Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks Part 30

_To make tender._--When cut, trimmed, salted, and peppered, put them in a bowl, and sprinkle some sweet-oil or melted b.u.t.ter over them; turn them over in the bowl every two or three hours for from six to twelve hours.

_To cut and prepare._--Cut the meat in round or oval slices, as even as possible, of any size, about one inch in thickness, and trim off the fibres and thin skin that may be around. Do not cut off the fat, but flatten a little each slice with a chopper.

_To broil._--when the steaks are cut and prepared as directed, they are slightly greased on both sides with lard or b.u.t.ter (if they have not been in a bowl with oil or b.u.t.ter before cooking them), placed on a warmed gridiron, set before or on a sharp fire, turned over once or twice, and taken off when rather underdone. Salt and pepper them, dish, spread a _maitre d'hotel_ over them, and serve very warm.

Cooks and epicures differ about the turning over of steaks; also about broiling them with or without salt; some say that they must not be turned over twice, others are of opinion that they must be turned over two or three, and even more times; some say that they must be salted and peppered before broiling, others say they must not; we have tried the two ways many times, and did not find any difference; if there is any difference at all, it is in the quality of the meat, or in the person's taste, or in the cook's care.

When the steak is served as above, place some fried potatoes all around, and serve hot. Instead of fried potatoes, put some water-cress all around, add a few drops of vinegar, and serve. The water-cress is to be put on raw and cold.

When the steak is dished, spread some anchovy-b.u.t.ter on it instead of a _maitre d'hotel_, and serve warm also. It may also be served with lobster-b.u.t.ter instead of a _maitre d'hotel_. Steaks are also served with horse-radish b.u.t.ter, and surrounded with fried or _souffle_ potatoes.

_With a Tomato-Sauce._--Broil and serve the steak as directed above, and serve it with a tomato-sauce instead of a _maitre d'hotel_.

_With a Poivrade or Piquante Sauce._--Broil and serve with a _poivrade_ or _piquante_ sauce, instead of a _maitre d'hotel_.

_With Egg._--When the steaks are cut and prepared as directed, dip them in beaten egg, roll them in bread-crumbs, then broil, and serve them with either a _maitre d'hotel_ or tomato-sauce, or with potatoes, etc.

_With Truffles._--Set a saucepan on the fire with one ounce of b.u.t.ter in it; as soon as melted add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and, when turning brown, add also about a gill of broth; stir again for five or six minutes, when mix three or four tablespoonfuls of good gravy with the rest; boil gently ten minutes, take from the fire; slice two or three truffles, mix them with the rest; add salt and pepper to taste; give one boil, turn over the steak which you have broiled as directed, and serve.

_With Mushrooms._--Proceed as for truffles in every particular, except that you use mushrooms.

_Fancy Steak._--Cut the steak two or three inches thick, b.u.t.ter slightly both sides, lay it on a gridiron well greased and warmed; set it on a moderate fire and broil it well; to cook it through it must be turned over many times, on account of its thickness. Serve like another steak, with a _maitre d'hotel_, _poivrade_, potatoes, or water-cress, etc.

BOILED BEEF.

This is understood to be beef that has been used to make broth--a rump-piece or a rib-piece, boned and tied with twine before cooking it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _a,_ skewer; _b,_ carrot; _c,_ turnip; _d,_ beef; _e,_ carrots and turnips.]

_With Carrots and Turnips._--Remove the twine, and place the piece of beef on the middle of a dish, with carrots and turnips, cut with a fruit-corer, prepared _au jus_ or glazed, and arranged all around it; also, some skewers run through pieces of carrot and turnip, and then stuck in the piece of beef. (See cut p. 174.) Serve warm.

_With Brussels Cabbage, or Sprouts._--Serve the beef as above, surrounded with sprouts _au jus_, and also ornamented with skewers run through sprouts, with a piece of turnip between each.

_In Bourgeoise._--Serve the piece of beef warm, decorated if handy, and surrounded with fried potatoes cut with a vegetable spoon or in fillets, and gravy spread over the whole.

If not decorated, a few sprigs of parsley may be spread on the beef.

_With Onions._--Serve the beef as above, and surround it with glazed onions.

_With Celery._--When served as above, the meat is surrounded with a _puree_ of celery.

_With Cauliflowers._--Serve warm, with a garniture of cauliflowers all around. It may be decorated with skewers.

