The Boston cooking-school cook book by Fannie Merritt Farmer
CHAPTER XII
7191 words | Chapter 27
BEEF
Meat is the name applied to the flesh of all animals used for food. Beef
is the meat of steer, ox, or cow, and is the most nutritious and largely
consumed of all animal foods. Meat is chiefly composed of the
albuminoids (fibrin, albumen, gelatin), fat, mineral matter, and water.
=Fibrin= is that substance in blood which causes it to coagulate when
shed. It consists of innumerable delicate fibrils which entangle the
blood corpuscles, and form with them a mass called blood clot. Fibrin is
insoluble in both cold and hot water.
=Albumen= is a substance found in the blood and muscle. It is soluble in
cold water, and is coagulated by hot water or heat. It begins to
coagulate at 134° F. and becomes solid at 160° F. Here lies the
necessity of cooking meat in hot water at a low temperature; of broiling
meat at a high temperature, to quickly sear surface.
=Gelatin= in its raw state is termed _collagen_. It is a transparent,
tasteless substance, obtained by boiling with water, muscle, skin,
cartilage, bone, tendon, ligament, or membrane of animals. By this
process, collagen of connective tissues is dissolved and converted into
gelatin. Gelatin is insoluble in cold water, soluble in hot water, but
in boiling water is decomposed, and by much boiling will not solidify on
cooling. When subjected to cold water it swells, and is called hydrated
gelatin. Myosin is the albuminoid of muscle, collagen of tendons, ossein
of bones, and chondrin of cartilage and gristle.
Gelatin, although highly nitrogenous, does not act in the system as
other nitrogenous foods, as a large quantity passes out unchanged.
=Fat= is the white or yellowish oily solid substance forming the chief
part of the adipose tissue. Fat is found in thick layers directly under
the skin, in other parts of the body, in bone, and is intermingled
throughout the flesh. Fat as food is a great heat-giver and
force-producer. _Suet_ is the name given to fat which lies about the
loins and kidneys. Beef suet tried out and clarified is much used in
cookery for shortening and frying.
=Mineral Matter.= The largest amount of mineral matter is found in bone.
It is principally calcium phosphate (phosphate of lime). Sodium chloride
(common salt) is found in the blood and throughout the tissues.
=Water= abounds in all animals, constituting a large percentage of their
weight.
The color of meat is due to the coloring matter (hæmoglobin) which
abounds in the red corpuscles of the blood.
The distinctive flavor of meat is principally due to peptones and allied
substances, and is intensified by the presence of sodium chloride and
other salts.
The beef creature is divided by splitting through the backbone in two
parts, each part being called _a side of beef_. Four hundred and fifty
pounds is good market weight for a side of beef.
The most expensive cuts come from that part of the creature where
muscles are but little used, which makes the meat finer-grained and
consequently more tender, taking less time for cooking. Many of the
cheapest cuts, though equally nutritious, need long, slow cooking to
render them tender enough to digest easily. Tough meat which has long
and coarse fibres is often found to be very juicy, on account of the
greater motion of that part of the creature, which causes the juices to
flow freely. Roasting and broiling, which develop so fine a flavor, can
only be applied to the more expensive cuts. The liver, kidneys, and
heart are of firm, close texture, and difficult of digestion. Tripe,
which is the first stomach of the ox, is easy of digestion, but on
account of the large amount of fat which it contains, it is undesirable
for those of weak digestion.
The quality of beef depends on age of the creature and manner of
feeding. The best beef is obtained from a steer of four or five years.
Good beef should be firm and of fine-grained texture, bright red in
color, and well mottled and coated with fat. The fat should be firm and
of a yellowish color. Suet should be dry, and crumble easily. Beef
should not be eaten as soon as killed, but allowed to hang and
ripen,—from two to three weeks in winter, and two weeks in summer.
Meat should be removed from paper as soon as it comes from market,
otherwise paper absorbs some of the juices.
Meat should be kept in a cool place. In winter, beef may be bought in
large quantities and cut as needed. If one chooses, a loin or rump may
be bought and kept by the butcher, who sends cuts as ordered.
Always wipe beef, before cooking, with a cheese-cloth wrung out of cold
water, but never allow it to stand in a pan of cold water, as juices
will be drawn out.
DIVISION AND WAYS OF COOKING A SIDE OF BEEF
HIND-QUARTER
DIVISIONS WAYS OF COOKING
Flank (thick and boneless) Stuffed, rolled and braised, or
corned and boiled
Round Aitchbone Cheap roast, beef stew, or
braised
Top Steaks, best cuts for beef tea
Lower Part Hamburg steaks, curry of beef,
and cecils
Vein Steaks
Rump Back Choicest large roasts and
cross-cut steaks
Middle Roasts
Face Inferior roasts and stews
Loin Tip Extra fine roasts
Middle Sirloin and porterhouse steaks
First Cut Steaks and roast
The Tenderloin Sold as a Fillet or Larded and roasted, or broiled
cut in Steaks
Hind-shin Cheap stew or soup stock
FORE-QUARTER
Five Prime Ribs Good roast
Five Chuck Rib Small steaks and stews
Neck Hamburg steaks
Sticking-piece Mincemeat
Thick End
Rattle Rand Second Cut Corned for boiling
Thin End
Navel End
Brisket Butt End or Finest pieces for corning
Fancy Brisket
Fore-shin Soup stock and stews
Other Parts of Beef Creature used for Food
Brains Stewed, scalloped dishes, or
croquettes
Tongue Boiled or braised, fresh or
corned
Heart Stuffed and braised
Liver Broiled or fried
Kidneys Stewed or sautéd
Tail Soup
Suet (kidney
suet is the
best)
Tripe Lyonnaise, broiled, or fried in
batter
The Effect of Different Temperatures on the Cooking of Meat
By putting meat in cold water and allowing water to heat gradually, a
large amount of juice is extracted and meat is tasteless; and by long
cooking the connective tissues are softened and dissolved, which gives
to the stock when cold a jelly-like consistency. This principle applies
to soup making.
