1109—TOURNEDOS A LA MEXICAINE
Prepare (1) a fondue of peeled and pressed tomatoes, cooked in butter, well reduced, and in the proportion of one tablespoonful per mushroom; (2) as many large grilled mushrooms as there are tournedos, while the latter are being fried; (3) some grilled or fried capsicums in the proportion of half a one per tournedos.
Season the tournedos, and fry them in oil and butter in equal quantities. Dish them each on a mushroom garnished with the fondue of tomatoes, and cover them with the grilled or fried capsicums.
1110—TOURNEDOS MIKADO
Select some fine, rather firm tomatoes—“Mikados,” as they are called—and cut them in two laterally. Squeeze them with the object of expressing all their juice and seeds; season them inside, and grill them so that they may be ready at the same time as the tournedos.
Season the latter and fry them in butter.
Dish them in the form of a crown, each on a grilled half-tomato, and garnish the centre of the dish with Japanese artichokes tossed in butter.
1111—TOURNEDOS MIRABEAU
Grill the tournedos.
Lay eight fine strips of anchovy fillets upon each, crossing the former after the manner of a lattice. Cover the edges with a crown of blanched tarragon leaves, and set a large stoned olive in the middle of each tournedos.
Send some half-melted anchovy butter separately, and allow two-thirds oz. of it for each tournedos.
1112—TOURNEDOS MIREILLE
For ten tournedos, prepare in advance, (1) five croustades from the preparation used for “pommes Duchesse.” To make these croustades, fill some buttered dariole-moulds with the preparation referred to, taking care to press it snugly into them. Dip the moulds into tepid water, turn out, treat the mouldings [372] à l’anglaise, fry them, hollow out their centres, and keep them hot.
(2) A fondue of tomatoes in the proportion of one heaped tablespoonful per croustade.
(3) Five timbales of pilaff rice, made after the same manner as the croustades, and kept hot until required for dishing.
Season the tournedos, fry them in butter, and dish them as soon as they are ready.
Surround them with timbales of rice, and the croustades garnished with the fondue, the two garnishes to be alternated.
1113—TOURNEDOS MIRETTE
Prepare as many small timbales of “pommes Mirette” (No. 2234) as there are tournedos.
Turn them out on a dish, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a few drops of melted butter, and set them to glaze a few minutes before the tournedos are ready. Grill the tournedos, dish them in the form of a crown, and set a timbale of pommes Mirette upon each.
Swill the sauté-pan with white wine; add thereto a little meat-glaze, finish with butter, and pour the resulting sauce over the tournedos.
1114—TOURNEDOS A LA MOELLE
Grill the tournedos and dish them in the form of a crown.
Lay on each of them a large slice of poached marrow, and either surround them with Bordelaise sauce or send the latter to the table separately.
1115—TOURNEDOS MONTGOMERY
Season the tournedos and fry them in butter.
Dish them upon a pancake of spinach (No. 2138), cooked in a tartlet-mould. Deck each tournedos with a rosette of reduced Soubise, made by means of a piping-bag fitted with a grooved pipe, and put a fine slice of truffle in the centre of the rosette.
1116—TOURNEDOS MONTPENSIER
Prepare (1) as many tartlet-crusts as there are tournedos; (2) a garnish of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter, in the proportion of one heaped tablespoonful per tartlet.
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them upon fried crusts.
On each of them set a tartlet garnished with asparagus-heads, with a slice of truffle in the middle.
[373]
1117—TOURNEDOS AUX MORILLES
Grill the tournedos or fry them in butter.
Dish them in the form of a crown; in the centre arrange a heap of morels tossed in butter, and besprinkle them moderately with chopped parsley.
1118—TOURNEDOS A LA NIÇOISE
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them in the form of a crown.
In the centre of each tournedos set a small heap, consisting of one half-tablespoonful of peeled, pressed, and concassed tomatoes, tossed in butter, together with a little crushed garlic and chopped tarragon.
Surround with small heaps of French beans cohered with butter, and other heaps of small potatoes, cooked in butter, alternating the two garnishes.
1119—TOURNEDOS NINON
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them upon crusts of “pommes Anna,” stamped out with a round fancy-cutter of the same size as the tournedos. On each of the latter set a small patty, garnished with asparagus-heads, cohered with butter and combined with a fine and short julienne of truffles.
