Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus Part 3

-LAMB CHOPS EN Ca.s.sEROLE---Trim off the superfluous fat from the chops, and place them in a ca.s.serole with a medium sized onion, sliced and separated into rings. Cover each layer of chops with the onion rings, then add a pint of boiling water. Cover and cook for one hour and one-half in a moderate oven. Add salt and pepper and some sliced carrot, and cook until the carrot is tender. Remove the chops to a hot platter and pour over them the gravy which may be thickened, then garnish with the carrot.

-LAMB CURRY---Cut the meat into small pieces, (and the inferior portions, such as the neck can be utilized in a curry), roll in flour and fry in hot olive oil, pork fat, or b.u.t.ter, until a rich brown. Mince or slice an onion and fry in the same way. Then put into a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and simmer until the bones and gristly pieces will slip out. When the meat is sufficiently tender add a cupful each strained tomato and rice, then a powder. Cook ten minutes longer and serve.

-MEAT PIE---Chop fine, enough of cold roast beef to make two cupfuls, also one small onion, pare as many potatoes as desired and boil, mash and cream as for mashed potatoes. Drain a cupful of tomato liquid free from seeds, stir meat, onion and tomato juice together, put in a deep dish, spread potatoes over the top and bake in a hot oven.

-MINCED MUTTON---Mince the meat from a cold roast of mutton, put into a saucepan. Make a roux, moisten with a little stock and season with salt and pepper, adding b.u.t.ter and some gherkins. Put the minced meat into the sauce and let it cook without boiling. Serve with thin slices of bread around the plate.

-PIG'S EARS, LYONNAISE---Singe off all the hair from pig's ears, sc.r.a.pe and wash well and cut lengthwise into strips. Place them in a saucepan with a little stock, add a small quant.i.ty of flour, a few slices of onion fried, salt and pepper to taste. Place the pan over a slow fire and simmer until the ears are thoroughly cooked. Arrange on a dish, add a little lemon juice to the liquor and pour over the ears. Serve with a garnish of fried bread.

-PORK CUTLETS AND ANCHOVY SAUCE---Broil on a well greased gridiron, over the fire, nicely cut and trimmed cutlets of pork. Place frills on the bones of the cutlets. Serve very hot with Anchovy Sauce.

-RAGOUT OF COOKED MEAT---Cut one pint of cold meat into half-inch dice, removing the fat, bone and gristle. Put the meat into a stew pan, cover with boiling water and simmer slowly two or three hours or until very tender. Then add half a can of mushrooms cut fine, two tablespoons of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Wet one tablespoonful of cornstarch to a smooth paste with a little cold water and stir into the boiling liquor, add a teaspoon of caramel if not brown enough. Cook ten minutes and serve plain or in a border of mashed potatoes. The seasoning may be varied by using one teaspoon of curry powder, a few grains of cayenne or half a tumbler of currant jelly and salt to taste.

-RICE AND BEEF CROQUETTES---To use up cold meat economically combine two cups of chopped beef or mutton with two cups of freshly boiled rice.

Season well with salt, pepper, onion juice, a large teaspoon of minced parsley, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Pack on a large plate and set away to cool. After the mixture is cold, shape into croquettes, dip into beaten egg, roll in fine crumbs and fry in smoking hot fat.

-ROLLED RIB ROAST---Have the backbone and ribs removed and utilize them for making a stew for lunch. Tie the meat into a round shape and sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then dredge with flour and place in a dripping pan. Have the oven hot when the meat is first put into it, in order that it may be seared over quickly to prevent the juices from escaping. Then reduce the heat and baste with the fat in the pan. When done place on a hot platter and surround with riced potato.

-SHEEP'S BRAINS, WITH SMALL ONIONS---Take sheep's brains. Soak in lukewarm water and blanch. Stew with thin slices of bacon, a little white wine, parsley, shallots, cloves, small onions, salt and pepper.

When done arrange the brains on a dish, with the onion's around; reduce the sauce and serve. Calves' brains may be dressed in the same way.

-SHEEP'S TONGUES---Sheep's tongues are usually boiled in water and then broiled. To dress them, first skin and split down the center. Dip them in b.u.t.ter or sweet oil, mixed with parsley, green onions, mushrooms, clove of garlic, all shredded fine, salt and pepper. Then cover with bread crumbs and broil. Serve with an acid sauce.