By putting meat in boiling water, allowing the water to boil for a few
minutes, then lowering the temperature, juices in the outer surface are
quickly coagulated, and the inner juices are prevented from escaping.
This principle applies where nutriment and flavor is desired in meat.
Examples: boiled mutton, fowl.
By putting in cold water, bringing quickly to the boiling-point, then
lowering the temperature and cooking slowly until meat is tender, some
of the goodness will be in the stock, but a large portion left in the
meat. Examples: fowl, when cooked to use for made-over dishes, Scotch
Broth.
[Illustration:
ROUND OF BEEF.—_Page 193._
]
[Illustration:
AITCH BONE.
TENDERLOIN OF BEEF. CUT FROM HIND SHIN FOR SOUP MAKING.
_Page 193._
]
[Illustration:
TIP OF SIRLOIN. FIVE PRIME RIBS.
_Page 201._
]
[Illustration:
RUMP. PORTER HOUSE STEAK.
FIRST SLICE FROM CROSS-CUT OF RUMP.
_Page 201._
]
TABLE SHOWING COMPOSITION OF MEATS
Articles Refuse Proteid Fat Mineral matter Water
BEEF
Fore-quarter 19.8 14.1 16.1 .7 49.3
Hind-quarter 16.3 15.3 15.6 .8 52.
Round 8.5 18.7 8.8 1. 63.
Rump 18.5 14.4 19. .8 47.3
Loin 12.6 15.9 17.3 .9 53.3
Ribs 20.2 13.6 20.6 .7 44.9
Chuck ribs 13.3 15. 20.8 .8 50.1
Tongue 15.1 14.8 15.3 .9 53.9
Heart 16. 20.4 1. 62.6
Carbohydrates
Kidney .4 16.9 4.8 1.2 76.7
Liver 1.8 21.6 5.4 1.4 69.8
MUTTON
Hind-quarter 16.7 13.5 23.5 .7 45.6
Fore-quarter 21.1 11.9 25.7 .7 40.6
Leg 17.4 15.1 14.5 .8 52.2
Loin 14.2 12.8 31.9 .6 40.5
VEAL
Fore-quarter 24.5 14.6 6. .7 54.2
Hind-quarter 20.7 15.7 6.6 .8 56.2
Leg 10.5 18.5 5. 1. 65.
Sweetbreads 15.4 12.1 1.6 70.9
PORK
Loin of pork 16. 13.5 27.5 .7 42.3
Ham, smoked 12.7 14.1 33.2 4.1 35.9
Salt pork 8.1 6.5 66.8 2.7 15.9
Bacon 8.1 9.6 60.2 4.3 17.8
POULTRY
Chicken 34.8 14.8 1.1 .8 48.5
Fowl 30. 13.4 10.2 .8 45.6
Turkey 22.7 15.7 18.4 .8 42.4
Goose 22.2 10.3 33.8 .6 33.1
_W. O. Atwater, Ph.D._
Broiled Beefsteak
The best cuts of beef for broiling are porterhouse, sirloin, cross-cut
of rump steaks, and second and third cuts from top of round. Porterhouse
and sirloin cuts are the most expensive, on account of the great loss in
bone and fat, although price per pound is about the same as for
cross-cut of rump. Round steak is very juicy, but, having coarser fibre,
is not as tender. Steaks should be cut at least an inch thick, and from
that to two and one-half inches. The flank end of sirloin steak should
be removed before cooking. It may be put in soup kettle, or lean part
may be chopped and utilized for meat cakes, fat tried out and clarified
for shortening.
=To Broil Steak.= Wipe with a cloth wrung out of cold water, and trim
off superfluous fat. With some of the fat grease a wire broiler, place
meat in broiler (having fat edge next to handle), and broil over a clear
fire, turning every ten seconds for the first minute, that surface may
be well seared, thus preventing escape of juices. After the first
minute, turn occasionally until well cooked on both sides. Steak cut one
inch thick will take five minutes, if liked rare; six minutes, if well
done. Remove to hot platter, spread with butter, and sprinkle with salt
and pepper.
Beefsteak with Maître d’Hôtel Butter
Serve Broiled Steak with Maître d’Hôtel Butter.
Porterhouse Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Serve broiled Porterhouse Steak with Mushroom Sauce.
