼ of an oz. of powdered allspice, ½ a teaspoonful of ground ginger, ¼ of a teaspoonful of ground cloves, ¼ of a teaspoonful of ground mace, 3 ozs. of common salt, 3 ozs. of brown sugar.

Method.—Remove any bones, skin, and gristle, and rub the beef well with the bay-salt and saltpetre, previously reduced to a powder and mixed together. On the following day mix the pepper, allspice, ginger, cloves and mace together, and rub them well into the meat. Add the common salt and sugar to the brine in the vessel, turn and baste the meat for a fortnight, then wash it in cold water, roll and bind securely with string, and boil in the usual manner. The aitchbone, round, or any other part may be spiced instead of the flank, and the time allowed lengthened or shortened to suit individual taste.

Baron of Beef.—The name given to two sirloins not cut asunder. It was a favourite dish with our ancestors, and is still served at banquets of a special character.

849.—BEEF SAUSAGES. (Fr.—Saucissons de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean beef, 1 lb. of beef suet, ¼ of a teaspoonful of powdered allspice, salt and pepper, sausage-skins, frying-fat.

Method.—Chop both beef and suet as finely as possible, add the allspice, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Press the mixture lightly into the prepared skins, prick well, and fry in hot fat until cooked and well-browned. When sausage skins are not available, the mixture may be shaped into small cakes, which should be floured before frying.

Time.—To fry, 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 6d.

850.—BEEF, HUNG, TO PREPARE.

Ingredients.—To a piece of meat weighing from 12 to 16 lb. allow ½ a lb. of bay-salt, ½ a lb. of coarse brown sugar, 1 oz. of saltpetre, ½ an oz. of allspice, ½ an oz. of peppercorns.

Method.—The meat should be hung in a cool dry place as long as is consistent with safety to make it tender, but it must not be allowed to decompose in the least. Pound the above ingredients in a mortar until reduced to a powder, and when the meat is ready, rub the entire surface with the preparation, going carefully between the muscles and under the flaps of the meat. Let it be turned every morning for 14 days; at the end of that time roll it tightly in a cloth, and hang it in a warm (not hot) dry place for 3 weeks. When a smoky flavour is desired, the beef should be hung where it would receive the smoke,

BEEF ENTRÉES.

 

1. Fillets of Beef (Parisienne). 2. Fillets of Beef (Pompadour). 3. Fillets of Beef (Viennoise).

ENTRÉES.

 

1. Sweetbreads in Aspic Border. 2. Beef Roll, or Galantine. 3. Curried Beef and Rice.

but not the heat, from a wood fire. Meat treated in this manner may be kept for a long time.

The pickle, after being boiled and well skimmed, may be used again.

851.—BEEF, BOILED. (Fr.—Bœuf Bouilli.)

Ingredients.—Salt beef, turnips, carrots, onions, peppercorns, bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), suet dumplings, if liked.

Method.—The aitchbone, round, and brisket are all suitable for boiling. In boiling meat a certain proportion of the nutritive qualities escape into the water, and the liquor should therefore be utilized for soup, when it is not too salt for the purpose. With this end in view the liquor should be reduced to the smallest possible quantity by using a boiling-pot just large enough to contain the joint, with barely sufficient water to cover it. The meat must be skewered, or bound with tape into a compact form. The water in which it is immersed should be warm unless the meat be very salt, then cold water is necessary to extract some of the salt (see Notes on Boiling Meat, p. 406). In either case, it should be heated gradually to boiling point, and well skimmed. With a joint weighing from 10 to 14 lb., an allowance should be made of 2 or 3 medium-sized onions, 2 large or 4 small carrots, 1 large or 2 small turnips, and 12 peppercorns. The onions should be kept whole, the turnips cut in thick slices, and the carrots lengthwise into 2 or 4 pieces. They should be added after the liquor has been well skimmed. When suet dumplings form part of the dish, they should be put into the liquor ½ an hour before serving, the liquor being previously brought to the boil. To serve, replace the tapes and skewers with one or 2 silver skewers, pour some of the liquor round the dish, and garnish with the vegetables.

Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes to each lb. (see p. 490). Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. per lb. Seasonable in winter.

The Action of Salt on Meat.—Salt when applied to meat, extracts the juices in large quantities. The salt, and watery juices from a saturated solution or brine, which is absorbed into the tissues of the meat, and being strongly antiseptic preserves it from putrefaction. In addition to its antiseptic action, salt contracts the fibres of the muscles, and excludes the air from the interior of the meat. The astringent action of saltpetre, or nitre, is much greater than that of common salt, and if used too freely renders the meat to which it is applied very hard. In small quantities it intensifies the antiseptic action of salt, and preserves the colour of meat, which the action of salt alone destroys. Salt and saltpetre preserve the fibre of meat from decay, but deprive it to a considerable degree of the nutritive juices; these antiseptics should, therefore, be used in moderation

Soyer's Recipe for Preserving the Gravy in Salt Meat, when it is to be served cold. Fill 2 tubs with cold water, into which throw a few pounds of rough ice; when the meat is done, put it into one of the tubs of ice-water, let it remain 1 minute, then take it out, and put it into the other tub. Fill the first tub again with water, and continue this process for about 20 minutes; then set it upon a dish, and let it remain until quite cold. When cut, the fat will be as white as possible, and the whole of the gravy will have been saved. If there is no ice, spring water will answer the same purpose, but will require to be more frequently changed.

852.—BEEF FILLETS, MIGNONS, NOISETTES, TOURNEDOS and GRENADINES.

A fillet of beef is the undercut of a sirloin, and its weight varies from 7 lb. to 11 lb. Only a part of it can be cut into the small round pieces known respectively as fillets, mignons, noisettes, tournedos and grenadines. As a rule mignons are cut rather thin and small, and tournedos sometimes slightly oval, but otherwise the varieties enumerated are identical except in name, and any directions given for dressing one variety is applicable to all. In the Metropolis the usual charge for fillet of beef is 1s. 2d. per lb. As nearly the whole of it can be utilized, when sliced for grilling, it is almost as economical as many lower-priced joints which contain a large amount of bone; but only a part of it can be used for fillets, and they are therefore expensive. The lean parts, which are too small to cut into fillets, may be made into a pie, pudding, sausages, or "Filets de Bœuf Viennoise," No. 882; it would be a waste of material to put meat of such good quality into the stock-pot. The fillets should always be cut across the grain of the meat, they are usually from 2 inches to 2½ inches across, and ½ an inch to ¾ of an inch in thickness.

853.—BEEF FRIZZLED.

Ingredients.—Slices of cold meat, fat of beef, cold potatoes, 1 finely chopped onion, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cook some pieces of fat very slowly until as much liquid fat as is required is obtained, then strain and return to the frying-pan. Make quite hot, put in the meat, fry quickly until lightly browned on both sides, then remove and keep hot. Put in the onion, fry until nicely-browned, then add the potatoes, and season carefully with salt and pepper. Press them well down in the pan, fry until well browned, then turn and fry the other side. Arrange on a hot dish, place the meat on the top, and serve with a little gravy.

Time.—About 25 minutes.

854.—BEEF GOBBETS.

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of lean tender beef, 2 tablespoonfuls of rice, 1 small carrot shredded, ½ a small turnip shredded, 1 strip of celery shredded, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 6 peppercorns, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, sippets of hot buttered toast.

Method.—Cut the meat into small dice, put into a stewpan with just sufficient hot water to cover, and simmer very gently for 40 minutes. Wash and drain the rice, and now add it, with the carrot, turnip and celery, to the contents of the stewpan. Tie the bouquet-garni, peppercorns, cloves and mace in muslin, place in the stewpan, add boiling water to barely cover the whole, and salt to taste. continue to cook slowly for 40 minutes longer, adding more water if necessary. Remove the muslin and its contents, and serve the gobbets on the sippets of toast, which must be previously arranged on a hot dish.

Time.—About 1 hour 20 minutes, to stew the beef. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.

855.—BEEF GOBBETS. (Another Way.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean tender beef, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 shallot finely-chopped, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of mushroom ketchup, walnut liquor or some sharp sauce, breadcrumbs, ½ of a teaspoonful of finely-grated lemon-rind, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into small dice, and sprinkle rather liberally with grated nutmeg, lemon-rind, salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the meat until lightly browned, then season and sprinkle over the shallot and parsley, and cook a few minutes longer. Cover with gravy, stock or water, stew as gently as possible for 1 hour and add the ketchup. Turn into a buttered baking-dish, cover with breadcrumbs highly seasoned with salt and pepper, and add a few bits of butter. Bake in a moderate oven until nicely browned, and serve in the dish with some suitable sauce.

Time.—About 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.

856.—BRISKET OF BEEF. (Fr.—Poitrine de Bœuf à la Flamande.)

Ingredients.—6 lb. of brisket of beef, slices of bacon, 2 carrots, 1 onion, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, ¼ of a teaspoonful of allspice, 10 peppercorns, salt and pepper, 1 pint of brown sauce, No. 233, stock or water.

Method.—Cover the bottom of a stewpan with slices of bacon, put in the meat, lay slices of bacon on the top of it, and add the bouquet-garni, cloves, mace, allspice, peppercorns and a few vegetable trimmings. Nearly cover with stock or water, cook very gently for 5 or 6 hours, adding more stock or water to replace that which boils away, and taking care to keep the stewpan closely covered. Make the brown sauce as directed, using the stock from the stewpan when none other is available. Cut the vegetable into dice, cook in stock or water until tender, and add them to the sauce. The meat should be glazed, garnished with a little vegetable, and served on a hot dish.

Time.—5 or 6 hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. Seasonable at any time.

857.—BROWN STEW. (Fr.—Ragoût brune.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of neck of beef, 1½ ozs. of butter or fat. 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 onion sliced, 1 carrot, ½ a turnip, 1 pint of water, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt, pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into pieces convenient for serving, pour over them the vinegar, let them remain for at least 1 hour, turning two or three times, then drain and dry well. Cut some of the carrots into julienne strips, and put aside until wanted. Heat the butter or fat in a stewpan, fry the meat quickly until lightly-browned, then take it out, and put in the onion and the remainder of the carrot and turnip. Fry brown, then sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook until nicely-browned, and add the water. Boil up, stirring meanwhile, simmer gently for 15 minutes, then cool slightly and put in the meat. Season to taste, and cook as slowly as possible for 2½ hours (see "Notes on Stewing"). Arrange the meat neatly on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and garnish with the shredded vegetables, which must be previously cooked until tender in a little stock or water.

Time.—To stew, 2½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

858.—BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.

Ingredients.—Thin slices of cold roast or boiled beef, cold mashed potatoes, cold greens of any kind, 1 onion shredded, butter or dripping, salt and pepper, vinegar if liked.

Method.—Melt a little butter or fat in a frying-pan, put in the meat, fry quickly until lightly-browned on both sides, then remove and keep hot. Put in the onion, fry until brown, add the potatoes and greens, and season to taste. Stir until thoroughly hot, then add a little vinegar, if liked, and turn on to a hot dish. Place the slices of meat on the top, and serve.

