The art of cookery

To Stew Beef. — Select the same portions of beef as of veal. Remove the outer skin, cut the meat in pieces suitable for serving, put in a stew-pan or kettle with a teaspoonful of salt and just sufficient hot water to cover it, cover closely, and let cook until tender. Beef, if young, will stew in three hours, but if old and tough five or six hours' stewing may be required to cook it perfectly. It is always best, however, in stewing meats to allow sufficient time, as the stew when done can generally be kept warm for several hours without detriment. When the beef is cooked drain the broth from it, remove the grease from the broth, add the necessary Stewing. 87 quantity of flour and butter stirred to a smooth paste, and, as soon as the flour is uniformly mixed with the broth, season to taste with salt and pepper, pour over the meat, simmer ten minutes, and serve. For flavoring stewed beef an onion, a tomato, a teaspoonful of sugar, and two or three cloves, put to cook with the meat, form a good combination. Another good combination is formed by the addition of an onion, a carrot, and a tomato, or an onion, a sweet turnip, and a tomato. Celery roots and trimmings may be added to any of these combinations, and always improve them. The vegetables forming the flavoring combinations may be removed from the stew before it is served, or may be served with it. To Stew Mutton. — Select thin portions of mutton in which the lean and fat are about equally combined. Remove the outer skin, cut the meat in pieces suitable for serving, put it in a sauce-pan, add a teaspoonful of salt and hot water enough to barely cover the meat. Cover the sauce-pan closely, and let the meat cook slowly for three or four hours, or until tender, then drain the broth from it, remove the grease from the broth, add to the broth a tablespoonful of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour stirred to a smooth paste, and stir until the butter melts and the flour mingles uniformly with the broth. Then season to taste, pour over the mutton, add a tablespoonful of minced parsley or capers, let simmer five minutes, and serve. No better flavoring material can be used for either boiled or stewed mutton than parsley or capers. But, if desired, a mixture of such vegetables as are appropri- 88 The Art of Cookery, ately used with stewed beef may be used with stewed mutton. To Stew Lamb. — Lamb should be prepared and stewed like mutton. It, however, requires only an hour and a half or two hours' stewing. Parsley or capers make the best flavoring for stewed lamb. To Stew Rabbit or Squirrel. — Rabbits and squirrels are prepared and stewed in the same manner as fowls, with the addition of a tablespoonful of minced parsley to each rabbit or squirrel, when put to cook. Parsley seems better adapted for seasoning rabbits or squirrels than any other herb or flavoring principle ; but for an occasional change any flavoring that is permissible with chicken or veal may be used with either rabbit or squirrel. FRICASSEEING. Stews are often, but very incorrectly, termed fricassees. A fricassee is a combination of a saute and a stew, and the meat for a fricassee should always be sauted or browned before it is put to stew. This saut6- ing or browning is best done in a small quantity of clarified butter, although drippings of beef or veal may be used, if preferred.