1120—TOURNEDOS PARMENTIER
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them in the form of a crown.
In the middle of the dish or round it set a fine heap of potatoes, cut into regular cubes of two-thirds inch side, or raised by means of an oval, grooved spoon-cutter. The potatoes should be cooked in butter and kept very soft.
Slightly sprinkle the potatoes with chopped parsley.
1121—TOURNEDOS PERSANE
Prepare as many green capsicums, stuffed with rice moulded to the shape of balls and braised, and as many grilled half-tomatoes as there are tournedos. Also have some fried slices of banana ready, and allow three for each tournedos.
Fry the tournedos in butter and dish them, in the form of a crown, on the grilled half-tomatoes. On each tournedos set a stuffed and braised capsicum.
In the centre of the dish arrange the fried slices of banana in a nice heap. Send separately to the table a Châteaubriand sauce, combined with the reduced braising-liquor of the capsicums.
[374]
1122—TOURNEDOS PERUVIENNE
Prepare, after the manner described below, as many oxalis roots as there are tournedos.
Peel the oxalis roots; cut a slice from underneath them, in order to make them stand upright, and hollow them out to form little cases.
Chop up the pulp extracted from them in the last operation, and add it to a preparation of duxelles, made as for stuffed mushrooms.
Fill the oxalis cases with this preparation, shaping it above their edges after the manner of a dome; besprinkle with raspings and oil, and put them in the oven in good time for them to be ready at the same time as the tournedos.
Grill the tournedos, dish them in the form of a crown, and surround them with the oxalis cases.
1123—TOURNEDOS PIÉMONTAISE
Butter as many tartlet-moulds as there are tournedos; fill them with Rizotto à la Piémontaise, combined with white truffles cut into dice, and keep them hot.
Fry the tournedos in clarified butter; dish them, in the form of a crown, on the rizotto tartlets, turned out at the last minute.
1124—TOURNEDOS PROVENÇALE
For ten tournedos, prepare (1) ten medium-sized mushrooms, stuffed with duxelles, slightly flavoured with garlic, and put in the oven in good time; (2) ten half-tomatoes à la Provençale (No. 2266).
Fry the tournedos in equal quantities of butter and oil; dish them, in the form of a crown, on fried crusts, with a half-tomato upon each, and around them set the stuffed mushrooms.
1125—TOURNEDOS RACHEL
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them, in the form of a crown, on fried crusts one-third inch thick.
On each tournedos set a small artichoke-bottom, garnished with a large slice of poached marrow.
Send a Bordelaise sauce separately.
1126—TOURNEDOS ROSSINI
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them, in the form of a crown, upon fried crusts.
On each tournedos set a round slice of foie gras, just a little smaller than the former; the slices should be seasoned, dredged, and fried in butter.
On each slice of foie-gras, set a fine slice of truffle.
[375]
1127—TOURNEDOS ROUMANILLE
Cut the tournedos a little smaller than usual. Season them; fry them in butter, and dish them in a circle on grilled half-tomatoes.
Coat the tournedos with Mornay sauce, and set them to glaze quickly.
In the middle of each tournedos set a large stuffed and poached olive, encircled by a ring consisting of an anchovy fillet.
In the centre of the dish arrange a fine heap of egg-plant roundels, seasoned with salt and pepper, dredged, fried in oil, and kept very crisp.
1128—TOURNEDOS SAINT MANDE
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them, in the form of a circle, each on a little cushion of “pommes de terre Macaire,” moulded in ordinary tartlet-moulds.
In the centre of the dish set a garnish consisting of peas cohered with butter.
1129—TOURNEDOS A LA SARDE
Prepare a garnish of (1) hollowed, parboiled, and braised sections of cucumber, stuffed with duxelles, and gratined; (2) small tomatoes, similarly treated; (3) small round croquettes of rice flavoured with saffron, thickened with egg-yolks, treated à l’anglaise, and fried.
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them in the form of a crown.
Set a croquette of rice upon each tournedos, and frame the whole with the stuffed cucumber cases and the stuffed tomatoes, laid alternately.
1130—TOURNEDOS SOUBISE
Grill the tournedos and dish them in the form of a crown.