Time.—About 20 minutes.

859.—BEEF BRAISED. (Fr.—Bœuf Braisé.)

Ingredients.—4 to 6 lb. of fresh brisket of beef, 2 carrots, 1 turnip, 2 or 3 strips of celery, 1 or 2 leeks, ½ a lb. of button onions, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 12 peppercorns, salt, stock, a few slices of bacon. For the sauce: 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, stock.

Method.—Turn about a ¼ of a pint each of carrot and turnip with a large-sized, pea-shaped cutter, and put them and the button onions aside. Slice the remainder of the carrot and turnip, the leeks and the celery, and place them in a stewpan just large enough to contain the meat. Lay the meat on the top of the vegetables, cover with slices of bacon, add the bouquet-garni, peppercorns, a little salt, and stock or water to nearly cover the vegetables. Put on a close-fitting lid, and cook as gently as possible for 4 or 5 hours. Meanwhile heat the butter in a smaller stewpan, add the flour, stir and cook slowly until well-browned, and then add the stock, using that from the larger stewpan when none other is available. Stir until boiling, season to taste, boil for at least 10 minutes, then strain and use. The carrot and turnip dice and button onions must be cooked separately in well-flavoured stock until tender, and they may be added to the sauce, or arranged in groups round the dish on which the meat is served.

Time.—From 4 to 5 hours. Average Cost, 6s. Sufficient for 18 or 20 persons. Seasonable at any time.

860.—BEEF, MINCED.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 onion coarsely-chopped, 1 small carrot, ¼ of a small turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 6 peppercorns.

Method.—Remove the bones, and the brown outside parts of the meat, put them into a stewpan with the herbs, peppercorns and vegetables, cook them slowly for about 2 hours, then strain. Have ready the brown roux (or thickening), made by frying together the flour and butter until brown, add to it the hot stock, stir until it boils, then season to taste, and boil gently for 20 minutes. Chop the meat finely, or cut it into very small dice, put it into the sauce, cover closely, draw the stewpan to the side of the stove, and let it remain for ½ an hour, in order that the flavour of the sauce may be imparted to the meat. Before serving, the mince may be flavoured with mushroom ketchup, walnut liquor, Harvey's or other sauce, but these addition must be determined by individual taste. The mince may be garnished with fried potatoes or croûtons or poached eggs; if served as a luncheon dish, it may be sent up in a border of mashed potato. For another method of preparing the sauce, see "Hashed Beef," No. 826.

Time.—About 1 hour, after the stock is made. Average Cost, 3d. exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

861.—BEEF, POTTED.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean beef, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of water, a few drops of anchovy-essence, a good pinch each of powdered allspice, cloves, and mace, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into small pieces, put it into a jar with the water, sprinkle on the cloves, mace, allspice, and a little salt and pepper. Cover with a close-fitting lid and 3 or 4 thicknesses of buttered paper, and place the jar either in a saucepan of boiling water, or in the oven in a baking-tin containing boiling water, which must be replaced as it reduces. Cook gently for about 3 hours, then pound well in a mortar, adding the gravy the meat has yielded, and a few drops of anchovy by degrees. Season to taste, rub through a fine wire sieve, press into pots, and cover with clarified butter.

Time.—To cook, about 3 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 small pots.

862.—BEEF, ROAST. (Fr.—Bœuf rôti.)

Ingredients.—Beef, beef-dripping.

Method.—See notes on "Roasting." The joints usually roasted are the sirloin, ribs, and aitchbones, and sometimes the round. When cooking a large sirloin, it is a good plan to cut off the thin end, and salt, cook, and press it like brisket of beef (see p. 845). When the joint to be roasted consists of 1 or 2 ribs of beef off a large animal, it may be made compact and easier to carve by removing the bones, and skewering or tying the meat into a round form. The usual accompaniments to roast beef are gravy and horseradish, or horseradish sauce (see No. 198).

863.—BEEF, ROLLED. (Fr.—Bœuf Farci, Sauce Piquante.)

Ingredients.—5 lb. of fillet of beef, 2 glasses of port, an equal quantity of vinegar, forcemeat, No. 396, ½ a teaspoonful of pounded allspice, piquante sauce, No. 265, red currant jelly.

Method.—Pour the wine and vinegar over the meat, let the preparation remain for 2 days, basting freqently meanwhile, and turning once at least. Drain well, flatten slightly, cover with forcemeat, roll up tightly, and bind with tape. Place the roll in a baking-dish, add the allspice to the liquor in which the meat was marinaded, and pour the whole into the baking-dish. Cook gently for about 1 hour, basting frequently. Serve with piquante sauce and red currant jelly, or, if preferred, substitute brown sauce or good gravy.

Time.—To cook, about 1 hour. Average Cost, fillet of beef from 1s. 1d. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Sufficient for 12 or more persons. Seasonable at any time.

864.—BULLOCK'S HEART, STUFFED AND BAKED (Fr.—Coeur de Bœuf Farci.)

Ingredients.—A bullock's heart, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), fat for basting, ½ a pint of good stock, red currant jelly.

Method.—Wash the heart in several waters, cut away any cartilage or gristle there may be at the base, remove the lobes and the membrane, separating the cavities inside the heart. Drain and dry the heart thoroughly, make the forcemeat as directed, and put it inside the heart, cover the base with a greased paper to keep in the forcemeat, and tie round securely with tape or twine. Have ready in a deep baking tin 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of hot fat, put in the heart, baste it well, and repeat the basting frequently during the 3 hours it must be allowed to cook in a moderate oven. Half an hour before serving remove the paper, in order that the base of the heart may brown. Have the stock ready boiling, transfer the heart to a HOT dish, and keep it as HOT AS POSSIBLE. Drain the fat from the tin, sprinkle in a little salt and pepper, pour in the BOILING stock, mix well with the sediment in the tin, bring to the boil, and strain. Serve with red currant jelly, a little gravy poured round the dish, and the remainder in a sauce-boat.

Time.—To cook, 3 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

865.—BULLOCK'S HEART, BAKED. (Another Method.)

Ingredients.—A bullock's heart, onion stuffing (see Forcemeats), fat for basting, brown gravy or brown sauce, apple sauce.

Method.—Proceed as directed in the previous recipe, substituting onion forcemeat for the herb farce.

Time.—About 3 hours. Average Cost, from 1s. 9d. to 2s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

866.—CANNELON OF BEEF. (Fr.—Cannelon de Bœuf).

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cooked beef finely-chopped, ½ a lb. of cooked or raw ham or bacon finely-chopped, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, ¼ of a teaspoonful of finely-grated lemon-rind, a pinch of grated nutmeg, 1 large or 2 small eggs, salt and pepper, gravy.

Method.—Mix the beef, ham or bacon, herbs, lemon-rind, nutmeg, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper well together, and moisten with beaten egg. Form into a short thick roll, enfold in greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly 1 hour. Remove the paper, place the roll on a hot dish, and pour over and round a little good gravy made from the bones and trimmings of the meat.

Time.—To bake, from 50 to 60 minutes. Average Cost, 8d., in addition to the cold beef. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

867.—CANNELONS OF BEEF. (Another Method.)

Ingredients.—½ a lb. of cooked beef finely-chopped, ¾ of an oz. of butter, ½ an oz. of flour, a little gravy or stock, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt and pepper, puff paste, 1 egg, vermicelli, frying fat.

Method.—Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, stir and cook, for 3 or 4 minutes, put in a ¼ of a pint of stock, and stir until boiling. Put in the meat, parsley, herbs, and a little salt and pepper, stir over the fire and add as much gravy or stock as is necessary to moisten the whole, but let the mixture be rather stiff. Spread on a plate until cold, then form into cork-shaped pieces, and brush the ends over with beaten egg. Roll the paste out very thinly, and cut it into 2½ inch squares. Enclose a roll of meat in each piece of paste, coat with egg and crushed vermicelli, and fry in a deep pan of hot fat. Drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley.

Time.—To fry, about 10 minutes. Average Cost, 5d. or 6d., in addition to the meat. Sufficient—Allow 2 or 3 to each person. Seasonable at any time.

868.—CHATEAU BRIAND STEAK. (Fr.—Châteaubriand grillé.)

Ingredients.—A double fillet steak, not less than 1½ inches in thickness, salad-oil or melted butter.

Method.—Beat the fillet a little, trim it, brush over with salad-oil or warmed butter, sprinkle on a little pepper, and let it remain 1 hour before cooking. Grill over a clear fire, and serve with maître d'hôtel butter and potato straws, or with gravy, demi-glace, tomato, or other suitable sauce.

Time.—To cook 12 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d. per lb.

869.—CORNED BEEF. (Fr.—Bœuf salé.)

Ingredients.—Pickled round of beef,

Method.—The beef may be bought ready pickled, or pickled and, if liked, afterwards smoked according to directions given on pp. 503, 504. Put it into a stewpan with sufficient warm water to cover it (see "Notes on Boiling") boil up, and afterwards simmer very gently until done. If required for immediate use, allow it to remain in the water until cold, as this will improve the flavour and render the meat more juicy, but it will not keep fresh quite so long.

Time.—To cook, 8 or 10 lb., about 3½ hours. Average Cost, 10d. per lb.

870.—COW HEEL, BOILED.

Ingredients.—1 cow-heel, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Method.—Wash the heel, put it into a saucepan, cover with cold water, and cook gently for 2 or 3 hours. Fry the flour and butter together, but do not let them brown, strain on to them ¾ of a pint of the liquor in which the cow-heel is cooking, stir until boiling, simmer for a few minutes, then add the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. When sufficiently cooked, remove the bones, arrange the pieces of meat on a hot dish, and pour the sauce over.

Time.—About 3 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 persons.

871.—COW HEEL, FRIED. (Fr.—Pied de Bœuf frit.)

Ingredients.—1 cow-heel, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley,

JOINTS.

 

1.—Sirloin of Beef. 2.—Boiled Beef. 3.—Leg of Mutton. 4.—Roast Ribs of Beef.

the grated rind of ½ a lemon, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, ¼ of a teaspoonful of salt, ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, frying fat.

Method.—Wash the cow-heel, and simmer it gently in stock or water for about 3 hours, or until the bones can be easily separated from the meat. Remove the bones, press the meat between 2 plates until cold, then cut it into pieces 1½ inches square. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a plate; beat the egg, and add to it the parsley and lemon-rind. Dip each piece of meat in the flour mixture, coat thickly with egg, toss in breadcrumbs, and fry until nicely browned in a deep pan of hot fat. Arrange neatly on a folded napkin or dish-paper, garnish with fried parsley, and serve with piquante, tomato, or other suitable sauce.

Time.—3½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 4 persons.

872.—CURRY OF COLD BEEF. (Fr.—Rechauffé de Bœuf en Kari.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of cold roast beef, 1 pint of stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 tablespoonful of curry-powder, 1 teaspoonful of curry-paste, 1 sour apple, 2 onions coarsely-chopped, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt, 4 ozs. of rice.