Porterhouse Steak with Tomato and Mushroom Sauce
Serve broiled Porterhouse Steak with Tomato and Mushroom Sauce.
Porterhouse Steak, Bordelaise Sauce
Serve broiled porterhouse steak with
=Bordelaise Sauce.= Cook one shallot, finely chopped, with one-fourth
cup claret until claret is reduced to two tablespoons, and strain. Melt
two tablespoons butter, add one slice onion, two slices carrot, sprig of
parsley, bit of bay leaf, eight peppercorns, and one clove, and cook
until brown. Add three and one-half tablespoons flour, and when well
browned add gradually one cup Brown Stock. Strain, let simmer eight
minutes, add claret and one tablespoon butter. Season with salt and
pepper. Remove marrow from a marrow-bone and cut in one-third inch
slices; then poach in boiling water. Arrange on and around steak, and
pour around sauce.
Beefsteak à la Henriette
½ cup butter
Yolks 3 eggs
1 tablespoon cold water
½ tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
½ tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Few grains cayenne
Wash butter, and divide in three pieces. Put one piece in saucepan with
yolks of eggs slightly beaten and mixed with water and lemon juice.
Proceed same as in making Hollandaise Sauce I (see p. 274); then add
tomato, parsley, and seasonings. Pour one-half sauce on a serving dish,
lay a broiled porterhouse steak on sauce, and cover steak with remaining
sauce. Garnish with parsley.
Beefsteak à la Victor Hugo
Wipe a porterhouse steak, broil, and serve with
=Victor Hugo Sauce.= Cook one-half teaspoon finely chopped shallot in
one tablespoon tarragon vinegar five minutes. Wash one-third cup butter,
and divide in thirds. Add one piece butter to mixture, with yolks two
eggs, one teaspoon lemon juice, and one teaspoon meat extract. Cook over
hot water, stirring constantly; as soon as butter is melted, add second
piece, and then third piece. When mixture thickens, add one-half
tablespoon grated horseradish.
Steak à la Chiron
Spread broiled rump steak with Hollandaise Sauce I (see p. 274) to which
is added a few drops onion juice and one-half tablespoon finely chopped
parsley.
Beefsteak à la Mirabeau
Garnish a broiled porterhouse or cross-cut of rump steak with anchovies,
and stoned olives stuffed with green butter and chopped parsley. Arrange
around steak stuffed tomatoes, and fried potato balls served in shells
made from noodle mixture. Pour around the following sauce: Melt two
tablespoons butter, add two and one-half tablespoons browned flour, then
add one cup Chicken Stock. Season with one tablespoon tomato catsup and
salt and pepper.
=Noodle Shells.= Make noodle mixture (see p. 147), roll as thinly as
possible, cut in pieces, and shape over buttered inverted scallop
shells. Put in dripping-pan and bake in a slow oven. As mixture bakes it
curls from edges, when cases should be slipped from shells and pressed
firmly in insides of shells to finish cooking and leave an impression of
shells. Potato balls served in these shells make an attractive garnish
for broiled fish and meats.
Beefsteak with Oyster Blanket
Wipe a sirloin steak, cut one and one-half inches thick, broil five
minutes, and remove to platter. Spread with butter and sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Clean one pint oysters, cover steak with same, sprinkle
oysters with salt and pepper and dot over with butter. Place on grate in
hot oven, and cook until oysters are plump.
Planked Beefsteak
Wipe, remove superfluous fat, and pan broil seven minutes a porterhouse
or cross-cut of the rump steak cut one and three-fourths inches thick.
Butter a plank and arrange a border of Duchess Potatoes close to edge,
using a pastry bag and rose tube. Remove steak to plank, put in a hot
oven, and bake until steak is cooked and potatoes are browned. Spread
steak with butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and finely chopped
parsley. Garnish top of steak with sautéd mushroom caps, and put around
steak at equal distances halves of small tomatoes sautéd in butter, and
on top of each tomato a circular slice of cucumber.
Broiled Fillets of Beef
Slices cut from the tenderloin are called sliced fillets of beef. Wipe
sliced fillets, place in greased broiler, and broil four or five minutes
over a clear fire. These may be served with Maître d’Hôtel Butter or
Mushroom Sauce.
Cutlets of Tenderloin with Chestnut Purée
Shape slices of tenderloin, one inch thick, in circular pieces. Broil
five minutes. Spread with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange
on platter around a mound of Chestnut Purée.
Sautéd Mignon Fillets of Beef with Sauce Figaro
Wipe and sauté small fillets in hot omelet pan. Arrange in a circle on
platter with cock’s-comb shaped croûtons between, and pour sauce in the
centre. Serve as a luncheon dish with Brussels Sprouts or String Beans.
Sautéd Mignon Fillets of Beef with Sauce Trianon
Wipe and sauté small fillets in hot omelet pan. Arrange in a circle
around a mound of fried potato balls sprinkled with parsley. Put Sauce
Trianon on each fillet.
Sautéd Fillets of Beef à la Moelle
Cut beef tenderloin in slices one inch thick, and trim into circular
shapes. Season with salt and pepper, and broil six minutes in hot
buttered frying-pan. Remove marrow from a marrow-bone, cut in one-third
inch slices, poach in boiling water, and drain. Put a slice of marrow on
each fillet. To liquor in pan add one tablespoon butter, two tablespoons
flour, and one cup Brown Stock. Season with salt, pepper, and Madeira
wine. Pour sauce around meat.