Serve a light Soubise purée separately.
1131—TOURNEDOS TIVOLI
For ten tournedos, prepare ten small grilled mushrooms, and allow one half-tomato tossed in butter for each mushroom.
Fry the tournedos in butter and dish them, in the form of a crown, upon fried crusts. On each tournedos set a grilled mushroom, garnished with a tossed half-tomato, and all round set some fine “pommes soufflées” made in ribbon-form, of a round shape, and in the proportion of one potato to each tournedos.
Send a Béarnaise sauce separately.
[376]
1132—TOURNEDOS TYROLIENNE
For ten tournedos, prepare the following sauce:—Gently cook one chopped onion in butter; add two peeled, pressed, and roughly-chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and a little crushed garlic.
When the tomatoes are sufficiently cooked, add thereto a few tablespoonfuls of poivrade sauce, and set to boil for five minutes.
Fry the tournedos in butter; dish them in the form of a crown, and cover them with the prepared sauce.
1133—TOURNEDOS VALENÇAY
Fry the tournedos in butter; dish them in the form of a crown, each on a small, round, and flat croquette of noodles and ham, fried just before dishing up.
Send a Châteaubriand sauce separately.
1134—TOURNEDOS VALENTINO
Prepare as many pieces of turnips, of the same diameter as the tournedos and one and one-half inch thick, as there are tournedos. Cut them neatly round, stamp them with an even and round cutter, and parboil them until they are almost completely cooked. Hollow them out, by means of a spoon, inside the mark left by the fancy-cutter, and stuff them with a preparation of semolina with Parmesan.
Put these stuffed pieces of turnip in a sautépan; add a little water, butter, and sugar, and glaze them while finishing their cooking-process.
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them in a circle, each on a stuffed case of turnip.
1135—TOURNEDOS VERT-PRÉ
Grill the tournedos, and dish them simply with half-melted butter à la Maître-d’Hôtel upon them.
Surround them with alternate heaps of water-cress and freshly-fried straw potatoes.
1136—TOURNEDOS VICTORIA
Fry the tournedos in butter.
Dish them in a circle, each on a little round and flat croquette of chicken-meat. On each tournedos set a half-tomato tossed in butter.
1137—TOURNEDOS VILLARET
Prepare (1) as many tartlet-crusts as there are tournedos; (2) a sufficient quantity of very smooth flageolet purée to garnish the tartlets; (3) a fine grilled tomato per each tournedos.
[377]
Grill the tournedos, and dish them on the garnished tartlets.
On each tournedos set a grilled mushroom, the hollow of which
should have been filled with Châteaubriand sauce.
1138—TOURNEDOS VILLENEUVE
Fry the tournedos in butter, and dish them in a circle on little quoit-shaped croquettes of chicken-meat, fried at the last moment.
On each tournedos set a crown of small roundels of tongue and truffle, laid alternately, and a small grooved mushroom in the middle.
Send a Châteaubriand sauce separately.
1139—TOURNEDOS VILLEMER
Grill the tournedos, and dish them in a circle, each on a fried, hollowed-out crust, garnished with truffled Soubise.
On each tournedos set a large slice of truffle coated with meat-glaze.
1140—FILETS EN CHEVREUIL
For the “en chevreuil” treatment, the meat used is generally cut from the narrowest end of the fillet of beef. The weight of the pieces cut should average about three oz. each.
After having slightly flattened and trimmed them, lard them with very thin strips of bacon, and marinade them for a few hours in the raw marinade given under No. 169. When about to cook them, dry them thoroughly, and fry them quickly in hot oil, taking care that the latter be smoking, and therefore hot enough to set the meat and to cause its external moisture to evaporate.
The fillets may be accompanied by all vegetable purées and highly-seasoned sauces, the most suitable of the latter being the Poivrade and the Chasseur.
1141—SIRLOIN OF BEEF (Relevé)
Sirloin of beef is that part of the bullock’s back reaching from the haunch to the floating ribs, which is equivalent to the saddle in veal and mutton. This piece, however, cannot properly be called “sirloin,” except when it comprises the fillet or undercut, and the upper fillet (Fr.: contrefilet), so-called to distinguish it from the undercut. If this joint be treated whole, it need only be shortened by suppressing the flank, and by sectioning the ligament lying alongside of the chine on the upper fillet, in different places.