_With Chestnuts._--Glaze chestnuts as for dessert; run the skewers through a chestnut first, then through a fried potato, and then through a slice of carrot, and stick one at each end of the piece of beef; put chestnuts all around, spread some gravy over the whole, and serve warm.

_In Croquettes._--Proceed as for _croquettes_ of chicken.

_Hollandaise._--Cut the meat in fillets and put it in a saucepan, with about two ounces of fat or b.u.t.ter to a pound of meat; set on the fire and stir for ten minutes. Then add a tablespoonful of flour and stir about one minute, with warm water enough to half cover the meat, and boil about five minutes, stirring now and then.

Mix together in a bowl two yolks of eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and two or three tablespoonfuls of the sauce from the saucepan in which the beef is; turn the mixture into the saucepan, stir and mix, add salt and pepper to taste, give one boil, and serve warm.

_Broiled._--Cut the meat in slices about one inch in thickness, broil, and serve like steaks.

_Au Gratin._--Put two ounces of b.u.t.ter in a saucepan on the fire, and when melted sprinkle into it two tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs, two or three mushrooms chopped, a teaspoonful of chopped onions, same of parsley, a pinch of allspice, salt, and pepper; stir for about two minutes, add a little broth to make the whole rather liquid. Cut one pound of boiled beef in slices, place them in a tin or silver dish, turn the mixture over them, dust with bread-crumbs; put half a dozen pieces of b.u.t.ter here and there on the top, and bake for about fifteen minutes.

Take from the oven when done, add a few drops of lemon juice all over, and serve warm in the dish in which it was baked.

With a _maitre d'hotel_, _piquante_, _Mayonnaise_, _Robert_, _ravigote_, _Tartar_, or _tomato_ sauce.

Cut it in slices, place them on a dish, spread on them some chopped parsley and slices of pickled cuc.u.mbers, and send thus to the table, with either of the above sauces in a saucer to be used with it.

IN MIROTON.

Put a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of an egg in a stewpan (this is for about two pounds), and set it on the fire; when melted, put in it four middling-sized onions, cut in slices when nearly cooked, sprinkle on them a pinch of flour, and stir till it takes a golden color; then add half a gla.s.s of white wine, and as much of broth, also salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg; boil until well cooked, and till the sauce is reduced; then add the boiled beef, cut in slices, and leave it fifteen minutes; dish it, pour on a few drops of vinegar, and serve.

_Hushed._--Proceed exactly as for _miroton_, except that the beef is cut in strips or chopped, and that no wine is used.

IN SALAD.

Cut it in very thin and short slices, and place them on a dish with chopped parsley; put in a saucer sweet-oil and vinegar, according to the quant.i.ty of beef you have, two tablespoonfuls of oil to one of vinegar, salt, pepper, and some mustard; beat the whole a little, pour on the slices, and serve.

CORNED BEEF.

Corned beef is generally boiled. Soak the corned beef in cold water for some time, according to how salt it is.

Set it on the fire, covered with cold water, and boil gently till done.

_With Cabbage._--Blanch the cabbage for about five minutes, and drain.

Then put it to cook with the corned beef when the latter is about half done; serve both on the same dish, or separately, according to taste.

Corned beef, when boiled as above, without cabbage, can be served and decorated, in every way, like boiled beef. It certainly makes sightly as well as good dishes for a family dinner.

A piece of corned beef, surrounded with a garniture as we have described above, decorated with skewers, is very often served as a _releve_ at an extra dinner.

_Cold Corned Beef._--A whole piece, or part of it, may be served _en Bellevue_, the same as a _fillet en Bellevue_; it is also excellent.

TONGUE.

Clean and blanch it for about ten minutes--till the white skin can be easily removed. After ten minutes boiling, try if it comes off; if not, boil a little longer, then skin it well.

_To boil._--When skinned, put it in your soup-kettle with the beef, etc., to make broth, and leave it till done. When boiled, the tongue may be served and decorated exactly the same as boiled beef, in every way.

_Stewed._--Cut square fillets of bacon, which dredge in a mixture of chopped parsley, cives, salt, pepper, and a little allspice; lard the tongue with the fillets. Put in a crockery stewpan two ounces of bacon cut in dice, four sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, one of sweet basil, two bay-leaves, a clove of garlic, two cloves, two carrots cut in pieces, four small onions, salt, and pepper; lay the tongue on the whole, wet with half a gla.s.s of white wine and a gla.s.s of broth; set on a moderate fire, and simmer about five hours--keep it well covered; then put the tongue on a dish, strain the sauce on it, and serve. It is a delicious dish.