Part 68 (1/2)

598. INGREDIENTS.--About 2 lbs. of cold roast beef, 2 small onions, 1 large carrot or two small ones, 1 turnip, a small bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of gravy, 3 tablespoonfuls of ale, crust or mashed potatoes.

_Mode_.--Cut the beef in slices, allowing a small amount of fat to each slice; place a layer of this in the bottom of a pie-dish, with a portion of the onions, carrots, and turnips, which must be sliced; mince the herbs, strew them over the meat, and season with pepper and salt. Then put another layer of meat, vegetables, and seasoning; and proceed in this manner until all the ingredients are used. Pour in the gravy and ale (water may be subst.i.tuted for the former, but it is not so nice), cover with a crust or mashed potatoes, and bake for 1/2 hour, or rather longer.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--It is as well to parboil the carrots and turnips before adding them to the meat, and to use some of the liquor in which they were boiled as a subst.i.tute for gravy; that is to say, when there is no gravy at hand. Be particular to cut the onions in very _thin_ slices.

II.

599. INGREDIENTS.--Slices of cold roast beef, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, 1 teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, 5 or 6 tablespoonfuls of gravy or sauce of any kind, mashed potatoes.

_Mode_.--b.u.t.ter the sides of a deep dish, and spread mashed potatoes over the bottom of it; on this place layers of beef in thin slices (this may be minced if there is not sufficient beef to cut into slices), well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a very little onion end herbs, which should be previously fried of a nice brown; then put another layer of mashed potatoes, and beef, and other ingredients, as before; pour in the gravy or sauce, cover the whole with another layer of potatoes, and bake for 1/2 hour. This may be served in the dish, or turned out.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold beef, 6d.

_Sufficient_.--A large pie-dish full for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BEEF.--The quality of beef depends on various circ.u.mstances; such as the age, the s.e.x, the breed of the animal, and also on the food upon which it has been raised. Bull beef is, in general, dry and tough, and by no means possessed of an agreeable flavour; whilst the flesh of the ox is not only highly nouris.h.i.+ng and digestible, but, if not too old, extremely agreeable. The flesh of the cow is, also, nouris.h.i.+ng, but it is not so agreeable as that of the ox, although that of a heifer is held in high estimation. The flesh of the smaller breeds is much sweeter than that of the larger, which is best when the animal is about seven years old. That of the smaller breeds is best at about five years, and that of the cow can hardly be eaten too young.

BAKED BEEF-STEAK PUDDING.

600. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of flour, 2 eggs, not quite 1 pint of milk, salt to taste, 1-1/2 lb. of rump-steaks, 1 kidney, pepper and salt.

_Mode_.--Cut the steaks into nice square pieces, with a small quant.i.ty of fat, and the kidney divide into small pieces. Make a batter of flour, eggs, and milk in the above proportion; lay a little of it at the bottom of a pie-dish; then put in the steaks and kidney, which should be well seasoned with pepper and salt, and pour over the remainder of the batter, and bake for 1-1/2 hour in a brisk but not fierce oven.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 2s.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BEEF A LA MODE.

(_Economical_.)

601. INGREDIENTS.--About 3 lbs. of clod or sticking of beef, 2 oz. of clarified dripping, 1 large onion, flour, 2 quarts of water, 12 berries of allspice, 2 bay-leaves, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole black pepper, salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the beef into small pieces, and roll them in flour; put the dripping into a stewpan with the onion, which should be sliced thin. Let it get quite hot; lay in the pieces of beef, and stir them well about.

When nicely browned all over, add _by degrees_ boiling water in the above proportion, and, as the water is added, keep the whole well stirred. Put in the spice, bay-leaves, and seasoning, cover the stewpan closely, and set it by the side of the fire to stew very _gently_, till the meat becomes quite tender, which will be in about 3 hours, when it will be ready to serve. Remove the bay-leaves before it is sent to table.