A little fat is left on the undercut, but none whatever must be removed from the upper fillet. As a rule, when sirloin of beef is braised, it is cut laterally into pieces weighing from [378] six to seven lbs. If it is to be roasted, it is best to keep it whole.
When served as a relevé, it is braised or roasted, and is kept underdone if so desired. Unless it be of excellent quality, however, braised sirloin generally turns out to be dry.
All garnishes given for “Filet de Bœuf” may be served with sirloin; but, as a rule, the bulkiest, such as the “Richelieu,” the “Provençale,” the “Godard,” &c., are selected.
The accompanying sauce is that indicated for the above garnishes.
1142—PORTERHOUSE-STEAK (Grill)
Porterhouse-steak is a slice from the sirloin of beef, which may be more or less thick. It is cleared of the flank and of the bones of the chine, and it is always grilled.
It may be served with any of the various garnishes and sauces suited to grills; but it is more often served plain.
1143—UPPER FILLET AND RIBS OF BEEF (Relevé)
The upper fillet is that part of beef which lies between the top of the haunch and the floating ribs, alongside of the chine. It may be treated like the fillet, and all the garnishes suited to the latter may also be applied here.
If the piece is to be braised, it should be completely boned; if intended for roasting, it is best to retain the bones. In the latter case, the large ligament should be cut at various points with the view of preventing distortion, while the bones constituting the spinous process should be broken close to the point where they join the body of the vertebræ, that they may be easily removed when the meat is being carved.
The upper fillet, especially when it is of good quality, is best roasted.
Ribs of beef may likewise be braised or roasted.
In either case, the meat should be properly trimmed and cleared of all the bones of the spinous process.
This piece should only be used after having been well hung, in order that it may be as tender as possible.
1144—GRILLED SIRLOIN STEAKS AND RIBS OF BEEF
The sirloin steak may be cut either from the upper fillet or the ribs of beef, i.e., between two rib-bones. In order that its cooking may be regular, it should not weigh more than from two to three lbs.
Ribs of beef may also be grilled, provided they be sufficiently tender.
[379]
They may be braised, too, and in this case they are served
with any of the various garnishes given under Fillet of Beef.
1145—PIÈCE DE BŒUF BRAISÉE (Relevé)
The piece of beef called rump is the one preferred for boiling and braising. Whatever be the use for which the meat is intended, the weight of the pieces should not be more than six or eight lbs. at the most, and they should be cut in the length rather than in the thickness, that the cooking process may be facilitated.
All the garnishes of braised sirloin of beef are suited to braised pieces of beef.
Boiled beef is generally accompanied by the vegetables used in its cooking-process, by purées, green or dry vegetables, pastes, macaroni, &c., &c.
1146—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA BOURGUIGNONNE
Lard the piece of beef, and marinade it for three hours in brandy and red wine. Braise it after the manner described under No. 247; moisten first with the wine of the marinade, and, when the latter is reduced, with some veal gravy and one-half pint of Espagnole sauce per quart of liquid, taking care that the whole moistening reaches the top of the piece of meat. Add a faggot and some mushroom parings; set to boil, and cook gently in the oven.
When the meat is two-thirds cooked, transfer it to another saucepan, and surround it with mushrooms cut into two or four, according to their size, and tossed in butter; breast of bacon, cut into dice, blanched and tossed in butter, and some small onions half-glazed with butter.
Strain the sauce through a sieve over the piece of beef and its garnish, and complete the cooking gently.
A few minutes before serving, put the meat on a dish and glaze it in the oven. Transfer the meat to the dish intended for the table; quickly reduce the sauce if necessary, and pour it over the piece of beef and the garnish.
1147—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA CUILLER
Select a very square or oval piece of beef, and bear in mind, in selecting it, that it will have to be fashioned to the shape of a case when it has been cooked.
String it, and braise it after the manner described under No. 247, almost entirely covering it with moistening liquor.
Set it to cook gently; withdraw the piece when the meat is still somewhat firm, and let it cool under slight pressure.
[380]
This done, cut out the meat from the inside; leave a thickness
of about half-inch round the sides and on the bottom, and
the piece thus emptied should constitute a square or oval case,
in accordance with the shape originally adopted.