Sautéd Fillets of Beef, Cherry Sauce
Prepare and cook six fillets same as Sautéd Fillets of Beef à la Moelle.
Arrange on serving dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, spread with
butter, and pour over.
=Cherry Sauce.= Soak one-fourth cup glacéd cherries fifteen minutes in
boiling water. Drain, cut in halves, cover with Sherry wine, and let
stand three hours.
Sautéd Fillets of Beef with Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Prepare and cook six fillets same as Sautéd Fillets of Beef à la Moelle.
Put a sautéd stuffed mushroom cap on each, sprinkle with buttered
crumbs, and bake until crumbs are browned. Remove to serving dish, pour
around Espagnole Sauce, and garnish caps with strips of red and green
pepper cut in fancy shapes.
=Stuffing for Mushroom Caps.= Clean and finely chop six mushroom caps;
add one tablespoon each of parsley and onion finely chopped, and one
tablespoon butter. Moisten with Espagnole Sauce (See p. 200).
Châteaubriand of Beef
Trim off fat and skin from three pounds of beef cut from centre of
fillet and flatten with a broad-bladed cleaver. Sprinkle with salt,
brush over with olive oil, and broil over a clear fire twenty minutes.
Remove to serving dish, garnish with red pepper cut in fancy shapes and
parsley. Serve with
=Espagnole Sauce.= To one and one-half cups rich brown sauce add
two-thirds teaspoon meat extract, one tablespoon lemon juice, and one
and one-half tablespoons finely chopped parsley. Just before serving add
one tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste.
Broiled Meat Cakes
Chop finely lean raw beef, season with salt and pepper, shape in small
flat cakes, and broil in a greased broiler or frying-pan. Spread with
butter, or serve with Maître d’Hôtel Butter. In forming the cakes,
handle as little as possible; for if pressed too compactly, cakes will
be found solid.
Hamburg Steaks
Chop finely one pound lean raw beef; season highly with salt, pepper,
and a few drops onion juice or one-half shallot finely chopped. Shape,
cook, and serve as Meat Cakes. A few gratings of nutmeg and one egg
slightly beaten may be added.
[Illustration:
PLANKS FOR PLANKED DISHES.—_Page 198._
]
[Illustration:
BEEFSTEAK À LA MIRABEAU.—_Page 197._
]
[Illustration:
SIDE OF VEAL WITH SWEETBREAD ATTACHED.
SIDE OF LAMB SHOWING DIVISION INTO FORE AND HIND QUARTER.
_Page 195._
]
Cannelon of Beef
2 lbs. lean beef, cut from round
Grated rind ½ lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 egg
½ teaspoon onion juice
2 tablespoons melted butter
Few gratings nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Chop meat finely, and add remaining ingredients in order given. Shape in
a roll six inches long, wrap in buttered paper, place on rack in
dripping-pan, and bake thirty minutes. Baste every five minutes with
one-fourth cup butter melted in one cup boiling water. Serve with Brown
Mushroom Sauce I.
Roast Beef
The best cuts of beef for roasting are: tip or middle of sirloin, back
of rump, or first three ribs. Tip of sirloin roast is desirable for a
small family. Back of rump makes a superior roast for a large family,
and is more economical than sirloin. It is especially desirable where a
large quantity of dish gravy is liked, for in carving the meat juices
follow the knife. Rib roasts contain more fat than either of the others,
and are somewhat cheaper.
=To Roast Beef.= Wipe, put on a rack in dripping-pan, skin side down,
rub over with salt, and dredge meat and pan with flour. Place in hot
oven, that the surface may be quickly seared, thus preventing escape of
inner juices. After flour in pan is browned, reduce heat, and baste with
fat which has tried out; if meat is quite lean, it may be necessary to
put trimmings of fat in pan. Baste every ten minutes; if this rule is
followed, meat will be found more juicy. When meat is about half done,
turn it over and dredge with flour, that skin side may be uppermost for
final browning. For roasting, consult Time Table for Baking Meats, page
30.
If there is danger of flour burning in pan, add a small quantity of
water; this, however, is not desirable, and seldom need be done if size
of pan is adapted to size of roast. Beef to be well roasted should be
started in hot oven and heat decreased, so that when carved the slices
will be red throughout, with a crisp layer of golden brown fat on the
top. Beef roasted when temperature is so high that surface is hardened
before heat can penetrate to the centre is most unsatisfactory.
Sirloin or rib roasts may have the bones removed, and be rolled,
skewered, and tied in shape. Chicago Butt is cut from the most tender
part of back of rump. They are shipped from Chicago, our greatest beef
centre, and if fresh and from a heavy creature, make excellent roasts at
a small price.
=Roast Beef Gravy.= Remove some of the fat from pan, leaving four
tablespoons. Place on front of range, add four tablespoons flour, and
stir until well browned. The flour, dredged and browned in pan, should
give additional color to gravy. Add gradually one and one-half cups
boiling water, cook five minutes, season with salt and pepper, and
strain. If flour should burn in pan, gravy will be full of black
particles.