Method.—Put the bones and brown outside parts of the meat into a saucepan, cover with cold water, and boil for at least 2 hours, then strain and use. Cut the meat into slices about ½ an inch thick and 1 inch square. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the onions for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the curry-powder and flour, and fry gently for 5 minutes. Add the stock, curry-paste, sliced apple, and salt to taste, stir until the sauce boils, and simmer gently for ½ an hour. Now put in the meat, cover closely, draw the stewpan aside to prevent the contents boiling, and let it remain ½ an hour for the meat to become impregnated with the flavour of the sauce. Arrange the meat in a pyramidal form in the centre of a hot dish, season the sauce to taste, add the lemon-juice, and strain over the meat. Serve the rice separately.

Time.—1¼ hours. Average Cost, 6d. of 8d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

873.—EXETER STEW.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean beef, 1½ pints of water, 1½ ozs. of dripping 1½ ozs. of flour, 2 or 3 onions, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and pepper. For the savoury balls: 4 ozs. of flour, 1½ ozs. of finely-chopped suet, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a tablespoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 teaspoonful of salt, ¼ of a teaspoonful of baking powder, ½ a saltspoonful of pepper.

Method.—Remove all the fat from the meat, cut the meat into 8 or 10 pieces, put them into a stewing-jar with the vinegar, and place the jar in a cool oven. Make the fat hot in a frying-pan, fry the sliced onions and flour until brown, add the water, boil up, and pour it over the meat in the jar. Season, cover closely, and cook gently either in the oven or on the stove for 3 hours. Mix the ingredients for savoury balls together, add water to bind these into a stiff mixture, and separate into 12 balls. About 40 minutes before serving, bring the stew to boiling point; drop in the balls, and simmer for 40 minutes. To serve: pile the meat in the centre of a hot dish, strain the gravy over and arrange the balls neatly round the base.

Time.—From 3¼ to 3½ hours. Average Cost, about 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

874.—FILLETS OF BEEF, SMALL, RICHMOND STYLE (Fr.—Filets Mignons à la Richmont.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 2 ozs. of butter, 24 preserved mushrooms, 2 truffles, salt and pepper, lemon-juice, Madeira sauce.

Method.—Cut the fillet into 6-7 slices of even size and thickness, trim each neatly, and season with pepper and salt. Melt 1 oz. of butter in a sauté-pan; when hot, put in the fillets and fry them on one side, then turn them, and cover the fried side with finely-chopped mushrooms, seasoned with a little sauce and lemon-juice. Place the remainder of the butter on top, and cover with a buttered paper. Put the pan in the oven, and cook gently for another 10 minutes. Take up the fillets and range them on a hot dish, place a slice of truffle on the top of each, in the centre of the mushroom purée, pour enough hot Madeira sauce round the base of the dish, and serve hot.

Average Cost, 4s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Time.—15 to 30 minutes.

875.—FILLETS OF BEEF, TRIANON STYLE. (Fr.—Noisettes de Filets à la Trianon.)

Ingredients.—2 to 2½ lb. of fillet of beef, ¼ of a pint of sherry, 4 tablespoonfuls of sour cream, 2 ozs. of butter, fried croûtons, meat glaze.

Method.—Cut the meat into small plump round fillets, put them on a dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour over them the sherry, cover, and let them remain for 2 hours, turning them occasionally. Drain the fillets, and dry them well in a cloth. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan, skim well, then put in the fillets and fry them quickly and lightly, as they should be served rather underdone. Pour off the butter, put into the sauté-pan ½ a gill of sherry used for marinading the fillets, 3 tablespoonfuls of dissolved meat glaze, and reduce to about ⅓ the original quantity. Have ready the bread croûtons corresponding in size and number with the fillets, and fry them golden-brown either in hot fat or the butter used for frying the fillets. Brush one side of them over with meat glaze, place a fillet on each, and arrange neatly on a hot dish, pour a little of the reduced sauce round the dish, add the sour cream to the remainder, re-heat quickly, put a tablespoonful on each fillet, and serve.

Average Cost, 5s. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Time.—To marinade, 2 hours. To cook 10 minutes.

876.—FILLETS OF BEEF, À LA POMPADOUR. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf à la Pompadour.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of fillet of beef, ¼ of a pint of Espagnole sauce, 3 ozs. of butter, 2 tomatoes, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, pepper and salt, cayenne.

Method.—Cut the beef into rather thick round fillets of equal size, cut the same number of rounds of fat about 1 inch in diameter, also an equal number of slices of tomato. Mix the parsley, lemon-juice, cayenne, and ½ the butter smoothly together, spread the preparation on a plate, and put it aside to become very cold and firm. Cook the rounds of fat, and warm the slices of tomato in the oven. Heat the remainder of the butter in a sauté-pan, and fry the fillets quickly, browning them on both sides. Place a slice of tomato on each fillet, and a round of fat on the tomato. Dish neatly on a bed of mashed potato, either in a circle or in 2 rows, and just before serving place a small pat of the maître d'hôtel butter on each fillet, and pour the Espagnole sauce round the dish.

Time.—About 45 minutes to prepare and cook. Average Cost, 2s. 9d. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 persons.

877.—FILLETS OF BEEF À LA GARIBALDI. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf à la Garibaldi.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 2 ozs. of beef marrow, thin slices of ham or bacon, 1 oz. of butter, 1 egg, potato border, macaroni croquettes, tomato or piquante sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper, 2 large truffles.

Method.—Cut the meat into round fillets 2 inches across and about ¼ of an inch in thickness. Cut half as many slices of truffle, rounds of ham or bacon, and thin rounds of marrow as there are fillets, and blanch the marrow. Pound the lean trimmings of the meat, add the remainder of the marrow, the yolk of the egg, a pinch of nutmeg, a seasoning of salt and pepper, and pass the mixture through a wire sieve. Spread a little of this farce on half the fillets, cover with a slice of marrow, add a little more of the farce, then the truffle, again a little farce, and the rounds of ham or bacon. Spread a little farce on the remaining fillets, lay them on the top of the others, and press lightly together. Cover the surface with a thin layer of farce, brush over with white of egg, and sprinkle liberally with chopped truffle. Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, fry the fillets without turning for a few minutes, then cover with a buttered paper, and finish cooking in the oven. Serve on a border of mashed potato, strain the sauce over, and garnish with nicely-prepared macaroni croquettes.

Time.—To cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.

878.—FILLETS OF BEEF À LA BEAUFFREMONT. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf à la Beauffremont.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, ¼ of a lb. of macaroni, 1 tablespoonful of grated cheese, a few fine strips of truffle, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of meat glaze, stock, ¾ of a pint of tomato sauce, No. 281, ¼ of a pint of Madère Sauce, No. 255, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the fillet into rounds about ½ an inch thick and 2½ inches in diameter. Season them with salt and pepper, and coat them with egg and breadcrumbs. Blanch the macaroni, drain it well, replace in the stewpan, cover with well-flavoured stock, and boil until tender. Drain and return to the stewpan, stir in the cheese and ½ a pint of tomato sauce, and keep hot until required. Add the Madère Sauce and glaze to the remainder of the tomato sauce, and boil gently until required. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan, put in the fillets, and fry quickly until done. Arrange the fillets in a close circle on a hot dish, place the macaroni in the centre, garnished with shredded truffle, and pour the sauce round.

Time.—To fry the fillets, 6 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 5s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

879.—FILLETS OF BEEF À LA GENOISE. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf à la Génoise.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 3 or 4 ozs. of marrow, 1½ ozs. of butter, meat-glaze, ½ a pint of turned potatoes, a little finely-chopped parsley, potato border, ⅔ of a pint of Genoise Sauce, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the fillet into ½-inch slices, which afterwards cut into rounds about 2½ inches in diameter, and season them with salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes with a large-sized, pea-shaped cutter, parboil them, and afterwards fry in hot fat until nicely browned, or finish cooking in the oven with a little butter. Cut the marrow into rather thin rounds a fourth the size of the fillets, blanch and broil them, and keep hot until required. Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, fry the fillets quickly until nicely browned on both sides, then brush them over with meat-glaze. Arrange in a close row on a bed of mashed potato, place a round of marrow on each fillet, strain the Genoise Sauce over, garnish with groups of potato, over which sprinkle the parsley, then serve.

Time.—To fry, 6 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. to 4s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

880.—FILLETS OF BEEF A LA ROSSINI. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf à la Rossini.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, ½ a lb. of chickens' livers, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of foie gras, slices of truffle, 1 finely-chopped shallot, 1 tablespoonful of brown sauce, 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil, meat-glaze, demi-glace sauce, No. 242, salt and pepper, fried croûtes of bread.

Method.—Cut the meat into rounds 2½ inches in diameter and ½ an inch thick. Wash, dry and slice the liver. Melt 1 oz. of butter in a sauté-pan, fry the shallot slightly, add the liver, and toss over the fire for a few minutes. Drain off the butter, pound the liver in a mortar with the foie gras, the brown sauce, and a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper until smooth, then pass through a wire sieve. Heat the remaining oz. of butter and the salad-oil in the sauté-pan, fry the fillets quickly until browned on both sides, then take them up and cover one side of them with the liver farce. Brush over with meat-glaze, place on the prepared croûtes, and make thoroughly hot in the oven. Lay a slice of truffle on the top of each fillet, arrange them neatly on a hot dish, pour the demi-glace sauce round, and serve.

Time.—To fry the fillets, 5 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 5s. to 5s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

881.—FILLETS OF BEEF, LARDED. (Fr.—Petits Filets de Bœuf Piqués.)

Ingredients.—2 or 2½ lb. of fillet of beef, larding bacon, 3 ozs. of butter ⅓ of a pint of either Espagnole or demi-glace sauce, 24 button onions, glaze.

Method.—Cut the meat into round, even-sized fillets about ½ an inch in thickness, and lard them on one side in close rows. Heat 2 ozs, of butter in a sauté-pan, put in the fillets, fry the under side for 5 minutes, then transfer the pan to a moderately hot oven, and cook for 10 minutes longer, basting well during the time. In the meantime melt the remaining oz. of butter in a small stewpan, and fry the onions brown, and just before serving mix with them 2 tablespoonfuls of either Espagnole or demi-glace sauce. Brush the fillets over with glaze, arrange them in a circle on a border of mashed potato, serve the onions in the centre, and pour round the sauce.

Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 5s. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.

882.—FILLETS OF BEEF, À LA VIENNOISE. (Fr.—Filets de Bœuf, à la Viennoise.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean tender beef, 2½ ozs. of butter, ⅓ of a pint of Espagnole sauce (see Sauces), 1 whole egg, 1 white of egg, 2 onions, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper and flour.