Coat the outside of the whole piece with a mixture of beaten eggs and fine bread-crumbs, combined with Parmesan; sprinkle melted butter over it with a brush, and put the case into a sufficiently hot oven to allow of a crust forming round it.
Meanwhile chop up the meat extracted from the inside of the piece; add thereto a little salted tongue, some braised slices of sweet-bread, and mushrooms; put the whole into a sautépan with an Italian or a half-glaze sauce, according to the requirements, and heat this garnish.
N.B.—This preparation was quite common in old-fashioned cookery, but though it is still served occasionally, it is now looked upon more as a curiosity than anything else. As a curiosity, therefore, I chose to include it among these recipes; but it does not follow from this that I in any way recommend it.
1148—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA FLAMANDE
Lard the piece of beef, and braise it as explained under No. 247.
Meanwhile prepare the following garnish:—(1) Cut a nice firm cabbage into four, remove the heart, and parboil it for seven or eight minutes. Drain it; cool it; divide up the quarters, leaf by leaf, so as to remove the hard ribs, and season with salt and pepper.
Mould them to the shape of balls by pressing them in the corner of a towel into balls weighing about three oz. each, or simply put them into a saucepan with a quartered carrot, an onion stuck with a clove, a faggot, six oz. of blanched breast of pork, and a little raw sausage with garlic, which latter must be withdrawn after cooking has gone on for one and one-half hours.
Moisten the cabbage with just sufficient consommé to cover it; add a few tablespoonfuls of good stock-fat; set to boil, and cook gently in the oven for one and one-half hours.
(2) Cut the required quantity of carrots and turnips to the shape of olives; cook them in consommé, and reduce the latter for the purpose of glazing.
(3) Prepare some potatoes à l’anglaise.
Set the piece of beef on a dish large enough to allow of the former being surrounded with the moulded or plainly-heaped cabbages, the glazed carrots and turnips, and the potatoes à [381] l’anglaise. The last two vegetables should be set in alternate heaps with the cabbages and the bacon (cut into small rectangles) and the sausage (cut into roundels) should be distributed all round.
Serve separately the gravy of the piece of beef, cleared of all grease, reduced to a half-glaze and strained.
1149—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA MODE CHAUDE
Lard the piece of beef, which should not, if possible, weigh more than from four to five lbs. The strips of bacon used for larding ought to have been prepared fifteen or twenty minutes in advance, marinaded in a few tablespoonfuls of brandy, and sprinkled with parsley just before being used.
Rub the piece with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and put it into a basin with one bottle of red wine and one-fifth pint of brandy, and set it to marinade for four or five hours, taking care to turn it over from time to time.
Then set it to braise after the manner described under No. 247; add its marinade to the moistening, and surround it with three small, boned, blanched, and strung calf’s feet.
When the cooking is three-quarters done, transfer the piece of beef to another saucepan, and surround it with the following garnish:—
1. About one-quarter lb. of carrots turned to the shape of elongated olives, and already two-thirds cooked.
2. Small onions coloured in two-thirds lb. of butter.
3. The calf’s feet cut into small, square, or rectangular pieces.
Strain the braising-liquor over the whole, and complete the cooking gently. When about to serve, either glaze the piece of beef, or dish it plain; coat it lightly with sauce, and send what remains of the latter, with the garnish, in a timbale.
1150—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA MODE FROIDE
Bœuf à la mode is very rarely prepared specially for cold dishing, the remains of a fine piece being generally used for that purpose. The piece of meat must first be well trimmed. If the quantity of sauce do not seem enough, or if the sauce itself seem too stiff, add a third of its volume of aspic jelly to it.
For moulding, take a terrine à pâté, a mould, or other utensil capable of holding the piece of meat, its garnish, and its sauce. Deck the bottom of the utensil in any suitable way with the carrots and the onions, and surround the piece with what remains of the latter and the dice of calf’s foot.
[382]
Add the sauce, combined with the jelly, after having passed
it through a strainer, and put the whole in the cool for a few
hours. Turn out just before serving, and surround with very
light, chopped jelly.
1151—PIÈCE DE BŒUF A LA NOAILLES
Lard the piece of beef, and marinade it in brandy and red wine.
