Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume III Part 10

After washing the heart and removing the veins and the arteries, make a stuffing like that given for rolled beefsteak in Art. 45. Stuff the heart with this dressing, sprinkle salt and pepper over it, and roll it in flour. Lay several strips of bacon or salt pork across the top, place in a baking pan, and pour 1 cupful of water into the pan. Cover the pan tight, set it in a hot oven, and bake slowly for 2 or 3 hours, depending on the size of the heart. Add water as the water in the pan evaporates, and baste the heart frequently. When it has baked sufficiently, remove to a platter and serve at once.

MAKING GRAVY

70. To meats prepared in various ways, gravy--that is, the sauce made from the drippings or juices that cook out of steaks, roasts, and stews, or from the broth actually cooked from the meat as for soup--is a valuable addition, particularly if it is well made and properly seasoned. A point to remember in this connection is that gravy should be entirely free from lumps and not too thick. It will be of the right thickness if 1 to 2 level tablespoonfuls of flour is used for each pint of liquid. It should also be kept in mind that the best gravy is made from the brown drippings that contain some fat.

To make gravy, remove any excess of fat that is not required, and then pour a little hot water into the pan in order to dissolve the drippings that are to be used. Add the flour to the fat, stirring until a smooth paste is formed. Then add the liquid, which may be water or milk, and stir quickly to prevent the formation of lumps. Season well with salt and pepper. Another method that also proves satisfactory is to mix the flour and liquid and then add them to the fat that remains in the pan in which the meat has been cooked.

TRYING OUT SUET AND OTHER FATS

71. The suet obtained from beef is a valuable source of fat for cooking, and it should therefore never be thrown away. The process of obtaining the fat from suet is called _trying_, and it is always practiced in homes where economy is the rule.

To try out suet, cut the pieces into half-inch cubes, place them in a heavy frying pan, and cover them with hot water. Allow this to come to a boil and cook until the water has evaporated. Continue the heating until all the fat has been drawn from the tissue. Then pour off all the liquid fat and squeeze the remaining suet with a potato masher or in a fruit press. Clean gla.s.s or earthen jars are good receptacles in which to keep the fat thus recovered from the suet.

To try out other fats, proceed in the same way as for trying out suet.

Such fats may be tried by heating them in a pan without water, provided the work is done carefully enough to prevent them from scorching.

PREPARATION OF LEFT-OVER BEEF

72. As has been shown, meat is both an expensive and a perishable food.

Therefore, some use should be made of every left-over bit of it, no matter how small, and it should be disposed of quickly in order to prevent it from spoiling. A point that should not be overlooked in the use of left-over meats, however, is that they should be prepared so as to be a contrast to the original preparation and thus avoid monotony in the food served. This variation may be accomplished by adding other foods and seasonings and by changing the appearance as much as possible.

For instance, what remains from a roast of beef may be cut in thin slices and garnished to make an attractive dish; or, left-over meat may be made very appetizing by cutting it into cubes, reheating it in gravy or white sauce, and serving it over toast or potato patties. Then there is the sandwich, which always finds a place in the luncheon. The meat used for this purpose may be sliced thin or it may be chopped fine, and then, to increase the quant.i.ty, mixed with salad dressing, celery, olives, chopped pickles, etc. An excellent sandwich is made by placing thin slices of roast beef between two slices of bread and serving hot roast-beef gravy over the sandwich thus formed. Still other appetizing dishes may be prepared from left-over beef as the accompanying recipes show.

73. MEXICAN BEEF--An extremely appetizing dish, known as Mexican beef, can be made from any quant.i.ty of left-over beef by serving it with a vegetable sauce. Such a dish needs few accompaniments when it is served in a light meal, but it may be used very satisfactorily as the main dish in a heavy meal.

MEXICAN BEEF

2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1/2 tsp. salt 1 onion, chopped 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 red pepper 1 tsp. celery salt 1 green pepper Thin slices roast beef 3/4 c. canned tomatoes

Brown the b.u.t.ter, add the chopped onion, and cook for a few minutes.

Then add the chopped peppers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and celery salt.

Cook all together for a few minutes and add the thinly sliced roast beef. When the meat has become thoroughly heated, it is ready to serve.

74. COTTAGE PIE.--A very good way to use up left-over mashed potatoes as well as roast beef is to combine them and make a cottage pie. In this dish, mashed potatoes take the place of the crust that is generally put over the top of a meat pie. If well seasoned and served hot, it makes a very palatable dish.