Method.—Pass the meat twice through the mincing machine, add to it the herbs and parsley, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, and mix with 1 egg. Divide the mixture into 8 pieces, shape them into round fillets, and dredge them lightly with flour. Cut the onion ACROSS into slices, remove and reserve 8 of the large outer rings, and chop the remainder finely. Melt 1 oz. of butter in a stewpan, fry the chopped onions lightly, then add a tablespoonful of Espagnole sauce, season to taste, and simmer for 20 minutes. Melt the remaining 1½ ozs. of butter in a sauté-pan, and fry the fillets. Dip the rings of onion into flour, then into white of egg, again into flour, and fry in deep fat until nicely browned. Dish the fillets with a little of the stewed onion on the centre of each, garnish with the fried rings of onions, and pour round the remainder of the Espagnole sauce.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

883.—FILLET OF BEEF WITH TOMATOES. (Fr.—Filet de Bœuf aux Tomates.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of fillet of beef, 6 or 8 small tomatoes, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 moderate-sized onion (sliced), 1 teaspoonful of flour, ½ a pint of beef stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Trim and bind or skewer the fillet into a good shape. Heat the butter in a stewpan, put in the fillet, and fry it until the entire surface is well browned, then add the onion, parsley, herbs, and ½ a saltspoonful of pepper, cover closely, and let the meat cook AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE for 2 hours, basting frequently. Boil up the stock, mix the flour smoothly with a little cold stock or water, pour on to it the hot stock, return to the saucepan, simmer for 10 minutes, and ½ an hour before serving pour it into the stewpan containing the meat. The tomatoes may be plainly baked or stuffed with either mushrooms or meat farce (see stuffed tomatoes). When the meat is cooked, remove the strings or skewers, place it on a hot dish, and garnish with the tomatoes. To the gravy add seasoning to taste, deepen the colour by adding a few drops of caramel browning, Lemco, or a piece of meat glaze, and strain into a sauceboat.

Time.—2½ hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 10 persons. Seasonable at any time.

884.—FILLET OF BEEF, LARDED. (Fr.—Filet de Bœuf Piqué.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of fillet of beef cut in 1 piece, larding bacon, ½ a pint of stock, ½ a pint of brown sauce, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 onions, 1 large carrot, 1 small turnip, 2 or 3 strips of celery, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 10 peppercorns, glaze.

Method.—Skewer the fillet into a good shape, and lard it in close rows with strips of bacon about 2 inches in length. Put the butter, sliced vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns into a stewpan, place the fillet on the top of them, and fry for ½ an hour, then add stock to nearly cover the vegetables, and replenish as it becomes reduced. Cover the fillet with a buttered paper, put on the lid, and cook slowly for about 2 hours, basting frequently. When cooked, brush over with glaze, and put it into the oven for a few minutes for the bacon to crisp. Strain the liquor from the stewpan, add to it the brown sauce, boil up, and serve in a sauce-boat. Garnish with tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, or fancifully-cut turnip and carrot.

Time.—2½ hours. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. Sufficient, 3 lb. for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

885.—ROAST FILLET OF BEEF. (Fr.—Filet de Bœuf rôti.)

Ingredients.—4 lb. of fillet of beef, ⅓ of a pint of beef gravy, or demi-glace sauce, horseradish sauce. For the marinade: 3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 teaspoonful of chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, a pinch of ground cloves.

Method.—Tie the meat into a good shape, place it on a dish, pour over the marinade, and let it remain in it for 3 hours, turning and basting frequently. Have ready a sheet of stout, well-greased paper, drain away half the liquid part of the marinade, fold the remainder and the meat in the paper, and fasten the ends securely. Roast or bake for 1½ hours, basting frequently with butter or dripping. Half an hour before serving remove the paper, and when the meat is nicely browned brush it over with meat glaze and place it on a hot dish. The demi-glace sauce may be poured round the dish or served separately, the horseradish sauce being served in a sauce-boat.

Time.—1½ hours to cook. Average Cost, 6s. Sufficient, 4 lb. for 8 or 9 persons.

Memoranda.—The proper management of the fire is of first importance in roasting. To insure a satisfactory result, it is essential to maintain a radiant fire during the operation. If the article to be dressed is thin and delicate a small fire is sufficient, but if the joint be large the fire should fill the grate. Meat must never be put down in front of a fire which has become hollow or exhausted. If, on the other hand, the heat of the fire become too fierce, the meat must be removed to a considerable distance until the temperature has somewhat abated. Some cooks always fail in their roasts, although they succeed in nearly everything else, owing to their disregard of the rule which should govern roasting. A French chef declared that anybody can learn how to cook, but that one must be born a "roaster." Beef or mutton are not sufficiently roasted until they have acquired throughout the whole mass a temperature of 158° F., but poultry is well cooked when the inner parts have attained a temperature of 130° to 140° F.

886.—FRICASSEÉ OF TRIPE. (Fr.—Fricasseé de Tripe.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of dressed tripe, 2 Spanish onions cut into dice, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, salt and pepper, milk.

Method.—Wash and dry the tripe, cut it into pieces about 2½ inches square, place them in a stewpan, and cover with equal parts of milk and water. Add a little salt and pepper, and when boiling, put in the onions and parsley, and simmer gently. Knead the butter and flour smoothly together, and add it, in small pieces, to the contents of the stewpan when they have cooked 1 hour. Stir until the flour becomes smoothly mixed with the milk, continue cooking for about ¾ of an hour longer, then season to taste, and serve.

Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 5d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

887.—HOT POT.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of lean beef, 2 or 3 lb. of potatoes, ½ lb. of onions, salt and pepper.

Method.—Remove the fat from the meat, and cut it into 8 or 10 pieces, cut the onions into very thin slices, and divide each potato across into 3 or 4 pieces. Put a layer of potato at the bottom of an earthenware dish, then a layer of meat, add a few slices of onion, and season well with salt and pepper. Continue until all the material is used, potato forming the top layer. Fill the dish 3 parts full with cold water, adding more later if the hot pot appears at all dry. Cover with a greased paper, and bake slowly for 2 hours. Serve in the dish in which it is cooked.

Time.—2 hours to bake. Average Cost, 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

888.—HUNTER'S BEEF. (Fr.—Bœuf à la Chasseur.)

Ingredients.—For a round of beef weighing about 24 lb., allow 3 ozs. of saltpetre, 3 ozs. of coarse sugar, 1 oz. of cloves, 1 grated nutmeg, ½ an oz. of allspice, 1 lb. of salt, ½ a lb. of bay-salt.

Method.—Let the beef hang for 2 or 3 days, and remove the bone. Pound the spices, salt, etc., in the above proportions, and let them be reduced to the finest powder. Put the beef into an earthenware pan, rub all the ingredients well into it, and turn and rub it everyday for a little over a fortnight. When it has been sufficiently long in pickle, wash the meat, bind it up securely with string, and place it in a pan with ½ a 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. The gravy that flows from it should be saved, as it adds greatly to the flavour of hashes, stews, etc. The beef may be glazed and garnished with aspic jelly.

Time.—6 hours. Average Cost, from 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. Seasonable all the year.

Note.—In salting or pickling beef or pork for family consumption, when it is not to be kept for a great length of time, a smaller quantity of salt, and a larger quantity of other matters more adapted to retain mellowness in meat, may be employed. Sugar, which is well known to possess antiseptic principles in a very great degree, without the pungency and astringency of salt, is, very generally used in the preserving of meat for family consumption. Although it acts without hardening or contracting the fibres of meat, as is the case with salt, and, therefore, does not impair its mellowness, yet its use in sufficient quantities for preserving effect without the addition of other antiseptics, would impart a flavour not agreeable to the taste of many persons. It may be used, however, with salt, in a proportion of 1 part by weight to 4, to impart mildness and mellowness to cured meat.

889.—KIDNEY, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût de Rôgnon.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of ox kidney, 1 pint of water, 1 oz. of beef dripping, 1 oz. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 finely-chopped small onion, salt and pepper, flour.

Method.—Cut the kidney into slices about ¼ inch thick, and remove the core. Make the dripping hot in a stewpan, season a tablespoonful of flour with ½ a teaspoonful of salt, and a ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, dip the slices of kidney in the mixture, and fry them in the hot fat until browned on both sides, and at the same time fry the onion. Drain away the fat, add 1 pint of nearly boiling stock or water, a little salt and pepper, cover closely, and simmer very slowly for 1 hour. Knead the butter and flour smoothly together, add it in small portions to the contents of the stewpan, cook for 20 minutes longer, or until the kidney is perfectly tender. Arrange the slices of kidney neatly on a hot dish, season the sauce to taste, and strain it over. When intended for luncheon the kidney may be served within a border of mashed potato, and the dish garnished with small cooked tomatoes. For breakfast it may be varied by the addition of small rolls of fried bacon, poached eggs, or sippets of either toasted or fried bread.

Time.—About 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. Sufficient for about 4 persons.

890.—KIDNEY, FRIED. (Rôgnon frit de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of ox kidney, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt, cayenne, flour.

Method.—Cut the kidney into slices about ¼ of an inch thick, and remove the core. Make the butter hot in a sauté-pan, mix 1 tablespoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of salt, and ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper together on a plate, dip the slices of kidney in the mixture, and fry them gently in the butter for about 20 minutes, turning them 2 or 3 times, and keeping the sauté-pan covered. Have ready a very hot dish, arrange the kidney neatly in 2 rows; add the lemon-juice, parsley and a pinch of cayenne to the butter in the sauté-pan, and pour over the kidney. Serve as hot as possible.

Time.—From 30 to 35 minutes, to prepare and cook. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

891.—KIDNEY WITH ITALIAN SAUCE. (Fr.—Rôgnon de Bœuf à l'Italienne.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of ox-kidney, 1 pint of water, 2 ozs. of beef dripping, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, 6 preserved mushrooms, 1 finely-chopped small onion, ½ a glass of sherry, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the kidney into slices nearly ½ an inch thick, and remove the core. Make the dripping moderately hot in a sauté-pan, season 1 tablespoonful of flour with ½ a teaspoonful of salt, and a ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, dip the slices of kidney in the mixture and fry them for about 20 minutes very slowly in the moderately hot fat; fry the onion at the same time, and keep the sauté-pan covered. In another pan fry the butter and flour together until a nut-brown roux, or thickening, is formed, then add the stock or water, stir until it boils, and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Remove the slices of kidney, and drain carefully from fat; add them, together with the sliced mushrooms and sherry, to the sauce, and, when hot, season to taste, and serve.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

892.—LEG OF BEEF STEW.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of leg or shin of beef, ¾ of a pint of water, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 onion, 1 carrot, ½ a turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), pepper and salt.

Method.—Cut the meat into 5 or 6 pieces, put them in a dish, pour the vinegar over, and let them remain at least 1 hour, turning them 2 or 3 times. When ready, put the pieces with the vinegar into a jar with a close-fitting lid, add a good seasoning of salt and pepper, the herbs, and the vegetables cut into thick slices. Put on the lid, cover with 2 or 3 thicknesses of greased paper, stand the jar either in a cool oven or in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer slowly for 3 hours. When done, remove the bouquet-garni, and serve the stew in a hot dish with its gravy.