This done, dry it thoroughly, and brown it evenly in butter all over; moisten it with its marinade and an equal quantity of veal gravy, and set to cook gently.
When the meat is half-cooked, surround it with two lbs. of minced onions, tossed in butter, and three oz. of rice. Complete the cooking of the piece with onions and rice.
Now withdraw the piece of beef, and quickly rub the onions and the rice through tammy. Reduce this Soubise with rice for a few moments.
Neatly trim the piece of beef; cut it into even slices; reconstruct it on a dish, and between each slice pour a tablespoonful of Soubise purée.
Cover the reconstructed piece of beef with the remainder of the Soubise; sprinkle the surface with two tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs fried in butter, and some melted butter, and put the whole in the oven, that the gratin may form speedily.
1152—THE RUMP
Rumpsteak and Beefsteak.
The rump is that portion of the sirloin of beef which touches the top of the haunch.
It may be braised, but it is more often grilled in slices from one inch to one and one-half inches thick, which are called “rumpsteaks.”
With reference to this subject, it is as well to point out that the term “Beefsteak,” so hackneyed in France, is scarcely used in England, owing to its want of precision.
In France, beefsteak is either a cut from the fillet, the upper-fillet, or the rump, according to the standing of the catering-house which supplies it. But the nature of the piece cannot very well be mistaken, inasmuch as the term beefsteak, which designates it, is generally followed by other French words which reveal its origin, whereas in England the term “Beefsteak” does not convey any particular meaning.
Rumpsteak is either grilled or sautéd, but whatever be the method of cooking it, it is generally served plain.
[383]
All garnishes suited to fillets, however, may be served with
it, as also the various butters and sauces generally used with
grills.
1153—LANGUE DE BŒUF
Ox tongue is served fresh or salted, but, even when it is to be served fresh, it is all the better for having been put in salt a few days previously. In order to salt it, put it into a special brine, as explained under No. 172. When salted, it is cooked in boiling water; when fresh, it is braised exactly after the manner of any other piece of meat.
Ox tongue may be served with almost all the garnishes suited to relevés of fillet of beef, but more particularly with the following:—Bourgeoise; Flamande; Milanaise; Noodles or Macaroni with cream, cheese or tomatoes; and all vegetable purées.
The most suitable sauces are:—Madeira sauce, Piquante sauce, Tomato sauce, or their derivatives.
1154—LANGUE DE BŒUF CHOUCROÛTE
Braise the tongue as described under No. 247, and glaze it at the last moment. Dish it, and send to the table separately (1) a timbale of well-braised sauerkraut; (2) a timbale of potato purée; (3) a Madeira sauce, combined with the braising-liquor of the tongue, cleared of all grease, and reduced.
1155—LANGUE DE BŒUF BOURGEOISE
Braise the tongue in the usual way.
When it is two-thirds cooked, surround it with carrots fashioned to the shape of olives and already two-thirds cooked, and small onions browned in butter.
Complete the cooking gently, and for the rest of the operation, proceed as for “Pièce de Bœuf à la Mode chaude.”
1156—LANGUE DE BŒUF AUX FÈVES
Tongue intended for this preparation should be put in salt a few days in advance.
Boil it in the usual way and very gently; glaze it when about to serve, and dish it. Send to the table separately (1) a timbale of very fresh, skinned, broad beans, cooked in salted water with a spray of savory, and cohered with butter at the last moment.
(2) A Madeira sauce.
1157—LANGUE DE BŒUF FLAMANDE
Braise the tongue, and glaze it at the last moment. Surround it with the garnish “à la Flamande” given under the beef [384] recipe of that name, i.e., braised cabbages, glazed carrots and turnips, potatoes à l’anglaise, rectangles of lean bacon, and roundels of sausage.
1158—LANGUES DE BŒUF FROIDES
Ox tongues intended for cold dishing should be kept in brine (No. 172) for eight or ten days. When about to use them, put them to soak in cold water for a few hours, and then cook them plainly in water for three hours.
This done, withdraw them from their cooking-liquor; skin them; cover them with buttered paper, and let them cool. The object of the paper is to keep off the air, the tendency of which is to blacken the surface of the meat.
When quite cool, coat the tongues with a glaze composed of one-half lb. of gelatine dissolved in one pint of water; the latter is given a scarlet tint by means of carmine and caramel.
