Enquire Within Upon Everything Part 3

According to the English method the carcase of beef is disposed of more economically than upon the Scotch plan. The English plan affords better steaks, and better joints for roasting; but the Scotch plan gives a greater variety of pieces for boiling. The names of pieces in the Scotch plan, not found in the English, are:

the hough, or hind leg; the nineholes, or English b.u.t.tock; the large and small runner, taken from the rib and chuck pieces of the English plan; the shoulder-lyer, the English shoulder, but cut differently; the spare-rib or fore-sye, the sticking piece, &c.

The Scotch also cut mutton differently.

viii. Ox-tail

is much esteemed for purposes of soup; so also is the Cheek. The Tongue is highly esteemed. The Heart, stuffed with veal stuffing, roasted, and served hot, with red currant jelly as an accompaniment, is a palatable dish. When prepared in this manner it is sometimes called 'Smithfield Hare', on account of its flavour being something like that of roast hare.

ix. Calves' Heads

are very useful for various dishes; so also are their Knuckles, Feet, Heart, &c.

29. Relative Economy of the Joints.

i. The Round

is, in large families, one of the most profitable parts owing to its comparative freedom from bone: it is usually boiled, and is generally sold at the same price as the sirloin, and ribs. It is sometimes divided downwards, close to the bone; one side being known as the 'top side', and the other as the 'silver side'. Either of these parts is as good roasted as boiled.

ii. The Brisket

is always less in price than the roasting parts. It is not so economical a part as the round, having more bone with it, and more fat. Where there are children, very fat joints are not desirable, being often disagreeable to them, and sometimes prejudicial, especially if they have a dislike to fat. This joint also requires more cooking than many others; that is to say, it requires a double allowance of time to be given for simmering it; it will, when served, be hard and scarcely digestible if no more time be allowed to simmer it than that which is sufficient for other joints and meats. Joints cooked in a boiler or saucepan, should always be _simmered_, that is to say, boiled as slowly as possible. Meat boiled fast, or "at a gallop," as the phrase goes, is always tough and tasteless. The brisket is excellent when stewed; and when cooked fresh (i.e., unsalted) an excellent stock for soup may be extracted from it, and yet the meat will serve as well for dinner.

iii. The Edge-bone, or Aitch-bone,

is not considered to be a very economical joint, the bone being large in proportion to the meat; but the greater part of it, at least, is as good as that of any prime part. On account of the quant.i.ty of bone in it, it is sold at a cheaper rate than the best joints. It may be roasted or boiled.

iv. The Rump

is the part of which the butcher makes great profit, by selling it in the form of steaks, but the whole of it may be purchased as a joint, and at the price of other prime parts. It may be turned to good account in producing many excellent dishes. If salted, it is simply boiled; if used unsalted, it is generally stewed.

v. The Veiny Piece

is sold at a moderate price per pound; but, if hung for a day or two, it is very good and very profitable. Where there are a number of servants and children to have an early dinner, this part of beef will be found desirable.

vi. The Leg and Shin

afford excellent stock for soup; and, if not reduced too much, the meat taken from the bones may be served as a stew with vegetables; or it may be seasoned, pounded with b.u.t.ter, and potted; or, chopped very fine, and seasoned with herbs, and bound together by egg and bread crumbs, it may be fried in b.a.l.l.s, or in the form of large eggs, and served with a gravy made with a few spoonfuls of the soup.

vii. Ox Cheek

makes excellent soup. The meat, when taken from the bones, may be served as a stew.

viii. The Sirloin and the Ribs

are the roasting parts of beef, and these bear in all places the highest price. The more profitable of these two joints at a family table is the ribs. The bones, if removed from the beef before it is roasted, are useful in making stock for soup. When boned, the meat of the ribs is often rolled up on the shape of a small round or fillet, tied with string, and roasted; and this is the best way of using it, as it enables the carver to distribute equally the upper part of the meat with the fatter parts, at the lower end of the bones.

30. Food in Season.

There is an old maxim, "A place for everything, and everything in its place," To which may be added another, "A season for everything, and everything in season."

[Fish, Poultry, &c., whose names are distinguished by _Italics_ [here marked _like this_] in each month's "Food in Season," are to be had in the highest perfection during the month.]

31. In Season in January.

i. Fish.

Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, _dace_, eels, flounders, _haddocks_, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, _tench_, thornback, turbot, _whiting_.

ii. Meat.--Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, and doe venison.

iii. Poultry and Game.--Capons, chickens, ducks, wild-ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, _hares_, larks, moor-game, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame), pullets, _rabbits_, snipes, turkeys (hen), widgeons, woodc.o.c.ks.

iv. Vegetables.--Beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), Jerusalem artichokes, kale (Scotch), leeks, lettuces, mint (dry), mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, Savoy cabbages, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach (winter), tarragon, thyme, turnips.

v. Forced Vegetables.--Asparagus, cuc.u.mbers, mushrooms, sea-kale.

vi. Fruit.--Almonds.

Apples: Golden pippin, golden russet, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain.

Pears: Bergamot d'Hollande, Bon Chretien, Chaumontel, Colmar, winter beurre.

Grapes: English and foreign.

Chestnuts, medlars, oranges, walnuts, filbert nuts.

[THE HYPOCRITE WILL FAST SEEM MORE HOLY.]

32. In Season in February.

i. Fish.

Barbel, brill, carp, c.o.c.kles, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.

ii. Meat.