Time.—3 hours to stew. Average Cost, 9d. or 10d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

893.—LIVER AND BACON. (Fr.—Foie de Bœuf a l'Anglaise.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of liver, ½ lb. of bacon, 1 tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper.

Method.—Rinse the liver in cold water, put it into a basin, cover with BOILING water, let it remain immersed for about 15 minutes, then drain, dry, and cut it into slices about ⅓ of an inch in thickness. Also cut the bacon into very thin slices. Add a good seasoning of salt and pepper to the tablespoonful of flour, and dip the liver in the mixture. Heat the frying-pan, put in the bacon, fry slowly, remove to a HOT dish, and keep hot until wanted. Fry the liver in the bacon fat until nicely browned on both sides, then remove and keep hot. Sprinkle the flour on the bottom of the pan, stir and fry until brown, add about ½ a pint of warm water, stir until boiling, and season to taste. Arrange the pieces of liver in a close circle, strain the sauce over, place the slices of bacon on the top, and serve.

Time.—35 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 6 persons.

894.—LIVER, SAVOURY. (Fr.—Foie de Bœuf à la Française.)

Ingredients.—1½ lb. of liver, as many thin slices of bacon as there are slices of liver, veal-forcemeat (see Forcemeats), 1 tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper.

Method.—Prepare and slice the liver as directed in the preceding recipe. Spread each slice with a thin layer of forcemeat, and cover with bacon. Lay them on the bottom of a large baking-tin, surround to about ½ the depth of the liver with boiling water, cover with a buttered paper, and bake slowly for about ½ an hour. Arrange the liver in a close circle on a hot dish, and keep it hot. Mix the flour smoothly with a little cold water, add ¼ of a pint of boiling water, pour into the tin, boil up, season, and strain round the liver.

Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 8d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Marrow Bones.—Bone is composed of a close, hard material, and a softer reticulated substance called spongy or cancellous tissue. All bone is more or less porous, the difference between the hard and the spongy portions being one of degree only, as may be seen when it is viewed under the lens of a microscope. The surface of bones is the densest portion, the inner parts are more cellular, and are filled with a fatty tissue, called medulla, or marrow, the vascular connective tissue interspersed with fat-cells which support the fine blood vessels forming the centre of nourishment for the inner surface of the bones. The rigidity of bones is due chiefly to the presence of phosphate of lime, and carbonate of lime, which constitute about two-thirds of the substance of bone. The remaining one-third consists of animal matter, chiefly gelatine. Hollow cylindrical bones possess the qualities of strength and lightness in a remarkable degree, thus adapting them for their special function in animal life. Bones also possess a certain degree of elasticity as, for example those of the ribs.

895.—MARROW BONES.

Ingredients.—Marrow bones, flour, dry toast.

Method.—Saw the bones into short lengths, cover the ends with a paste made of flour and water, tie them in a floured cloth, and boil from 1¾ to 2 hours. Remove the cloth and crust, set the bones upright on a dish covered with a hot napkin, and serve with dry toast.

Time.—To boil, 1¾ to 2 hours. Average Cost, 9d. to 1s.

896.—MARROW TOAST.

Ingredients.—Marrow bones, flour, salt and pepper, dry toast.

Method.—Prepare the bones as directed in the preceding recipe, and, when cooked, scoop out the marrow. Season to taste, spread on hot toast, and serve as hot as possible.

Time.—To boil, 1¾ to 2 hours. Average Cost, 9d. to 1s.

897.—MIGNONS OF BEEF, PARMENTIER STYLE. (Fr.—Mignon de Bœuf à la Parmentier.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of fillet of beef, butter for frying, crisply-fried potato straws, gravy or sauce.

Method.—Cut the fillet into rather thick neat round fillets, and season them with salt and pepper. Peel the potatoes and cut them into dice shapes, then fry and drain them well, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and keep them hot. Heat about 1 oz. of butter in a sauté-pan, fry the mignons quickly, turning them 2 or 3 times during the process, and drain. Arrange them in a close row down the centre of a hot dish, pile the potato straws lightly on either side of the mignons, and serve with a little good gravy or sauce.

Time.—To fry, 6 or 7 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. to 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable at any time.

898.—MIGNONS OF BEEF, MILANAISE STYLE. (Fr.—Mignons de Bœuf à la Milanaise.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of fillet of beef, butter for frying, ½ a pint of brown sauce, No. 233, 4 ozs. of macaroni, boiled and cut into ½-inch lengths, 1 tablespoonful of shredded ham or tongue, 1 shallot finely-chopped, ½ a clove of garlic bruised, ½ a tablespoonful of shredded champignons, 1 dessertspoonful of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into small round fillets, and trim them neatly. Heat a little butter in a sauté-pan, fry the mignons quickly for 6 minutes, turning them once, and keep them hot. Drain away any excess of butter there may be, put in the ham or tongue, shallot, garlic, champignons, and a little salt and pepper, toss over the fire for a few minutes, then add the brown sauce. Stir until boiling, add the macaroni, simmer gently for 10 minutes, then stir in the cheese. Meanwhile place the mignons separately in small casseroles, cover with sauce, put on the lids, and cook gently on the stove or in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Serve in the casseroles.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 5s. Sufficient for 8 to 9 persons. Seasonable at any time.

899.—MIGNONS OF BEEF, BOURGEOISE STYLE. (Fr.—Mignons de Bœuf à la Bourgeoise.)

Ingredients.—3 lb. of fillet of beef, ⅓ of a pint of brown sauce, 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato purée, 36 very small button onions, an equal quantity of turned carrot and turnip, butter for frying, stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Turn the carrot and turnip with a large-sized, pea-shaped cutter, and cook them and the onions separately in strong stock until about half done. Have the brown sauce ready in a stewpan, add the tomato purée, boil up, season to taste, and pass through a tammy-cloth or fine strainer. Fry the mignons for 6 minutes in hot butter, place them in one large casserole or separately in small ones. Cover with vegetables, add the sauce, and cook gently on the stove or in the oven for about 20 minutes. When casseroles are not available, drain the butter from the mignons when cooked, add the sauce and vegetables, cover the sauté-pan, and finish cooking on the stove or in the oven. In the latter case, the mignons must be neatly arranged on a dish, the sauce strained over them, and the vegetables placed in groups round the base.

Time.—To cook the fillets, about 25 minutes. Average Cost, 5s. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.

900.—MINCED COLLOPS.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of rump steak, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 small onion or 2 shallots finely-chopped, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup or walnut liquor (lemon-juice or vinegar may be substituted), 1 tablespoonful of flour, ¼ of a pint of stock or water, salt and pepper, toast.

Method.—Mince the meat very finely by hand. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan or frying-pan, fry the onion until lightly browned, then add the flour and fry a little; next put in the meat, and stir over the fire for a few minutes. Add the stock or water, bouquet-garni, and mushroom-ketchup, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook very slowly for 15 minutes, then serve garnished with sippets of toasted bread.

Time.—To cook, altogether about 25 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for about 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.

901.—MINIATURE ROUND OF BEEF.

Ingredients.—1 large rib of beef, peppercorns. For the brine: 1 gallon of soft water, 3 lb. of coarse salt, 6 ozs. of brown sugar, ½ an oz. of saltpetre. For garnish: carrots, turnips, onions.

Method.—Boil the water, salt, sugar and saltpetre together for ½ an hour, skimming when necessary, and put the mixture aside until cold. Bone the meat, rub it well with salt, roll up lightly, and bind with string. Place it in the brine when cold, let it remain for 6 days, turning it daily, then drain well. Have ready a stewpan of water nearly boiling, put in the meat with 12 peppercorns, bring to the boil, cook rapidly for 15 minutes, and afterwards simmer gently until done (see "Notes on Boiling," p. 430). Cut the vegetable into dice, and add trimmings of the same to the contents of the stewpan. Serve garnished with dice of vegetables, which should be boiled separately.

Time.—From 2½ to 3 hours. Average Cost, 9d. to 10d. per lb. Seasonable at any time.

902.—MIROTON OF BEEF. (Fr.—Miroton de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef cut into thin slices, 1 pint of good brown sauce (see Hashed Beef, No. 826, 2 Spanish onions, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar, 1½ ozs. of butter, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), salt and pepper, browned breadcrumbs.

Method.—Make the brown sauce from the bones and trimmings of the meat. Chop the onions coarsely, and fry them together with the bouquet-garni in the hot butter until nicely browned, then add the brown sauce, and vinegar, and season to taste. Simmer gently for ½ an hour, stirring and skimming occasionally, then pass the sauce through a tammy-cloth or fine hair sieve. Cover the bottom of the dish in which the miroton is to be served with brown sauce, on the top place the slices of meat in neat layers, cover with sauce, and sprinkle with the browned breadcrumbs. Stand the dish in a baking-tin containing boiling water, and put it in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes. The miroton may be garnished with croûtons of fried bread, or groups of cooked sprays of cauliflower, peas, haricots verts, or julienne strips of turnip and carrot.

Time.—About 1 hour, after the brown sauce is made. Average Cost, 6d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

903.—MOULDED MINCEMEAT (See. Beef Cake.)

904.—NOISETTES OF BEEF WITH PARSLEY BUTTER. (Fr.—Noisettes de Bœuf à la Mâitre d'Hôtel.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, salad-oil or oiled butter, 1 oz. of fresh butter, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, cayenne, salt and pepper, fried potato ribbons.

Method.—Knead the butter, parsley, lemon-juice, and a little cayenne well together, form into a flat cake, and keep on ice until firm. Cut the meat into round fillets, trim neatly, brush over with salad-oil or oiled butter, and grill over a clear fire. Turn them two or three times during the process, and each time brush the fillets over with oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place them in a nearly upright position down the centre of a hot dish, put a small pat of the prepared butter on the top of each fillet, garnish with crisply-fried potato ribbons, and serve very hot.

Time.—To grill, 8 to 10 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 3d. Sufficient for about 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

905.—NOISETTES OF BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS. (Fr.—Noisettes de Bœuf aux Champignons.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 2 fresh mushrooms, 1 finely-chopped shallot, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 2 ozs. of butter, ⅓ of a pint of brown sauce (No. 250), salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into fillets of even size, not less than ½ an inch in thickness, and as round as possible, chop the mushrooms finely, add to them the shallot, parsley, and a little salt and pepper, and mix well together. Place a little of the mixture, in the form of a round pat, in the centre of each fillet. Heat the butter in a sauté-pan, put in the fillets THE FARCED SIDE DOWN, fry quickly, then turn and fry the other side rather more slowly. To serve, arrange the noisettes in 2 rows on a bed of mashed potato (spinach may be used instead), and pour the hot sauce round.

Time.—About 10 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

906.—OX-CHEEK, STEWED. (Fr.—Tête de Bœuf en ragoût.)

Ingredients.—1 ox-cheek, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, 2 onions 2 small carrots, 1 turnip, 2 strips of celery, a bouquet-garni (parsley thyme, bay-leaf), 12 peppercorns, 2 cloves, a glass of sherry, if liked 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.