-SHOULDER OF VEAL BRAISED---Buy a shoulder of veal and ask the butcher to bone it and send the bones with the meat. Cover the bones with cold water and when it comes to a boil skim, then add a little onion and carrot and a few seasoning herbs and any spices desired. Simmer gently for an hour or so until you have a pint of stock. To make the stuffing take a stale loaf, cut off the crust and soak in a little cold water until soft. Rub the crumbs of the loaf as fine as possible in the hands, then add to the soaked and softened crust. Chop a half cup of suet fine, put into a frying pan a tablespoon of the suet, and when hot add an onion chopped fine. Cook until brown then add to the bread with regular poultry seasoning or else salt, pepper, and a bit of thyme. Mix well and stuff the cavity in the shoulder, then pull the flaps of the meat over and sew up. Put the rest of the suet in the frying pan and having dusted the meat with flour, salt and pepper and a sprinkling of sugar, brown on all sides in the fat into the bottom of the braising pan, which may be any shallow iron pot or granite kettle with a tight cover, put a layer of thin sliced onions and carrots, a bit of bay leaf and sprigs of parsley, and on this lay the meat. Add two or three cloves, pour hot stock around it, cover closely and braise in a hot oven for three hours.

-SPANISH CHOPS---Gash six French chops on outer edge, extending cut more than half way through lean meat. Stuff, dip in crumbs, egg and crumbs, fry in deep fat five minutes and drain on brown paper.

For the stuffing mix six tablespoons of soft bread crumbs, three tablespoons of chopped cooked ham, two tablespoons chopped mushroom caps, two tablespoons melted b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper to taste.

-HARICOT OF MUTTON---To make a la bourgeoise, cut a shoulder of mutton in pieces about the width of two fingers. Mix a little b.u.t.ter with a tablespoonful of flour and place over a slow fire, stirring until the color of cinnamon. Put in the pieces of meat, giving them two or three turns over the fire, then add some stock, if you have it, or about half pint of hot water, which must be stirred in a little at a time. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, green onions, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, cloves, and basil. Set the whole over a slow fire and when half done skim off as much fat as possible. Have ready some turnips, cut in pieces, and stew with the meat. When done take out the herbs and skim off what fat remains, reducing the stock if too thin.

-VEAL CROQUETTES---Make a thick sauce from one cup of milk, two level tablespoons of b.u.t.ter, and four level tablespoons of flour. Cook five minutes, season with salt, pepper and celery salt, and a few drops of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of finely minced parsley. Add two cups of cold cooked veal chopped fine and cool the mixture. Shape into little rolls, dip in an egg beaten with one tablespoon of water then roll in fine bread crumbs. Fry in deep smoking hot fat. Be sure to coat the whole surface with egg and to have the fat very hot, as the mixture has been cooked once and merely needs beating to the center and browning on the outside.

-VEAL LOAF---Mince fine three pounds lean raw veal and a quarter of a pound of fat pork. Add a half onion chopped fine or grated, a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful pepper and a teaspoonful seasoning herbs. Mix well, add two-thirds of a cup cracker crumbs, a half cup veal gravy, the yolk of one egg and the whites of two beaten together. Form into a loaf, pressing firmly together. Brush over with the yolk of an egg, dust with finely rolled cracker crumbs and set in a greased rack in the dripping pan. When it begins to brown, turn a cup of hot water into the pan and baste frequently until done. It will take about an hour and a half in a moderate oven.

-VEAL PATTIES---Make a sauce of two level tablespoons each of b.u.t.ter and flour, one cup of stock or boiling water, and one cup of thin cream.

Cook five minutes, add two cups of finely chopped cooked veal, half a level teaspoon of salt, a saltspoon of pepper, also the beaten yolks of two eggs, and a tablespoon of finely minced parsley. As soon as the egg thickens take from the fire and fill hot pastry cases.

-VIRGINIA STEW---A half grown chicken or two squirrels, one slice of salt pork, twelve large tomatoes, three cups of lima beans, one large onion, two large Irish potatoes, twelve ears of corn, one-fourth pound of b.u.t.ter, one-fourth pound of lard, one gallon of boiling water, two tablespoonfuls salt and pepper; mix as any ordinary soup and let it cook for a couple of hours or more, then serve.

-BROILING STEAK---While many prefer steak fairly well done, still the great majority desire to have it either rare, or certainly not overdone.

