Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit Part 34

BROILED STEAK

When buying beefsteak for broiling, order the steak cut 1 inch to 1-1/4 inches thick. Place the steak on a well-greased, hot broiler and broil over a clear, hot fire, turning frequently. It will take about ten minutes to broil a steak 1-inch thick. When steak is broiled place on a hot platter, season with b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt, and serve at once. Serve rare or otherwise, but serve _at once_. Broil-steak unseasoned, as salt extracts juice from meat. Steak, particularly, loses its savoriness if not served _hot_. What to a hungry man is more nutritious and appetizing than a perfectly broiled, rare, juicy, steak, served hot? And not a few young and inexperienced cooks serve thin steaks, frequently overdone or scorched, containing about the same amount of nourishment a piece of leather would possess, through lack of knowledge of knowing just how. Often, unconsciously. I will admit; yet it is an undiluted fact, that very many young housewives are indirectly the cause of their husbands suffering from the prevailing "American complaint," dyspepsia, and its attendant evils.

And who that has suffered from it will blame the "grouchy man" who cannot well be otherwise. So, my dear "Mrs. New Wife," be warned in time, and always remember how near to your husband's heart lies his stomach, and to possess the former you should endeavor to keep the latter in good condition by preparing, and serving, nouris.h.i.+ng, well-cooked food.

STEWED s.h.i.+N OF BEEF

4 pounds of s.h.i.+n of beef.

1 medium-sized onion.

1 whole clove and bay leaf.

1 sprig of parsley.

1-1/2 tablespoonfuls flour.

1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of butler or savory drippings.

1 small slice of carrot.

1/2 tablespoonful of salt.

1/2 teaspoonful of pepper.

2 quarts boiling water.

Have the butcher cut the bone in several pieces. Put all the ingredients but the flour and b.u.t.ter in a stew-pan and bring to a boil. Set the pan where the liquid will just simmer for six hours, or after boiling for five or ten minutes put all into the fireless cooker for eight or nine hours. With the b.u.t.ter, flour and 1/4 cup of the clear soup from which the fat has been removed make a brown sauce. To this add the meat and marrow removed from the bone. Heat and serve. The remainder of the liquid in which the meat has been cooked may be used for soup.

HAMBURG STEAK

Take the tough ends of two sirloin steaks and one tablespoonful of kidney suet, run through a food chopper; season with pepper and salt, form into small cakes, dredge lightly with flour, fry quickly, same manner steak is fried, turning frequently. The kidney fat added prevents the Hamburg steak being dry and tasteless.

"A tender, juicy broiled steak, flaky baked potatoes, a good cup of coffee and sweet, light, home-made bread, a simple salad or fruit, served to a hungry husband would often prevent his looking for an affinity," said Aunt Sarah to her niece Mary.

MEAT STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

STEW.

5 pounds of a cheap cut of beef.

4 cups of potatoes cut into small pieces.

2/3 cup each of turnips and carrots cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

1/2 an onion chopped.

1/4 cup of flour.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the meat into small pieces, removing the fat. Fry out the fat and brown the meat in it. When well browned, cover with boiling water.

Boil for five minutes and then cook in a lower temperature until meat is done. If tender, this will require about three hours on the stove, or five hours in the fireless cooker. Add carrots, onions, turnips and pepper and salt during the last hour of cooking, and the potatoes fifteen minutes before serving. Thicken with the flour diluted with cold water. Serve with dumplings. If this dish is made in the tireless cooker the mixture must be reheated when the vegetables are put in.

Such a stew may also be made of mutton. If veal or pork is used the vegetables may be omitted or simply a little onion used. Sometimes for variety the browning of the meat is dispensed with. When white meat, such as chicken, veal or fresh pork is used, the gravy is often made rich with cream or milk thickened with flour.

DUMPLINGS.

2 cups of flour.

4 teaspoons (level) of baking powder.

2/3 cup of milk or a little more if needed.

1/2 teaspoonful of salt.

2 teaspoonfuls of b.u.t.ter.

Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Work in b.u.t.ter with the tips of the fingers. Add milk gradually, roll out to thickness of half inch. Cut with biscuit cutter. Place in a b.u.t.tered steamer over a kettle of hot water and cook from 12 to 15 minutes. If the dumplings are cooked with the stew enough liquid should be removed to allow of their being placed directly upon the meat and vegetables. Sometimes the dough is baked and served as biscuits, over which the stew is poured. If the stew is made with chicken or veal it is termed a frica.s.see.

This recipe tells of such an economical way of extending the meat flavor that I think every young housewife should know it. Mary copied it from _The Farmers' Bulletin_, an article on the "Economical Use of Meat in the Home." The dumplings, as she prepared them from this recipe, were regular fluff b.a.l.l.s, they were so light and flaky. I would add, the cook-pot should be closely covered while cooking or steaming these dumplings, and the cover should not be raised for the first ten minutes.

