The Book of Household Management Part 73

[Ill.u.s.tration: MARROW-BONES.]

MARROW-BONES.--Bones are formed of a dense cellular tissue of membranous matter, made stiff and rigid by insoluble earthy salts; of which, phosphate of lime is the most abundant. In a large bone, the insoluble matter is generally deposited in such a manner as to leave a cavity, into which a fatty substance, distinguished by the name of marrow, is thrown. Hollow cylindrical bones possess the qualities of strength and lightness in a remarkable degree. If bones were entirely solid, they would be unnecessarily heavy; and if their materials were brought into smaller compa.s.s, they would be weaker, because the strength of a bone is in proportion to the distance at which its fibres are from the centre. Some animals, it must, however, be observed, have no cavities in the centre of their bones; such as the whale tribe, skate, and turtles.

MINCED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

636. INGREDIENTS.--1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1 small onion, 2 tablespoonfuls of gravy left from the meat, 1 tablespoonful of strong ale, 1/2 a teaspoonful of flour, salt and pepper to taste, a few slices of lean roast beef.

_Mode_.--Put into a stewpan the b.u.t.ter with an onion chopped fine; add the gravy, ale, and 1/2 a teaspoonful of flour to thicken; season with pepper and salt, and stir these ingredients over the fire until the onion is a rich brown. Cut, but do not chop the meat _very fine_, add it to the gravy, stir till quite hot, and serve. Garnish with sippets of toasted bread. Be careful in not allowing the gravy to boil after the meat is added, as it would render it hard and tough.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MIROTON OF BEEF.

637. INGREDIENTS.--A few slices of cold roast beef, 3 oz. of b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper to taste, 3 onions, 1/2 pint of gravy.

_Mode_.--Slice the onions and put them into a frying-pan with the cold beef and b.u.t.ter; place it over the fire, and keep turning and stirring the ingredients to prevent them burning. When of a pale brown, add the gravy and seasoning; let it simmer for a few minutes, and serve very hot. This dish is excellent and economical.

_Time_.--5 minutes. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

STEWED OX-CHEEK.

638. INGREDIENTS.--1 cheek, salt and water, 4 or 5 onions, b.u.t.ter and flour, 6 cloves, 3 turnips, 2 carrots, 1 bay-leaf, 1 head of celery, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, cayenne, black pepper and salt to taste, 1 oz.

of b.u.t.ter, 2 dessertspoonfuls of flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of Chili vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, 2 tablespoonfuls of port wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of Harvey's sauce.

_Mode_.--Have the cheek boned, and prepare it the day before it is to be eaten, by cleaning and putting it to soak all night in salt and water.

The next day, wipe it dry and clean, and put it into a stewpan. Just cover it with water, skim well when it boils, and let it gently simmer till the meat is quite tender. Slice and fry 3 onions in a little b.u.t.ter and flour, and put them into the gravy; add 2 whole onions, each stuck with 3 cloves, 3 turnips quartered, 2 carrots sliced, a bay-leaf, 1 head of celery, a bunch of herbs, and seasoning to taste of cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Let these stew till perfectly tender; then take out the cheek, divide into pieces fit to help at table, skim and strain the gravy, and thicken 1-1/2 pint of it with b.u.t.ter and flour in the above proportions. Add the vinegar, ketchup, and port wine; put in the pieces of cheek; let the whole boil up, and serve quite hot. Send it to table in a ragout-dish. If the colour of the gravy should not be very good, add a tablespoonful of the browning, No. 108.

_Time_.--4 hours. _Average cost_, 3d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

FRIED OX-FEET, or COW-HEEL.

639. INGREDIENTS.--Ox-feet, the yolk of 1 egg, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and cayenne to taste, boiling b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Wash, scald, and thoroughly clean the feet, and cut them into pieces about 2 inches long; have ready some fine bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley, cayenne, and salt; dip the pieces of heel into the yolk of egg, sprinkle them with the bread crumbs, and fry them until of a nice brown in boiling b.u.t.ter.