To make a cottage pie, cover the bottom of a baking dish with a 2-inch layer of well-seasoned mashed potatoes. Over this spread left-over roast beef cut into small pieces. Pour over the meat and potatoes any left-over gravy and a few drops of onion juice made by grating raw onion. Cover with a layer of mashed potatoes 1 inch deep. Dot with b.u.t.ter and place in a hot oven until the pie has heated through and browned on top. Serve hot.

75. BEEF PIE.--No housewife need be at a loss for a dish that will tempt her family if she has on hand some left-over pieces of beef, for out of them she may prepare a beef pie, which is always in favor. Cold roast beef makes a very good pie, but it is not necessary that roast beef be used, as left-over steak or even a combination of left-over meats, will do very well.

Cut into 1-inch cubes whatever kinds of left-over meats are on hand.

Cover with hot water, add a sliced onion, and cook slowly for 1 hour.

Thicken the liquid with flour and season well with salt and pepper. Add two or three potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and let them boil for several minutes. Pour the mixture into a b.u.t.tered baking dish and cover it with a baking-powder biscuit mixture. Bake in a hot oven until the crust is brown. Serve hot.

76. BEEF HASH.--One of the most satisfactory ways in which to utilize left-over roast beef or corned beef is to cut it into small pieces and make it into a hash. Cold boiled potatoes that remain from a previous meal are usually combined with the beef, and onion is added for flavor.

When hash is prepared to resemble an omelet and is garnished with parsley, it makes an attractive dish.

To make beef hash, remove all skin and bone from the meat, chop quite fine, and add an equal quant.i.ty of chopped cold-boiled potatoes and one chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture into a well-b.u.t.tered frying pan, moisten with milk, meat stock, or left-over gravy, and place over a fire. Let the hash brown slowly on the bottom and then fold over as for an omelet. Serve on a platter garnished with parsley.

77. FRIZZLED BEEF.--While the dried beef used in the preparation of frizzled beef is not necessarily a left-over meat, the recipe for this dish is given here, as it is usually served at a meal when the preceding left-over beef dishes are appropriate. Prepared according to this recipe, frizzled beef will be found both nutritious and appetizing.

FRIZZLED BEEF (Sufficient to Serve Four)

2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1/4 lb. thinly sliced dried beef 2 Tb. flour 1 c. milk 4 slices of toast

Brown the b.u.t.ter in a frying pan and add the beef torn into small pieces. Allow it to c.o.c.k until the beef becomes brown. Add the flour and brown it. Pour the milk over all, and cook until the flour thickens the milk. Serve over the toast.

MEAT (PART 1)

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

(1) (_a_) What is meat? (_b_) What substance in meat makes it a valuable food?

(2) (_a_) What do protein foods do for the body? (_b_) How does meat compare in cost with the other daily foods?

(3) What harm may occur from eating meat that is not thoroughly cooked?

(4) (_a_) Describe the structure of meat, (_b_) How do the length and the direction of the fibers affect the tenderness of meat?

(5) (_a_) How may gelatine be obtained from meat? (_b_) What use is made of this material?

(6) (_a_) Describe the two kinds of fat found in meat, (_b_) What does this substance supply to the body?

(7) (_a_) What is the value of water in the tissues of meat? (_b_) How does its presence affect the cookery method to choose for preparing meat?

(8) (_a_) What are extractives? (_b_) Why are they of value in meat?

(9) (_a_) Name the ways by which the housewife may reduce her meat bill, (_b_) How should meat be cared for in the home?

(10) Give three reasons for cooking meat.

(11) (_a_) Describe the effect of cooking on the materials contained in meat, (_b_) How does cooking affect the digestibility of meat?

(12) What methods of cookery are used for: (_a_) the tender cuts of meat? (_b_) the tough cuts? (_c_) Mention the cuts of meat that have the most flavor.

(13) (_a_) How should the temperature of the oven vary with the size of the roast to be cooked? (_b_) Give the reason for this.

(14) Describe beef of good quality.

(15) In what parts of the animal are found: (_a_) the cheaper cuts of beef? (_b_) the more expensive cuts?

(16) (_a_) Name the steaks obtained from the loin, (_b_) Which of these is best for a large family? (_c_) Which is best for a small family?

(17) Describe the way in which to broil steak.

(18) (_a_) What is the tenderloin of beef? (_b_) Explain the two ways of cooking it.