A lesser quant.i.ty of baking powder might be used with equally good results, but these dumplings are certain to be light and flaky. A larger quant.i.ty of baking powder should be used when dough is steamed or boiled than if dough is baked, if one expects good results.

EXTENDING THE MEAT FLAVOR

Mary learned, through reading _The Farmers' Bulletin_, different methods of extending the meat flavor through a considerable quant.i.ty of material, which would otherwise be lacking in distinctive taste, one way to serve the meat with dumplings, generally in the dish with it; to combine the meat with crusts, as in meat pies or meat rolls, or to serve the meat on toast or biscuits. Borders of rice, hominy or mashed potatoes are examples of the same principles, applied in different ways.

By serving some preparation of flour, rice, hominy or other food, rich in starch, with the meat, we get a dish which in itself approaches nearer to the balanced ration than meat alone, and one in which the meat flavor is extended through a large amount of the material.

The measurements given in the above recipes call for a level spoonful or a level cup, as the case may be.

In many American families meat is eaten two or three times a day. In such cases, the simplest way of reducing the meat bill would be to cut down the amount used, either by serving it less often or by using less at a time. Deficiency of protein need not be feared, when one good meat dish a day is served, especially if such nitrogenous materials as eggs, milk, cheese and beans are used instead. In localities where fish can be obtained fresh and cheap, it might well be more frequently subst.i.tuted for meat for the sake of variety as well as economy. Ingenious cooks have many ways of "extending the flavor" of meat; that is, of combining a small quant.i.ty with other materials to make a large dish as in meat pies, stews and similar dishes.

The foregoing information may be useful to other young, prospective housekeepers who may never have read "the very instructive articles on The Economical Use of Meat in the Home,' in the _Farmers' Bulletin_."

PREPARING A POT ROAST

When buying a pot roast, "Aunt Sarah" selected a thick, chunky piece of meat, weighing several pounds, and a small piece of beef suet which she cut into small bits, placed pan containing them on hot range, added a small, sliced onion, and when fat was quite hot she added the quickly rinsed piece of meat, and quickly seared it to retain the juice; added 1 cup of hot water, a sprig of parsley, seasoning of salt and pepper; cooked a short time, then allowed it to stand on the range closely covered, where it would simmer gently several hours; turning the meat frequently, adding a small amount of water occasionally, as the broth was absorbed by the meat. An inexperienced cook will be surprised to find how tender, palatable, and equally nutritious, an inexpensive cut of meat may become by slow simmering. When the pot roast has become tender, remove from the broth and place on a _hot platter_; this latter is a small item, but dishes may be quickly heated in a hot oven and meat and vegetables are more appetizing if served hot on warmed plates. "Forgive this digression; I fear the pot roast will cool even on a warmed platter." After removing the meat from the pan add a large tablespoonful of flour, moistened with a small quant.i.ty of cold water, to the broth in the pan for gravy; cook until thickened, strain sliced onion and parsley from the broth, add seasoning of salt and pepper, serve on the platter with the meat; the onion added, gives the gravy a fine flavor and causes it to be a dark, rich brown in color.

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

Rub the piece of meat with salt, pepper, ginger and minced onion.

Prepare a stuffing as for chicken of crumbled, stale bread, etc., or soak pieces of stale bread in cold water. Squeeze dry and season with a little minced onion, parsley, a little melted b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper, and moisten all with one egg. Fill the breast of veal with this stuffing, sew together, place in roasting pan with a small quant.i.ty of water, to which a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter has been added.

Roast in a moderately hot oven until well done, basting frequently.

"GEDAMPFTES RINDERBRUST"

Take breast of beef or veal, without fat or bones, quickly rinse off meat and wipe with a cloth. Place in a stew-pot with one chopped onion, one sliced tomato, a bay leaf, season with pepper and salt, add a small quant.i.ty of hot water, cook, closely covered, several hours.

To be tender this meat requires long, slow cooking, when it cooks and browns at the same time. Strain the broth and thicken for gravy and pour around the meat on platter when serving.

"PAPRIKASH"

Two pounds of veal, from leg, cut into small pieces for stewing; 4 good-sized onions, cut rather fine; measure about 1/2 cup of sweet lard, place onions in pan with some of this lard and fry a light brown. Add meat and cook meat and onions together about one-half hour, adding lard gradually until all is used and the meat is golden brown.

Then cover with water and stew, closely covered, about two hours or longer, until meat is ready to serve; then add more water until meat is covered. Season with salt and paprika. Add about three tablespoonfuls of vinegar (not too sour; cook must judge this by tasting); then add 1/2 pint of sweet cream. Thicken gravy with flour mixed smooth with a little water. Place on platter surrounded with gravy. With this was always served baked or steamed sweet potatoes.

BEEF STEW