=To Carve a Roast of Beef.= Have roast placed on platter skin side up;
with a pointed, thin-bladed, sharp knife cut a sirloin or rib roast in
thin slices at right angles to the ribs, and cut slices from ribs. If
there is tenderloin, remove it from under the bone, and cut in thin
slices across grain of meat. Carve back of rump in thin slices with the
grain of meat; by so doing, some of the least tender muscle will be
served with that which is tender. By cutting across grain of meat, the
tenderest portion is sliced by itself, as is the less tender portion.
Yorkshire Pudding
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
_Miss C. J. Wills_
Mix salt and flour, and add milk gradually to form a smooth paste; then
add eggs beaten until very light. Cover bottom of hot pan with some of
beef fat tried out from roast, pour mixture in pan one-half inch deep.
Bake twenty minutes in hot oven, basting after well risen, with some of
the fat from pan in which meat is roasting. Cut in squares for serving.
Bake, if preferred, in greased, hissing hot iron gem pans.
Larded Fillet of Beef
The tenderloin of beef which lies under the loin and rump is called
fillet of beef. The fillet under the loin is known as the long fillet,
and when removed no porterhouse steaks can be cut; therefore it commands
a higher price than the short fillet lying under rump. Two short fillets
are often skewered together, and served in place of a long fillet.
Wipe, remove fat, veins, and any tendinous portions; skewer in shape,
and lard upper side with grain of meat, following directions for larding
on page 23. Place on a rack in small pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper,
dredge with flour, and put in bottom of pan small pieces of pork. Bake
twenty to thirty minutes in hot oven, basting three times. Take out
skewer, remove meat to hot platter, and garnish with watercress. Serve
with Mushroom, Figaro, or Horseradish Sauce I.
Fillet of Beef with Vegetables
Wipe a three-pound fillet, trim, and remove fat. Put one-half pound
butter in hot frying-pan and when melted add fillet, and turn frequently
until the entire surface is seared and well browned; then turn
occasionally until done, the time required being about thirty minutes.
Remove to serving dish and garnish with one cup each cooked peas and
carrots cut in fancy shapes, both well seasoned, one-half cup raisins
seeded and cooked in boiling water until soft, and the caps from
one-half pound fresh mushrooms sautéd in butter five minutes. Serve with
=Brown Mushroom Sauce.= Pour off one-fourth cup fat from frying-pan, add
five tablespoons flour, and stir until well browned; then add one cup
Brown Soup Stock, one-third cup mushroom liquor, and the caps from
one-half pound mushrooms cut in slices and sautéd in butter three
minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and just before serving add
gradually, while stirring constantly, the butter remaining in
frying-pan.
To obtain mushroom liquor, scrape stems of mushrooms, break in pieces,
cover with cold water, and cook slowly until liquid is reduced to
one-third cup.
Braised Beef
3 lbs. beef from lower part of round or face of rump
2 thin slices fat salt pork
½ teaspoon peppercorns
──────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────
Carrot│¼ cup each, cut in dice
Turnip│
Onion │
Celery│
──────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────
Salt and pepper
Fry out pork and remove scraps. Wipe meat, sprinkle with salt and
pepper, dredge with flour, and brown entire surface in pork fat. When
turning meat, avoid piercing with fork or skewer, which allows the inner
juices to escape. Place on trivet in deep granite pan or in earthen
pudding-dish, and surround with vegetables, peppercorns, and three cups
boiling water; cover closely, and bake four hours in very slow oven,
basting every half-hour, and turning after second hour. Throughout the
cooking, the liquid should be kept below the boiling-point. Serve with
Horseradish Sauce, or with sauce made from liquor in pan.
Beef à la Mode
Insert twelve large lardoons in a four-pound piece of beef cut from the
round. Make incisions for lardoons by running through the meat a large
skewer. Season with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and brown the
entire surface in pork fat. Put on a trivet in kettle, surround with
one-third cup each carrot, turnip, celery, and onion cut in dice, sprig
of parsley, bit of bay leaf, and water to half cover meat. Cover
closely, and cook slowly four hours, keeping liquor below the
boiling-point. Remove to hot platter. Strain liquor, thicken and season
to serve as a gravy. When beef is similarly prepared (with exception of
lardoons and vegetables), and cooked in smaller amount of water, it is
called Smothered Beef, or Pot Roast. A bean-pot (covered with a piece of
buttered paper, tied firmly down) is the best utensil to use for a Pot
Roast.
Pressed Beef Flank
Wipe, remove superfluous fat, and roll a flank of beef. Put in a kettle,
cover with boiling water, and add one tablespoon salt, one-half teaspoon
peppercorns, a bit of bay leaf, and a bone or two which may be at hand.
Cook slowly until meat is in shreds; there should be but little liquor
in kettle when meat is done. Arrange meat in a deep pan, pour over
liquor, cover, and press with a heavy weight. Serve cold, thinly sliced.
Beef Stew with Dumplings
Aitchbone, weighing 5 lbs.