Method.—Wash the cheek in several waters, remove the splintered bones, if any, and soak for at least 12 hours in salt and water, changing the water 2 or 3 times. When sufficiently soaked, wash it well in warm water, put into a boiling-pot, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, and skim well. Now add the vegetables cut into thick slices, peppercorns, cloves, bouquet-garni, and a heaped teaspoonful of salt, and cook slowly for about 4 hours, or until the bones may be easily removed. Have ready the brown roux (or thickening), made by frying the butter and flour together until they acquire a nut-brown colour, strain on to it rather more than 1 pint of liquor from the boiling pan, stir until it boils, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. In the meantime bone the cheek, and cut it into pieces convenient for serving. Add the sherry and lemon-juice to the sauce, season to taste, put in the slices of cheek, and, when hot, serve. The dish may be garnished with dice or julienne strips of turnip and carrot cooked separately. The liquor in which the cheek has been cooked makes excellent soup.

Time.—To cook, 4½ to 5 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

907.—OX-CHEEK MOULD. (Fr.—Tête de Bœuf en gelée.)

Ingredients.—Cooked ox-cheek. To 1 lb. allow ¼ of a lb. of cooked tongue, ham or bacon, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, the grated rind of ½ a lemon, ¼ of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, ½ a pint of liquor in which the cheek was cooked, 3 or 4 sheets of gelatine, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the cheek and tongue or ham into small pieces, cut the eggs into slices or sections, and arrange some of them in a pattern on the bottom, and round the sides of a plain mould or basin. Mix the parsley, lemon-rind, herbs, salt and pepper together. Cover the bottom of the decorated mould with a thick layer of ox-cheek, on the top of it place a thin layer of bacon, add a few slices of egg, and sprinkle well with the flavouring mixture. Repeat until the mould is full, pour in a little warm stock in which the gelatine has previously been dissolved, cover with a greased paper, stand in a tin containing water, and bake for 1¼ hours in a moderate oven. Pour in the remainder of the stock, and when cold turn cut and garnish with parsley.

Time.—To cook, from 1 to 1½ hours. Average Cost, 8d., exclusive of the ox-cheek.

908.—OX-CHEEK, STUFFED. (Fr.—Tête de bœuf farci.)

Ingredients.—1 ox-cheek, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, 2 onions, 2 small carrots, 1 turnip, 2 strips of celery, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 12 peppercorns, 2 cloves, salt and pepper, 1 egg, browned breadcrumbs.

Method.—Prepare and cook the cheek as directed in recipe for "Ox Cheek, Stewed." As soon as the bones can be easily separated from the meat, take the cheek out of the boiling-pot, remove the bones, flatten the cheek on the table, season it well with salt and pepper, spread on the forcemeat, roll up tightly and bind securely with string Coat the rolled cheek thickly with egg and browned bread crumbs, and bake in a moderate oven for 1½ hours, basting frequently with hot fat. Fry the butter and flour together until a brown roux (or thickening) is formed, strain on to it 1 pint of liquor from the boiling pot, stir until boiling, simmer for about ½ an hour, then season to taste, and when ready to serve strain it into a sauce-boat. If liked, the dish may be garnished with small rolls of fried bacon and slices of lemon.

Time.—From 4 to 4½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

909.—OX LIVER ROASTED. (Fr.—Foie de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of liver, ¼ of a lb. of fat bacon, salt and pepper, flour.

Method.—Wash and dry the liver, place it in a deep baking-dish, surround it to ½ its depth with hot water, and cover with slices of bacon. Bake gently for 1½ hours, basting well, and dredging frequently with flour highly seasoned with salt and pepper, during the process. (The bacon may be cut into dice and served as a garnish, in which case it must be kept covered with two or three thicknesses of greased paper while cooking otherwise it will become too crisp.)

Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

910.—OX PALATES, STEWED. (Fr.—Palais de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—4 ox-palates, 1½ pints of stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 onion, 1 small carrot, ½ a small turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 6 peppercorns, salt.

Method.—Soak the palates for several hours in salt and water, and press them frequently with the fingers to draw out the mucus. Wash well in 2 or 3 waters, then put the palates into a stewpan with cold water to completely cover them, heat gradually, and, before the water boils, drain, and scrape off the rough skin which covers one side, leaving them white and clear. If the water is allowed to boil this skin is removed with great difficulty. Replace the palates in the stewpan, add the stock, herbs, peppercorns, sliced vegetables, and salt, and simmer gently for 4 hours. Press between 2 dishes until cold, then cut into 2-inch squares. Fry the butter and flour in a stewpan until a brown roux is formed, strain on to it the stock in which the palates were cooked (if reduced to less than ¾ of a pint, add more to make up this quantity), put in the pieces of palate, and when hot serve, garnished with fancifully-cut vegetables.

Time.—20 minutes after the palates are cooked. Average Cost, 2s.

Note.—The palates, after being either braised or stewed until tender, and pressed until cold, may be marinaded (soused in brine), and, after being drained, dipped in butter coated with egg and breadcrumbs and fried, cut into rounds, re-heated, glazed, and dished alternately with slices of cooked tomato, or stuffed with meat farce, and dressed as olives.

911.—OX-TAIL BROILED. (Fr.—Queux de Bœuf grillés.)

Ingredients.—2 tails, 1½ pints of stock, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, piquante sauce or good gravy, oiled butter or salad oil.

Method.—Wash and dry the tails, and divide them at the joints. Put them into a stewpan with the stock, which should be highly-flavoured, otherwise vegetables and herbs must be added. Simmer gently for 2½ hours, then drain and put aside until cold. When ready, coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, dip into oiled butter or salad-oil, and broil over a clear fire. Serve with sauce or gravy. Cold remains may be utilized in this manner.

Time.—To stew, 2½ hours; to broil, 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 8d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

912.—OX-TAIL, STEWED. (Fr.—Queux de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 ox-tail, 2 ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1 pint of stock or water, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 sliced onion, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.

Method.—Wash the tail, cut it into pieces about 1½ inches long, and divide the thick parts in half. Make the butter hot in a stewpan, dry the pieces of tail thoroughly, and fry them brown in the butter. Take them out of the stewpan, put in the sliced onion and flour, fry until well browned, then add the stock, bouquet-garni, cloves, mace, salt and pepper, and stir until boiling. Replace the pieces of tail, cover closely, and simmer gently for 2½ to 3 hours. Arrange the pieces of tail on a hot dish, season the sauce to taste, add the lemon-juice, and strain over them. Garnish with croûtons of fried bread, or groups of cooked turnip and carrot, cut either into dice or julienne strips.

Time.—From 2½ to 3 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 9d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

The Tails of Animals.—The vertebral column, or backbone of the Mammalia, presents only slight modifications, and everywhere shows the same characteristics as in man, who stands at the head of this division of the animal kingdom. The length of this column, however, varies much, and the number of vertebrae of which it is composed is far from being uniform. These numerical differences principally depend on the unequal development of the caudal appendage, or tail-end, of the column. Thus, the tail-forming vertebrae sometimes do not exist at all—amongst certain bats, for example, in other examples forty, fifty, and even sixty of these bones may be reckoned. Among the greater number of mammals, the tail is of little use for locomotion, except that in many cases it performs the function of a rudder, steadying the animal in his rapid movements, and enabling him to turn more easily and quickly. Among some animals it is a very powerful aid to progression, as in the case of the kangaroos and jerboas, the tail forming, with the hind feet, a kind of tripod from which the animal makes its spring. With most of the American monkeys, the tail is prehensile, and serves the animal as a fifth hand to suspend itself from the branches of trees; and lastly, among the whales, it grows to an enormous size, and becomes the principal agent for swimming.

913.—PICKLED ROUND FOR HANGING. (Fr.—Bœuf Mariné.)

Ingredients.—14 or 16 lb. of round of beef. For the brine 1 lb. of coarse salt, ½ a lb. of coarse brown sugar, ½ an oz. of saltpetre.

Method.—Mix the salt, sugar and saltpetre together, and rub the mixture well into the meat. Keep it in an earthenware pan, turn twice a week for 3 weeks, then drain and bind into shape with strong tape. The meat may be at once cooked, or, if preferred, it may be hung in a kitchen, in which a fire is constantly kept, for 3 weeks. Pork, hams and bacon may be similarly treated, but will require double the quantity of brine, and after being hung for 3 weeks they should be either smokedried or placed in tubs filled with dry oat-rusks.

Time.—3 weeks in the brine, 3 weeks hung. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. per lb. Seasonable at an time.

914.—POTTED OX-TONGUE.

Ingredients.—Cooked ox-tongue. To each lb. allow 3 ozs. of butter, powdered mace, cloves, nutmeg, cayenne.

Method.—Chop the tongue finely, then pound it well in a mortar, gradually adding clarified butter, and the above flavourings until the whole is reduced to a moist smooth paste. Rub through a fine sieve, press into pots, and cover with the remainder of the clarified butter.

The Tongue of Animals.—The tongue in most vertebrate animals is the organ of taste. It is composed of fleshy muscular tissue, and in man is attached by its base to the hyoid bone, but is free at its other extremity. In many fishes the muscular tissue is absent. The tongue of the parrot tribe is fleshy, but in some birds, as the wood-pecker, it serves the purpose of a dart in capturing insects, which it transfixes. The characteristic roughness of the tongue is caused by the presence of papillae, or minute spots protruding from the surface of the skin; and these in the carnivora, as the lion, tiger, etc., are large and horny, and act like a rasp in tearing off the flesh from the bones of their prey. A curious solid body is found in the under surface of the tongue of the dog, called the "worm," or "lytta." The top and edges are the most sensitive portions of the tongue, and the sense of touch, as well as that of taste, is highly developed. Three main sets of nerves are situated in the tongue, the gustatory and the lingual nerves, which are connected with the sense of feeling and taste, and the hypo-glossal nerve, which acts upon the motor nerves of the muscles of the tongue. The tongue of the ox somewhat resembles that of the horse, which is sometimes substituted by dishonest dealers for the former. The deception may, however, be detected by observing the spoon-like expansion which characterizes the tongue of the horse.

915.—POTATO PASTY. (Fr.—Pâté de Pommes de terre.)

Ingredients.—½ a lb. of paste, ¼ of a lb. of raw lean beef cut into dice, ¼ of a lb. of parboiled potatoes cut into dice, 1 very small onion cooked and finely-chopped, pepper and salt, gravy or water.

Method.—Make the paste as directed, roll it out, keeping it as round as possible. Mix the meat, potato and onion together, season well, and moisten with 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of gravy or water. Place the meat preparation on one half of the paste, wet the edges, fold the other half over, and join neatly and securely. Prick, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly 1 hour, and serve either hot or cold.

Time.—To bake, from 50 to 60 minutes. Average Cost, 8d. or 9d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.

916.—PORTERHOUSE STEAK. (Fr.—Entrecôte Double.)

Ingredients.—A steak about 1½ inches in thickness, cut from a well-hung sirloin of beef, warm butter or salad-oil.