_Time_.-1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. each.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

Note.--Ox-feet may be dressed in various ways, stowed in gravy or plainly boiled and served with melted b.u.t.ter. When plainly boiled, the liquor will answer for making sweet or relishing jellies, and also to give richness to soups or gravies.

STEWED OX-TAILS.

640. INGREDIENTS.--2 ox-tails, 1 onion, 3 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 teaspoonful of whole black pepper, 1 teaspoonful of allspice, 1/2 a teaspoonful of salt, a small bunch of savoury herbs, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup.

_Mode_.--Divide the tails at the joints, wash, and put them into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and set them on the fire; when the water boils, remove the sc.u.m, and add the onion cut into rings, the spice, seasoning, and herbs. Cover the stewpan closely, and let the tails simmer very gently until tender, which will be in about 2-1/2 hours. Take them out, make a thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, add it to the gravy, and let it boil for 1/4 hour. Strain it through a sieve into a saucepan, put back the tails, add the lemon-juice and ketchup; let the whole just boil up, and serve. Garnish with crotons or sippets of toasted bread.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours to stew the tails.

_Average cost_, 9d. to 1s. 6d., according to the season.

_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

THE TAILS OF ANIMALS.--In the cla.s.s Mammalia, the vertebral column or backbone presents only slight modifications, and everywhere shows the same characteristics as in man, who stands at the head of this division of the animal kingdom. The length of this column, however, varies much, and the number of vertebrae of which it is composed is far from being uniform.

These numerical differences princ.i.p.ally depend on the unequal development of the caudal portion, or tail-end, of the column.

Thus, the tail-forming vertebrae sometimes do not exist at all,--amongst certain bats for example; in other instances we reckon forty, fifty, and even upwards of sixty of these bones.

Among the greater number of mammals, the tail is of little use for locomotion, except that it acts in many cases as does the rudder of a ship, steadying the animal in his rapid movements, and enabling him to turn more easily and quickly. Among some animals, it becomes a very powerful instrument of progression.

Thus, in the kangaroos and jerboas, the tail forms, with the hind feet, a kind of tripod from which the animal makes its spring. With most of the American monkeys it is prehensile, and serves the animal as a fifth hand to suspend itself from the branches of trees; and, lastly, among the whales, it grows to an enormous size, and becomes the princ.i.p.al instrument for swimming.

A PICKLE FOR TONGUES OR BEEF (Newmarket Recipe).

641. INGREDIENTS.--1 gallon of soft water, 3 lbs. of coa.r.s.e salt, 6 oz.

of coa.r.s.e brown sugar, 1/2 oz. of saltpetre.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, and let them boil for 1/2 hour, clear off the sc.u.m as it rises, and when done pour the pickle into a pickling-pan. Let it get cold, then put in the meat, and allow it to remain in the pickle from 8 to 14 days, according to the size. It will keep good for 6 months if well boiled once a fortnight. Tongues will take 1 month or 6 weeks to be properly cured; and, in salting meat, beef and tongues should always be put in separate vessels.

_Time_.--A moderate-sized tongue should remain in the pickle about a month, and be turned every day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: POTTING-JAR.]

POTTED BEEF.

I.

642. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of lean beef, 1 tablespoonful of water, 1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, a seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and black pepper.

_Mode_.--Procure a nice piece of lean beef, as free as possible from gristle, skin, &c., and put it into a jar (if at hand, one with a lid) with 1 tablespoonful of water. Cover it _closely_, and put the jar into a saucepan of boiling water, letting the water come within 2 inches of the top of the jar. Boil gently for 3-1/2 hours, then take the beef, chop it very small with a chopping-knife, and pound it thoroughly in a mortar. Mix with it by degrees all, or a portion, of the gravy that will have run from it, and a little clarified b.u.t.ter; add the seasoning, put it in small pots for use, and cover with a little b.u.t.ter just warmed and poured over. If much gravy is added to it, it will keep but a short time; on the contrary, if a large proportion of b.u.t.ter is used, it may be preserved for some time.

_Time_.--3-1/2 hours. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 1s. 8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

POTTED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).