4 cups potatoes, cut in ¼ inch slices
──────┬──────────────────────────────────
Turnip│⅔ cup each, cut in half-inch cubes
Carrot│
──────┴──────────────────────────────────
½ small onion, cut in thin slices
¼ cup flour
Salt
Pepper
Wipe meat, remove from bone, cut in one and one-half inch cubes,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge with flour. Cut some of the
fat in small pieces and try out in frying-pan. Add meat and stir
constantly, that the surface may be quickly seared; when well browned,
put in kettle, and rinse frying-pan with boiling water, that none of the
goodness may be lost. Add to meat remaining fat, and bone sawed in
pieces; cover with boiling water and boil five minutes, then cook at a
lower temperature until meat is tender (time required being about three
hours). Add carrot, turnip, and onion, with salt and pepper the last
hour of cooking. Parboil potatoes five minutes, and add to stew fifteen
minutes before taking from fire. Remove bones, large pieces of fat, and
then skim. Thicken with one-fourth cup flour, diluted with enough cold
water to pour easily. Pour in deep hot platter, and surround with
dumplings. Remnants of roast beef are usually made into a beef stew; the
meat having been once cooked, there is no necessity of browning it. If
gravy is left, it should be added to the stew.
Dumplings
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
¾ cup milk
Mix and sift dry ingredients. Work in butter with tips of fingers, and
add milk gradually, using a knife for mixing. Toss on a floured board,
pat, and roll out to one-half inch in thickness. Shape with
biscuit-cutter, first dipped in flour. Place closely together in a
buttered steamer, put over kettle of boiling water, cover closely, and
steam twelve minutes. A perforated tin pie plate may be used in place of
steamer. A little more milk may be used in the mixture, when it may be
taken up by spoonfuls, dropped and cooked on top of stew. In this case
some of the liquid must be removed, that dumplings may rest on meat and
potato, and not settle into liquid.
Corned Beef
Corned beef has but little nutritive value. It is used to give variety
to our diet in summer, when fresh meats prove too stimulating. It is
eaten by the workingman to give bulk to his food. The best pieces of
corned beef are the rattle rand and fancy brisket. The fancy brisket
commands a higher price and may be easily told from the rattle rand by
the selvage on lower side and the absence of bones. The upper end of
brisket (butt end) is thick and composed mostly of lean meat, the middle
cut has more fat but is not well mixed, while the lower (navel end) has
a large quantity of fat. The rattle rand contains a thick lean end; the
second cut contains three distinct layers of meat and fat, and is
considered the best cut by those who prefer meat well streaked with fat.
The rattle rand has a thin end, which contains but one layer of lean
meat and much fat, consequently is not a desirable piece.
=To Boil Corned Beef.= Wipe the meat and tie securely in shape, if this
has not been already done at market. Put in kettle, cover with cold
water, and bring slowly to boiling-point. Boil five minutes, remove
scum, and cook at a lower temperature until tender. Cool slightly in
water in which it was cooked, remove to a dish, cover, and place on
cover a weight, that meat may be well pressed. The lean meat and fat may
be separated and put in alternate layers in a bread pan, then covered
and pressed.
Boiled Dinner
A boiled dinner consists of warm impressed corned beef, served with
cabbage, beets, turnips, carrots, and potatoes. After removing meat from
water, skim off fat and cook vegetables (with exception of beets, which
require a long time for cooking) in this water. Carrots require a longer
time for cooking than cabbage or turnips. Carrots and turnips, if small,
may be cooked whole; if large, cut in pieces. Cabbage and beets are
served in separate dishes, other vegetables on same dish with meat.
Boiled Tongue
A boiled corned tongue is cooked the same as Boiled Corned Beef. If very
salt, it should be soaked in cold water several hours, or over night,
before cooking. Take from water when slightly cooled and remove skin.
Braised Tongue
A fresh tongue is necessary for braising. Put tongue in kettle, cover
with boiling water, and cook slowly two hours. Take tongue from water
and remove skin and roots. Place in deep pan and surround with one-third
cup each carrot, onion, and celery, cut in dice, and one sprig parsley;
then pour over four cups sauce. Cover closely, and bake two hours,
turning after the first hour. Serve on platter and strain around the
sauce.
=Sauce for Tongue.= Brown one-fourth cup butter, add one-fourth cup
flour and stir together until well browned. Add gradually four cups of
water in which tongue was cooked. Season with salt and pepper and add
one teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce. One and one-half cups stewed and
strained tomatoes may be used in place of some of the water.
Broiled Liver
Cover with boiling water slices of liver cut one-half inch thick, let
stand five minutes to draw out the blood; drain, wipe, and remove the
thin outside skin and veins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in a
greased wire broiler and broil five minutes, turning often. Remove to a
hot platter, spread with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Liver and Bacon
Prepare as for Broiled Liver, cut in pieces for serving, sprinkle with
salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and fry in bacon fat. Serve with
bacon.
Bacon I
Place strips of thinly cut bacon on board, and with a broad-bladed knife
make strips as thin as possible. Put in hot frying-pan and cook until
bacon is crisp and brown, occasionally pouring off fat from pan, turning
frequently. Drain on brown paper.
Bacon II
Place thin slices of bacon (from which the rind has been removed)
closely together in a fine wire broiler; place broiler over dripping-pan
and bake in a hot oven until bacon is crisp and brown, turning once.