Method.—Brush the steak over on both sides with salad-oil or warm butter, sprinkle with pepper, and when convenient let it remain for 1 hour before cooking. Grill over a clear fire (see Grilling), and serve with maître d hôtel butter, groups of button onions fried in butter and glazed, small stuffed tomatoes, horseradish sauce, or suitable accompaniment.

917.—PYRAMIDS OF BEEF. (Fr.—Pyramides de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—6 ozs. of finely-chopped underdone beef, 1 egg, a little sauce, either brown or white, 1 shallot finely-chopped, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped mushrooms, ¾ of an oz. of butter, finely-chopped parsley, salt and pepper, round croûtes of fried or toasted bread, about 2 inches in diameter.

Method.—Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the shallot and onion until the former is well-browned, then put in the prepared meat, moisten with a little sauce, add the beaten egg, season rather liberally with salt and pepper, and stir over the fire for 10 or 15 minutes. If the mixture becomes too stiff add more sauce; if not stiff enough to be piled high on the croûtes, cook a little longer, in order that the egg may bind more firmly. Have the croûtes ready, pile the mixture upon them, tapering to a point. Sprinkle lightly with parsley, and serve as hot as possible.

Time.—To cook, 10 or 15 minutes. Average Cost, 7d. or 8d., in addition to the meat.

918.—RAGOÛT OF BEEF. (Fr.—Ragoût de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold roast beef (preferably underdone), 2 ozs. of butter or fat, 1½ ozs. of flour, 2 onions coarsely-chopped, 1 carrot cut into dice, ½ a turnip cut into dice, 1 pint of stock made from bones and trimmings, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into neat slices, put them aside, and boil the bones and trimmings at least 2 hours for stock. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the onion and trimmings of carrot and turnip, fry until lightly browned, then sprinkle in the flour. Stir and cook slowly until well-browned, put in the stock, season to taste, and stir until boiling. Boil gently for 15 minutes, then cool slightly, put in the meat, cover closely, and cook very gently for 1½ hours, taking care to keep the temperature just below simmering point. Place the slices of meat on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and garnish with the vegetable dice cooked separately. A tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, walnut liquor, sharp sauce or vinegar, may be used to give additional flavour to the sauce.

Time.—To stew, 1½ hours. Average Cost, 4d., exclusive of the meat. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

919.—ROAST BEEF PUDDING.

Ingredients.—⅓ a lb. of cold roast beef finely-chopped, 3 ozs. of flour, 1 egg, ½ a pint of milk, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt and pepper, dripping.

Method.—Make the batter as directed for frying batter, season it with salt and pepper, and add the herbs and meat. Melt a little dripping in a piedish or deep baking-tin, put in the preparation, bake until set and nicely browned, then serve.

Time.—To bake, about 40 minutes. Average Cost, 3d., in addition to the meat. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Note.—The beef may also be prepared as for "Beef au Gratin," and instead of using scallop shells, place the meat in a basin lined with suet paste crust, cover with paste, and strain for 2 hours (see "Beef Steak Pudding.").

920.—RIBS, ROAST. (See Roast Beef.)

921.—SCOTCH COLLOPS.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of lean beefsteak, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, ¼ of a pint of stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into very small pieces, but do not chop it. Make the butter hot in a stewpan, fry the onion lightly, stir in the flour and cook a little longer, then add the meat and the stock, and simmer slowly for 40 minutes. Surround the dish with sippets of fried or toasted bread, and serve hot.

Time.—To cook, 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.

922.—SIRLOIN, ROAST. (See Roast Beef.)

Origin of the Word Sirloin.—The loin of beef is popularly supposed to have received the name of "Sirloin" from the tradition that it was knighted by King Charles II at Friday Hall, Chingford, on the Merry Monarch's return of Epping Forest, when "hungry as a hunter," he beheld with delight a huge loin of beef smoking upon the table. "A noble joint," cried the king. "By St. George, it shall have a title." Then drawing his sword, he raised it above the meat, and exclaimed with mock dignity, "Loin, we dub thee knight; henceforth Sir Loin!" Alas for the ingenuity of the inventor of the story, the plain facts of philology are against him, the word surloyn being found in Middle English in the fifteenth century, derived from Old French, surlonge, fourteenth century, sur, above, and longe, loin.

923.—SEA PIE.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of beefsteak, ¾ of a lb. of suet paste (see pastes), 1 small onion, 1 carrot, pepper and salt.

Method.—Cut the steak into thin slices about 3 inches square, put them into a shallow stewpan, season with salt and pepper, barely cover the slices with boiling water, put on the lid, and simmer gently. Slice the carrot thinly, cut the onion into small pieces, and add them to the meat. Make the paste as directed, roll it into a round rather less than the top of the stewpan. Lay this on the top of the meat when it has simmered for ½ an hour, replace the lid, and continue the cooking for 1½ hours longer. When the pie is done, cut the paste into 4 pieces, and remove them carefully from the stewpan to a plate; arrange the meat and vegetables neatly on a hot dish, and place the crust on the top.

Time.—About 2¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 persons.

924.—SLICED AND BROILED BEEF. (Fr.—Bœuf Grillé aux Pomme de Terre.)

Ingredients.—Slices of cold roast beef, potato ribbons, frying-batter, frying-fat, salad-oil or oiled butter, salt and pepper.

Method.—Brush the slices of meat over with salad oil or oiled butter, broil over a clear fire, and season carefully with salt and pepper. Dip the potato ribbons into the prepared batter, fry them rather slowly in a deep pan of hot fat until crisp and nicely browned, and drain well. Place the meat on a hot dish, garnish with the potato ribbons, then serve.

Time.—To broil the meat, 5 minutes. Seasonable at any time.

925.—SMOTHERED BEEFSTEAK.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of rump steak, 3 or 4 Spanish onions, flour, salt and pepper, dripping.

Method.—Cut the onions across the stalk into rings, put them into a frying-pan in which a little dripping has been melted, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge well with flour, fry until crisp and lightly-browned, then remove and keep hot. Strain the fat and return it to the frying-pan, adding more if necessary, let it become very hot, and put in the steak. Fry according to taste, turning 2 or 3 times during the process, and, when done, remove and keep hot. Drain off nearly all the fat, add to the rest as much flour as it will absorb, brown nicely, and add a little boiling water. Boil up, season to taste, simmer for 2 minutes, and strain. Place the meat on a hot dish, cover with onion, pour the gravy over, then serve.

Time.—To fry, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 8d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

926.—STEAK PUDDING, BAKED.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of beef steak, ⅓ a lb. of ox kidney, 6 ozs. of flour, 2 eggs, ¾ of a pint of milk, salt and pepper, dripping.

Method.—Cut the steak into finger-shaped pieces, fry for a few minutes in dripping, and the kidney into rather thin slices, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Mix the eggs, milk and flour into a smooth batter (see Pastes), and season to taste with salt. Melt a little dripping in an earthenware baking-dish or pie-dish, put in ½ the batter, and bake until set. Place the partially fried steak and kidney on the top of the batter, fill up the dish with the remainder of the batter, and bake until set and well-browned.

Time.—To bake, about 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 10d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.

927.—STEAK, ROLLED. (Fr.—Tranche de Bœuf roulé.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of steak, cut in 1 piece, ¾ of an inch in thickness, 6 to 8 ozs. of veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), 1 pint of stock or water, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper.

Method.—Flatten the meat with a cutlet-bat or rolling-pin. Let the forcemeat be rather highly seasoned, spread it on the meat, roll up tightly, and bind with tape. Heat the butter in a stewpan, put in the meat, and fry quickly until the whole surface is browned, then add the hot stock or water, cover closely, and cook slowly for about 2 hours. When done, place on a hot dish, thicken the gravy with the flour, boil for 3 or 4 minutes, season to taste, and strain over the meat.

Time.—About 2 hours, to cook. Average Cost, 2s. 9d. to 3s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Note.—The roll may also be baked in the oven, but it must be well basted either with stock or fat.

928.—STEWED BEEF WITH OYSTERS. (Fr.—Bœuf aux Hûitres.)

Ingredients.—Thick slices of tender underdone cold beef, 12 sauce oysters, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 small onion or 2 shallots finely-chopped, ¾ of a pint of stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the meat into pieces the size and shape of fillets of beef (see No. 874). Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the meat quickly until lightly browned on both sides, then remove and keep hot. Fry the onion or shallots until lightly browned, then sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook slowly until well-browned, and add the stock. Season to taste, boil gently for 15 minutes, then cool slightly and put in the meat. Cook very slowly for 1 hour, keeping the temperature just below simmering point, then add the flavoured oysters and their strained liquor. Cook for a very few minutes longer to plump the oysters, and serve immediately, otherwise the oysters will harden.

Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d., in addition to the meat. Sufficient—Allow 1 lb. to 3 persons. Seasonable from September till March.

929.—STEWED BRISKET OF BEEF. (Fr.—Poitrine de Bœuf à la Bourgeoise.)

Ingedients.—6 or 7 lb. of fresh brisket of beef, vinegar, 2 carrots ½ a turnip 2 onions, 2 or 3 strips of celery, 1 blade of mace, 10 peppercorns, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 ozs. of flour, stock, salt and pepper.

Method.—Rub the meat over with vinegar and salt, and let it remain 2 or 3 hours before dressing. Put it into a stewpan just large enough to contain it, barely cover with stock, or water when stock is not available, bring to the boil and skim well. Simmer gently for 1 hour, then add the prepared vegetables, mace, peppercorns, bouquet-garni, and salt if required, and continue to cook as slowly as possible for 2½ hours longer, keeping the stewpan closely covered meanwhile. During the preparation of the above heat the butter in a smaller stewpan, add the flour, stir and cook slowly until it acquires a nut-brown colour, then put aside until wanted. When ready, take up the meat remove the bones, strain the stock, and add to it either stock or water to make up 1 pint. Add this to the prepared butter and flour, stir until boiling, boil gently for a few minutes, and season to taste. Serve the meat garnished with the vegetables, and the sauce separately.

Time.—To stew, 3½ hours. Average Cost, 3s. 8d. to 4s. Seasonable at any time.

930.—STEWED STEAK.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of beefsteak, ¾ of a pint of stock or water, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 onion, 1 carrot, ½ a turnip, pepper and salt.

Method.—Remove the fat from the steak and put it aside until wanted, divide the lean into 5 or 6 pieces. Cut the vegetables into dice, or julienne strips, and keep them in water until required. Heat the butter in a stewpan, fry the steak quickly until browned on both sides, remove it, put in the trimmings of the vegetables and the flour, fry brown, then add the stock or water and stir until boiling. Replace the meat, season to taste, cover closely, and cook gently for about 2 hours. When done, have ready the dice or strips of vegetables boiled until tender in salted water, and the fat of the meat fried and nicely browned. Arrange the pieces of steak neatly on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, place the fat on the top, and garnish the base with groups of the prepared vegetables.

Time.—From 2¼ to 2½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

931.—TENDERLOIN OF BEEF.