For those who wish a steak well done--completely through--and still not to have the outside crisp to a cinder, it is necessary to cut the steak possibly as thin as one-half inch, and then the outside can have that delicious and intense scorching which quickly prevents the escape of juices, and also gives the slightly burned taste which at its perfect condition is the most delicious flavor from my own preference that can be given to a steak. By this I do not mean a steak burned to a cinder, but slightly scorched over a very hot fire.

-FOR RARE BROILED STEAK---For those who are fond of rare steak it can be cut from one inch to one and one-quarter inches in thickness and the outside thoroughly and quickly broiled, leaving the inside practically only partially cooked, so that the blood will follow the knife and still the steak has been heated completely through and a thin crust on either side has been well cooked, which has formed the sh.e.l.l to retain the juices.

-PROPERLY FRYING STEAK---To fry steak properly (although some claim it is not proper to fry steak under any circ.u.mstances), it is necessary to have the b.u.t.ter, oleo, fat or grease piping hot, for two reasons: First, the steak sears over quickly, and the juices are thus retained within the steak to better advantage than by the slow process of cooking, but even more important is the fact that the incrustation thus formed not only holds the juices within the steak, but prevents the fat from penetrating and making the steak greasy, soggy and unattractive. As a rule, however, we must acknowledge that broiled steak is in varying degrees largely superior to fried steak.

-BROILED LOIN STEAKS---Two loin steaks of about a pound each: season with salt and pepper to taste, baste on either side with a little oil.

Place on a broiler over a bright charcoal fire, and broil for six minutes, on each side. Serve on a hot dish with Bordeaux sauce and garnish with rounds of marrow.

-FRIED HAMBURG STEAK, WITH RUSSIAN SAUCE---Select a piece of b.u.t.tock beef, remove the fat and chop very fine. Add finely chopped shallot, two eggs, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Mix well and form into b.a.l.l.s.

Roll in bread crumbs and fry with a little clarified b.u.t.ter four or five minutes, turning frequently. Serve with Russian sauce.

-FRIED SAUSAGE MEAT---Roll sausage meat into small b.a.l.l.s, wrapping each in a thin rasher of bacon and fasten with a skewer. Fry lightly in a little b.u.t.ter. Serve with fried parsley and croutons of fried bread.

Serve hot.

-ROAST BEEF, AMERICAN STYLE---Lay the meat on sticks in a dripping pan, so as not to touch the water which is placed in the bottom of the pan.

Season with salt and pepper and roast for three or four hours, basting frequently. When done sift over the top browned cracker crumbs and garnish with parsley.

-ROAST BEEF ON SPIT---Remove most of the flap from sirloin and trim neatly. Have a clear brisk fire and place the meat close to it for the first half hour, then move it farther away, basting frequently, and when done sprinkle well with salt. The gravy may be prepared by taking the meat from the dripping pan which will have a brown sediment. Pour in some boiling water and salt. Strain over the meat. A thickening of flour may be added if necessary. Garnish with horseradish and serve with horseradish sauce.

-ROAST RIBS OF BEEF---Break off the ends of the bones of the desired amount of ribs; take out the shin-bone, and place the meat in a baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and spread some small lumps of b.u.t.ter over it and dust with flour, baking in a moderate oven till done. Serve hot and garnish with horseradish.

-ROAST SHOULDER OF PORK---Remove the bone from a shoulder of pork and spread it over inside with a stuffing of sage and onions, filling the cavity where the bone was taken out. Roll up and secure with a string, put in a pan and roast in a very hot oven till done. When done put on a dish, skim off the fat in the pan, add a little water and a tablespoon of made mustard, boil the gravy once and pa.s.s through a strainer over the meat and serve.

-SMOKED BEEF WITH CREAM---Place the finely minced beef in a stewpan with a lump of b.u.t.ter, cooking it for two minutes, and moisten slightly with a little cream, add two tablespoonfuls of bechamel sauce. Serve as soon as it boils up.

-STEAK---Cut the steak half an inch thick from between the two ribs, remove all gristle and fat, and trim in the shape of a flat pear.

Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and oil to prevent outside hardening. Broil ten minutes over a moderate and even fire. Place about four ounces of maitre d'hotel b.u.t.ter on a dish. Lay the steak upon it and garnish with fried potatoes, serving either piquant, D'Italian, or tomato sauce.