Drain on brown paper. Fat which has dripped into the pan should be
poured out and used for frying liver, eggs, potatoes, etc.
Braised Liver
Skewer, tie in shape, and lard upper side of calf’s liver. Place in deep
pan, with trimmings from lardoons; surround with one-fourth cup each,
carrot, onion, and celery, cut in dice; one-fourth teaspoon peppercorns,
two cloves, bit of bay leaf, and two cups Brown Stock or water. Cover
closely and bake slowly two hours, uncovering the last twenty minutes.
Remove from pan, strain liquor, and use liquor for the making of a brown
sauce with one and one-half tablespoons butter and two tablespoons
flour. Pour sauce around liver for serving.
Calf’s Liver, Stuffed and Larded
Make a deep cut nearly the entire length of liver, beginning at thick
end, thus making a pouch for stuffing. Fill pouch. Skewer liver and lard
upper side. Put liver in baking-pan, pour around two cups Brown Sauce,
made of one tablespoon each butter and flour, and two cups Brown Stock,
salt, and pepper. Bake one and one-fourth hours, basting every twelve
minutes with sauce in pan. Remove to serving dish, strain sauce around
liver, and garnish with Glazed or French Fried Onions (see p. 296).
=Stuffing.= Mix one-half pound chopped cooked cold ham, one-half cup
stale bread crumbs, one half small onion finely chopped, and one
tablespoon finely chopped parsley. Moisten with Brown Sauce; then add
one beaten egg, and season with salt and pepper.
Broiled Tripe
Fresh honeycomb tripe is best for broiling. Wipe tripe as dry as
possible, dip in fine cracker dust and olive oil or melted butter,
draining off all fat that is possible, and again dip in cracker dust.
Place in a greased broiler and broil five minutes, cooking smooth side
of tripe the first three minutes. Place on a hot platter, honeycomb side
up, spread with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broiled tripe
is at its best when cooked over a charcoal fire.
Tripe in Batter
Wipe tripe and cut in pieces for serving. Sprinkle with salt and pepper,
dip in batter, fry in a small quantity of hot fat, and drain.
=Tripe Batter.= Mix one cup flour with one-fourth teaspoon salt; add
gradually one-half cup cold water, and when perfectly smooth add one egg
well beaten, one-half tablespoon vinegar, and one teaspoon olive oil or
melted butter.
Tripe Fried in Batter
Cut pickled honeycomb tripe in pieces for serving; wash, cover with
boiling water, and simmer gently twenty minutes. Drain, and again cover,
using equal parts cold water and milk. Heat to boiling-point, again
drain, wipe as dry as possible, sprinkle with salt and pepper, brush
over with melted butter, dip in batter, fry in deep fat, and drain on
brown paper. Serve with slices of lemon and Chili Sauce.
=Batter.= Mix and sift one cup flour, one and one-half teaspoons baking
powder, one-fourth teaspoon salt, and a few grains pepper. Add one-third
cup milk and one egg well beaten.
Lyonnaise Tripe
Cut honeycomb tripe in pieces two inches long by one-half inch wide,
having three cupfuls. Put in a pan and place in oven that water may be
drawn out. Cook one tablespoon finely chopped onion in two tablespoons
butter until slightly browned, add tripe drained from water, and cook
five minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finely chopped parsley.
Tripe à la Creole
Cut, bake, and drain tripe as for Lyonnaise Tripe. Cook same quantity of
butter and onion, add one-eighth green pepper finely chopped, one
tablespoon flour, one-half cup stock, one-fourth cup drained tomatoes,
and one fresh mushroom cut in slices; then add tripe and cook five
minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Tripe à la Provençale
Add to Lyonnaise Tripe one tablespoon white wine. Cook until quite dry,
add one-third cup Tomato Sauce, cook two minutes, season with salt and
pepper, and serve.
Calf’s Head à la Terrapin
Wash and clean a calf’s head, and cook until tender in boiling water to
cover. Cool, and cut meat from cheek in small cubes. To two cups meat
dice add one cup sauce made of two tablespoons butter, two tablespoons
flour, and one cup White Stock, seasoned with one-half teaspoon salt,
one-eighth teaspoon pepper, and a few grains cayenne. Add one-half cup
cream and yolks of two eggs slightly beaten; cook two minutes and add
two tablespoons Madeira wine.
Calves’ Tongues
Cook tongues until tender in boiling water to cover, with six slices
carrot, two stalks celery, one onion stuck with six cloves, one-half
teaspoon peppercorns and one-half tablespoon salt; take from water and
remove skin and roots. Split and pour over equal parts brown stock and
tomatoes boiled until thick.
Calves’ Tongues, Sauce Piquante
Cook four tongues, until tender, in boiling water, to cover, with six
slices carrot, two stalks celery, one onion stuck with eight cloves, one
teaspoon peppercorns, and one-half tablespoon salt. Take tongues from
water, and remove skin and roots. Cut in halves lengthwise and reheat in
=Sauce Piquante.= Brown one-fourth cup butter, add six tablespoons
flour, and stir until well browned; then add two cups Brown Stock and
cook three minutes. Season with two-thirds teaspoon salt, one-half
teaspoon paprika, few grains of cayenne, one tablespoon vinegar,
one-half tablespoon capers, and one cucumber pickle thinly sliced.