Ingredients.—A thick slice off a well-hung sirloin, salad-oil or oiled butter, salt and pepper.

Method.—Brush the meat on both sides with salad-oil or oiled butter, grill over a clear fire until done, turning two or three times, and repeatedly brush it over with oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with fried potatoes and Maître d'Hôtel butter, or any other accompaniments preferred.

Time.—10 to 15 minutes, according to thickness. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d. per lb.

932.—TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of beef steak (cut up small), 4 ozs. of flour, ½ a pint of milk, 1 egg, salt, dripping.

Method.—Mix the flour, milk, egg, and a little salt into a smooth batter. Put into a Yorkshire pudding tin sufficient dripping to form a thin layer when melted, pour in about ¼ of the batter, and bake until set. Then add the meat, season it with salt and pepper, pour in the remainder of the batter, bake quickly until it has risen and set, and then more slowly until sufficiently cooked. Serve in squares arranged neatly overlapping each other on a hot dish.

Time.—To bake, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 5d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

933.—TONGUE BOILED. (Fr.—Langue de Bœuf.)

Ingredients.—1 tongue, a bunch of savoury herbs, water.

Method.—In choosing a tongue, ascertain how long it has been dried or pickled, and select one with a smooth skin, which denotes its being young and tender. If a dried one, and rather hard, soak it at least for 12 hours previous to cooking it; if, however, the tongue is fresh from the pickle, 2 or 3 hours will be sufficient for it to remain in soak. Put the tongue into a stewpan with plenty of cold water and a bunch of savoury herbs, let it gradually come to a boil, skim well, and simmer very gently until tender. Peel off the skin, garnish with tufts of cauliflowers or Brussels sprouts, and serve. Boiled tongue is frequently sent to table with boiled poultry, instead of ham, and is preferred by many. If the tongue is to be served cold, peel it, fasten it down to a piece of board by sticking a fork through the root, and another through the top to straighten it. When cold, glaze it, put a paper ruche round the root, and garnish with tufts of parsley.

Time.—A large smoked tongue, 4 to 4½ hours; a small one, 2½ to 3 hours. A large unsmoked tongue, 3 to 3½ hours; a small one, 2 to 2½ hours. Average Cost, for a moderate-sized tongue, 5s. to 6s. 6d.

934.—TONGUE TO CURE. (Fr.—Langue de Bœuf Salé)

Ingredients.—For a tongue of 7 lb., 1 oz. of saltpetre, ½ an oz. of black pepper, 4 ozs. of sugar, 3 ozs. of juniper berries, 6 ozs. of salt.

Method.—Rub the above ingredients well into the tongue, let it remain in the pickle for 10 or 14 days, then drain it, tie it up in brown paper, and have it smoked for about 20 days over a wood fire. It may be boiled without smoking if liked.

Time.—From 10 to 14 days, to remain in the pickle; to be smoked 24 days.

Average Cost, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, 3s. 6d.

935.—TOURNEDOS OF BEEF À LA COLBERT. (Fr.—Tournedos à la Colbert.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil. For the Eschalot sauce: ⅓ of a pint of good gravy or demi-glace sauce (No. 242), 6 finely-chopped shallots, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 1 glass of sherry. For the garnish: small rounds of potato fried, and fried croûtons of bread.

Method.—Cut the meat into rounds, both smaller and thinner than fillets of beef. Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, fry the shallots lightly, let the butter cool slightly, then strain, leave the shallots to drain, and return the butter to the sauté-pan. Into a small stewpan put the gravy or demi-glace sauce, sherry, parsley, lemon-juice, the shallots when sufficiently drained, and boil until well reduced, then season to taste, and keep hot until required. Add the salad-oil to the butter in the sauté-pan, and when hot put in the tournedos and fry them quickly until nicely browned. Arrange them in a circle on a border of mashed potato, put the fried rounds of potato in the centre, garnish with the croûtons of fried bread, and serve the Echalot sauce in a sauce-boat, or pour round the crust.

Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost.—4s. Sufficient for 6. or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

936.—TOURNEDOS OF BEEF À LA SICILIAN. (Fr.—Tournedos de Bœuf à la Sicilienne.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, ¾ of a pint of Espagnole or brown sauce, No. 244, or 233, 1 glass of Marsala, butter for frying, 1 heaped tablespoonful of shredded onion, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt, potato border.

Method.—Cut the fillets into rounds 2½ inches across and about ½ an inch in thickness, and season with salt and pepper. Brown the shredded onion in a little hot butter, drain free from fat, mix with the prepared sauce, and add the Marsala. Season to taste, and simmer gently until required. Broil the fillets over a clear fire, or fry them in a little hot butter, and arrange them in a close row on a border of potato. Pour a little sauce round, and serve the remainder separately.

Time.—To broil or fry the fillets, from 5 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

937.—TOURNEDOS OF BEEF À LA BEARNAISE. (Fr.—Tournedos de Bœuf à la Béarnaise.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, ⅓ of a pint of Béarnaise Sauce, No. 176, ¼ of a pint of demi-glace sauce, No. 242, butter if fried, salt and pepper, mashed potato.

Method.—Cut the fillet into ½-inch slices, trim them into round or oval shapes 2½ inches across, and season with salt and pepper. Grill over a clear fire, or, if preferred, fry in hot butter. Cover one side with Béarnaise Sauce, arrange neatly on a potato border, and pour the demi-glace sauce round.

Time.—To fry or grill, 6 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

938.—TOURNEDOS OF BEEF À LA VENETIENNE. (Fr.—Tournedos de Bœuf à la Venetienne.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 6 or 8 very small tomatoes, 6 or 8 round croûtes of fried bread, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of spinach or green pea purée, slices of hard-boiled white of egg, slices of truffle, ¼ of a pint of demi-glace sauce, No. 244, salt and pepper, potato border.

Method.—Scoop out a little of the pulp of the tomatoes, and squeeze some of the juice. Season with salt and pepper, fill with the prepared vegetable purée, piling it high, and make thoroughly hot in the oven. Prepare the tournedos as directed in preceding recipes, grill over a clear fire, or fry in hot butter, then season them with salt and pepper, and arrange neatly on a potato border. Place the tomatoes on the croûtes, lay on the top first a slice of white of egg, and then a much smaller slice of truffle. Pour the sauce round, and serve.

Time.—To grill or fry, from 6 to 8 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. 6d. to 4s. 9d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

939.—TOURNEDOS OF BEEF A LA NELSON. (Fr.—Tournedos de Bœuf à la Nelson.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, ⅓ of a pint of small button onions, ⅓ of a pint of potato dice, ½ a pint of Espagnole or brown sauce, No. 244, or 233, 1 glass of Madeira, butter for frying, frying-fat, salt and pepper.

Method.—Parboil the onions in strong stock, then drain them. Cut the meat into fillets ½ an inch thick and 2 inches in diameter, fry lightly in hot butter, then drain and place them separately in small casseroles, season with salt and pepper, and add the onions. Have the sauce ready in a stewpan, add the wine, season to taste, fill up the casseroles, and cook gently for about 40 minutes. Fry the potato dice in hot fat until well-browned, drain well, and add them to the contents of the casseroles 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

Time.—To fry, 3 or 4 minutes; to stew, 40 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 3s. 9d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

940.—TRIPE AND ONIONS.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of dressed tripe, 2 large onions, ½ a pint of milk, ½ a pint of water, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 teaspoonful of salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the tripe into 3-inch squares; put them into a stewpan, cover with cold water, bring to boiling point, and strain. Replace the tripe, add the milk, water and salt, boil up, put in the thinly-sliced onions, and simmer for 3 hours. 20 minutes before serving have the flour mixed smoothly with a little milk, pour it into the stewpan, stir until boiling, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste, and serve.

Time.—About 3½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 8d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons

941.—TRIPE A LA LYONNAISE.

Ingredients.—1 lb. of cold boiled tripe, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 large onion sliced, 1 heaped teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of vinegar, salt and pepper.

Method.—Cut the tripe into pieces 2 inches square. Heat the butter in a frying-pan, fry the onion until tender and lightly-browned, then add the prepared tripe, parsley, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss over the fire for a few minutes, and serve as hot as possible.

Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.

942.—TRIPE, FRIED. (Fr.—Tripe Frite.)

Ingredients.—2 lb. of dressed tripe, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, about ¼ of a pint of milk or water, salt and pepper, dripping.

Method.—Mix the milk and flour into a smooth batter, adding a little more milk if the batter is too stiff to run readily from the spoon, and a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper. Cut the tripe into 3-inch squares, dip them into the batter, and fry them until crisp and brown in a little hot dripping in a frying-pan. Onions sliced and fried are frequently served as an accompaniment to this dish.

Time. —About ½ hour, to prepare and fry. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

943.—TRIPE, TO DRESS.

Ingredients.—Tripe, water.

Method.—The paunch is always emptied and cleansed in the slaughter house, and seldom offered for sale in an entirely untrimmed condition. When bought in its natural state, it must be repeatedly washed, and afterwards boiled for ten hours or more, during which time the water should be changed at least three times.

944.—TO CLARIFY BEEF SUET OR FAT.

Ingredients.—6 lb. of beef fat, 1 pint of cold water.

Method.—Remove skin and sinews of the fat, then cut it into small pieces; put them with the water into an old iron saucepan, and boil until all the water has evaporated and the liquid becomes clear, and the pieces of fat light-brown and shrivelled in appearance. Stir frequently to prevent the fat sticking to the pan. When cool, strain. This amount of fat should produce 4 lb. of clarified fat. The fat may be cooked or uncooked, and a small quantity may be more conveniently clarified in a jar in the oven.

Time.—From 2 to 3 hours. Average Cost, from 4d. per lb. Quantity, 6 lb. yields 4 lb. of clarified fat.

945.—TO CLARIFY BEEF DRIPPING.

Put the dripping into an old iron saucepan, cover with boiling water, and boil uncovered for ½ an hour. Cool slightly, then pour into an earthenware vessel, and as soon as it is cold and firm scrape the impurities from the under surface, and re-heat, to evaporate all water. If the fat is left on the water, after it is set, it will absorb some of the water.

946.—TO SALT BEEF. (See Recipe No. 913.)

947.—TO SALT BEEF, DUTCH WAY. (Fr.—Bœuf Salé, à la Hollandaise.)

Ingredients.—10 lb. of round or brisket of beef, 1 lb. of common salt 1 lb. of treacle, 1 oz. of saltpetre.

Method.—Rub the beef well with the treacle, let it remain for 3 days, meanwhile turning and rubbing it frequently, then drain and wipe dry. Mix the salt and saltpetre together, rub the mixture well into the meat, and turn it daily for 10 days. Roll tightly in a coarse cloth, place under heavy pressure for 2 days, and afterwards let it hang in the smoke from a peat or wood fire for 14 days. Boil or braise in the usual way, press until cold, then glaze and serve.

Time.—29 days. Average Cost, 6½d. to 9d. per lb. Seasonable at any time.