Cold ox tongues are dished amidst aspic jelly dice and curled-leaf parsley.
N.B.—The gelatine glaze described above will be found a great improvement upon the coating of reddened gold-beaters’ skin.
OX TAILS.
Ox tails, sectioned or unsectioned, are usually braised, and only the thicker half of the caudal appendage is ever used.
1159—QUEUE DE BŒUF A L’AUVERGNATE
Section the tail, and braise it in white wine, after recipe No. 247.
Prepare a garnish of rectangles of lean bacon, large chestnuts cooked in consommé and glazed, and small onions cooked in butter.
Put the sections of the tail in an earthenware cocotte with the garnish.
1160—QUEUE DE BŒUF A LA CAVOUR
Section the tail, and braise it in a moistening two-thirds of which is brown stock and one-third white wine. It is well for the moistening to be somewhat abundant. Set to cook very gently, until the meat falls from the bones, i.e., for a matter of about four and one-half or five hours.
This done, dish the sections of the tail in a cocotte; add some small, cooked mushrooms; clear the cooking-liquor of grease; reduce it, and thicken it slightly with fecula. Strain [385] this thickened cooking-liquor over the sections of the tail and the mushrooms, and set to boil very gently for ten minutes.
Serve thus in the cocotte set on a dish, and send a timbale of chestnut purée to the table at the same time.
1161—QUEUE DE BŒUF FARCIE
Choose a large ox tail, and bone it carefully without bursting it.
Lay it on a napkin, and stuff it with a forcemeat consisting of the following ingredients:—Three-quarters lb. of very lean beef and one-half lb. of chopped fat bacon, the two mixed with four oz. of bread-crumbs soaked in milk and pressed; two whole eggs; three oz. of truffle peel; one-half oz. of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a very little spice.
Sew up the tail, cover it with a piece of linen after the manner of a galantine, and cook it gently for three hours in a very light stock with vegetables as for boiled beef.
At the end of the three hours take it out of the linen; put it into a sautépan, the bottom of which should be garnished as for a braising; add a little of the cooking-liquor of the tail, and complete the cooking, basting often the while. Take care to baste more frequently towards the close of the operation with the view of properly glazing the meat.
When about to serve, dish it, after having removed all string, and lightly coat the bottom of the dish with a sauce consisting of the cooking-liquor, reduced and thickened with arrow-root. Send what remains of the cooking-liquor in a sauceboat.
Serve separately either a purée, a garnish of braised vegetables, or one of the sauces suited to pieces of beef.
1162—QUEUE DE BŒUF GRILLÉE
Cut the tail into sections twice the usual length, and cook these in a stewpan for five hours with salted water and aromatics.
Drain the sections; dry them well; dip them in melted butter, and roll them in very fine bread-crumbs. Sprinkle with melted butter, and set to grill gently.
Grilled ox tail may be served with any vegetable purée. An ordinary Soubise, or one prepared “à la Noailles,” as explained under the piece of beef of that name, also suits very well.
In any case, the Soubise should be sufficiently thick.
Such sauces as à la Diable, Hachée, Piquante, Robert, Tomato, Italienne, &c., are also suited to grilled ox tail.
N.B.—When the adjunct to grilled ox tail is a [386] highly-seasoned sauce, the sections should first be covered with a coat of mustard, then dipped in melted butter, and finally rolled in bread-crumbs.
1163—QUEUE DE BŒUF EN HOCHEPOT
Cut the tail into sections, and put these into a stewpan of convenient size, with two pig’s trotters, each of which must be cut into four or five pieces, and one pig’s ear. Cover the whole with cold water; add salt to the extent of one-third oz. per quart of the liquid; set to boil; skim, and leave to cook gently for two hours.
This done, add one small cabbage, cut into quarters, parboiled and cooled; ten small onions; five oz. of carrots, and the same weight of turnips, cut to the shape of large, garlic cloves.
Set the whole to cook for a further two hours at least.
When about to serve, dish the sections of tail in a circle; put the vegetable garnish in the centre, and surround the latter with the pig’s ear cut into small, narrow strips, and ten grilled chipolata sausages.
Serve, separately, a timbale of potatoes cooked à l’anglaise.