Served garnished with cucumber pickles, and cold cooked beets cut in
fancy shapes.
Calf’s Heart
Wash a calf’s heart, remove veins, arteries, and clotted blood. Stuff
(using half quantity of Fish Stuffing I on page 164, seasoned highly
with sage) and sew. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour, and
brown in hot fat. Place in small, deep baking-pan, half cover it with
boiling water, cover closely, and bake slowly two hours, basting every
fifteen minutes. It may be necessary to add more water. Remove heart
from pan, and thicken the liquor with flour diluted with a small
quantity of cold water. Season with salt and pepper, and pour around the
heart before serving.
Stuffed Hearts with Vegetables
Clean and wash calves’ hearts, stuff, skewer into shape, lard, season
with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and sauté in pork fat, adding
to fat one stalk celery, one tablespoon chopped onion, two sprigs
parsley, four slices carrot cut in pieces, half the quantity of turnip,
a bit of bay leaf, two cloves, and one-fourth teaspoon peppercorns. Turn
hearts occasionally until well browned, then add one and one-half cups
Brown Stock, cover, and cook slowly one and one-half hours. Serve with
cooked carrots and turnips cut in strips or fancy shapes.
Braised Ox Joints
Cut ox-tail at joints, parboil five minutes, wash thoroughly, dredge
with flour, and sauté in butter (to which has been added a sliced onion)
until well browned. Add one-fourth cup flour, two cups each brown stock,
water, and canned tomatoes, one teaspoon salt, and one-fourth teaspoon
pepper. Turn into an earthen pudding-dish, cover, and cook slowly three
and one-half hours. Remove ox-tail, strain sauce, and return ox-tail and
sauce to oven to finish cooking. Add two-thirds cup each carrot and
turnip (shaped with a vegetable cutter in pieces one-inch long, and
about as large around as macaroni) parboiled in boiled salted water five
minutes. As soon as vegetables are soft, add Sherry wine to taste, and
more salt and pepper, if needed. The wine may be omitted.
WAYS OF WARMING OVER BEEF
Roast Beef with Gravy
Cut cold roast beef in thin slices, place on a warm platter, and pour
over some of the gravy reheated to the boiling-point. If meat is allowed
to stand in gravy on the range, it becomes hard and tough.
Roast Beef, Mexican Sauce
Reheat cold roast beef cut in thin slices, in
=Mexican Sauce.= Cook one onion, finely chopped, in two tablespoons
butter five minutes. Add one red pepper, one green pepper, and one clove
of garlic, each finely chopped, and two tomatoes peeled and cut in
pieces. Cook fifteen minutes, add one teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce,
one-fourth teaspoon celery salt, and salt to taste.
Cottage Pie
Cover bottom of a small greased baking-dish with hot mashed potato, add
a thick layer of roast beef, chopped or cut in small pieces (seasoned
with salt, pepper, and a few drops onion juice) and moistened with some
of the gravy; cover with a thin layer of mashed potato, and bake in a
hot oven long enough to heat through.
Beefsteak Pie
Cut remnants of cold broiled steak or roast beef in one-inch cubes.
Cover with boiling water, add one-half onion, and cook slowly one hour.
Remove onion, thicken gravy with flour diluted with cold water, and
season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes cut in one-fourth inch slices,
which have been parboiled eight minutes in boiling salted water. Put in
a buttered pudding-dish, cool, cover with baking-powder biscuit mixture
or pie-crust. Bake in a hot oven. If covered with pie crust, make
several incisions in crust that gases may escape.
Cecils with Tomato Sauce
1 cup cold roast beef or rare steak finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
Onion juice
Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
Yolk 1 egg slightly beaten
Season beef with salt, pepper, onion juice, and Worcestershire Sauce;
add remaining ingredients, shape after the form of small croquettes,
pointed at ends. Roll in flour, egg, and crumbs, fry in deep fat, drain,
and serve with Tomato Sauce.
Corned Beef Hash
Remove skin and gristle from cooked corned beef, then chop the meat.
When meat is very fat, discard most of the fat. To chopped meat add an
equal quantity of cold boiled chopped potatoes. Season with salt and
pepper, put into a hot buttered frying-pan, moisten with milk or cream,
stir until well mixed, spread evenly, then place on a part of the range
where it may slowly brown underneath. Turn, and fold on a hot platter.
Garnish with sprig of parsley in the middle.
Corned Beef Hash with Beets
When preparing Corned Beef hash, add one-half as much finely chopped
cooked beets as potatoes. Cold roast beef or one-half roast beef and
one-half corned beef may be used.
Dried Beef with Cream
¼ lb. smoked dried beef, thinly sliced
1 cup scalded cream
1½ tablespoons flour
Remove skin and separate meat in pieces, cover with hot water, let stand
ten minutes, and drain. Dilute flour with enough cold water to pour
easily, making a smooth paste; add to cream, and cook in double boiler
ten minutes. Add beef, and reheat. One cup White Sauce I may be used in
place of cream, omitting the salt.
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