Ox-tongue may be dressed in the fresh state in all the modes applicable to beef, and is particularly tender when braised or steiued. More commonly, however, it is pickled before use, in various degrees of intensity. When it has been pickled, and not been taken out of the pickle for drying, it is called green. Such a tongue requires only a few hours’ soaking in cold water, gradual heating to ebulli- tion, and then gentle simmering for from three and a half to four hours. When a pickled tongue has been dried, and perhaps smoked, and is stiff and hard, it requires as much as twenty-four hours’ soaking in water before heat may be applied to it. Of Trip>e, Kitchiner says that it holds the same rank amongst solids that water-gruel does amongst soups. It is no doubt tasteless in itself, and if the non-striped muscular fibres contained in its walls (the tripe here con- sidered comes from the rumen, or first stomach of the ox) did contain any little savoury material, it must be lost in the difficult process of its preparation and boiling. It remains, therefore, mainly a body of connective tissue, and has to be boiled until it is nearly ready to dissolve to gelatine. It has to be bought at the tripe-shop, in the * See f^teak in the Vocabulary at tlio end of the volume. OX-TONGUE, TRIPE, AND COWS' HEELS 447 boiled state, and has to be reboiled in milk, at least for an hour. It must then be made tasty by sauces or garnishes, and is therefore frequently favoured with abundance of onions. According to Homer, tripe was one of the dishes presented to the guests at the feast of Achilles. A French name for tripe is Gi'cis double. A recipe for its preparation d la Mode de Caen, by Vuillemot, is remarkable by requiring as a garnish twelve blanched sheep’s feet, and, amongst a heap of other vegetables, twelve heads of leek, a bottle of wine, and a glass of cognac, for its coction. Some prepare tripe like a fricassee ; others fry it in butter. The Dutch mix it with minced beef and other ingredients, and make brawn of it ; such brawn they also fry, when desirous of having it warm. The Dutch name of this brawn is Bol2)ens. The Feet of Oxen, Cows, and Neats, all go by the name of Coios’ Heels. This shows that there is not much difference in their quality as food. They are generally bought ready boiled at the tripe-shop. In the private kitchen they are further boiled until all the bones can be removed, and the semi-gelatinous matter is then stewed gently in a savoury sauce. Under the title of Le Pied de Bce-uf Potdette, Vuille- mot gives a recipe which is noteworthy. The cow’s heel is to be wrapped in washed selvage, and boiled with vegetables and spices. The bandage being removed, it is covered with allemande sauce, with mushrooms, parsley, lemon and butter. A cow’s heel✪ Cow's Heel Stew suffices for six persons with a good appetite. ‘ Ce plat par son confortable, est tr^s recherche,’ says this experienced cook. 448 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY CHAPTEK XXXVII. PREPAEATIONS OF VEAL.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Ox-tongue may be dressed in the fresh state in all the modes applicable to beef, and is particularly tender when braised or steiued. More commonly, however, it is pickled before use, in various degrees of intensity. When it has been pickled, and not been taken out of the pickle for drying, it is called green. Such a tongue requires only a few hours’ soaking in cold water, gradual heating to ebullition, and then gentle simmering for from three and a half to four hours. When a pickled tongue has been dried, and perhaps smoked, and is stiff and hard, it requires as much as twenty-four hours’ soaking in water before heat may be applied to it. Of Tripe, Kitchiner says that it holds the same rank amongst solids that water-gruel does amongst soups. It is no doubt tasteless in itself, and if the non-striped muscular fibres contained in its walls (the tripe here considered comes from the rumen, or first stomach of the ox) did contain any little savoury material, it must be lost in the difficult process of its preparation and boiling. It remains, therefore, mainly a body of connective tissue, and has to be boiled until it is nearly ready to dissolve to gelatine. It has to be bought at the tripe-shop, in the * See f^teak in the Vocabulary at tlio end of the volume. OX-TONGUE, TRIPE, AND COWS' HEELS boiled state, and has to be reboiled in milk, at least for an hour. It must then be made tasty by sauces or garnishes, and is therefore frequently favoured with abundance of onions. According to Homer, tripe was one of the dishes presented to the guests at the feast of Achilles. A French name for tripe is Gras double. A recipe for its preparation à la Mode de Caen, by Vuillemot, is remarkable by requiring as a garnish twelve blanched sheep’s feet, and, amongst a heap of other vegetables, twelve heads of leek, a bottle of wine, and a glass of cognac, for its coction. Some prepare tripe like a fricassee ; others fry it in butter. The Dutch mix it with minced beef and other ingredients, and make brawn of it ; such brawn they also fry, when desirous of having it warm. The Dutch name of this brawn is Bolpens. The Feet of Oxen, Cows, and Neats, all go by the name of Coios’ Heels. This shows that there is not much difference in their quality as food. They are generally bought ready boiled at the tripe-shop. In the private kitchen they are further boiled until all the bones can be removed, and the semi-gelatinous matter is then stewed gently in a savoury sauce. Under the title of Le Pied de Bœuf Poêlette, Vuillemot gives a recipe which is noteworthy. The cow’s heel is to be wrapped in washed selvage, and boiled with vegetables and spices. The bandage being removed, it is covered with allemande sauce, with mushrooms, parsley, lemon and butter. A cow’s heel suffices for six persons with a good appetite. "Ce plat par son confortable, est très recherché," says this experienced cook. CHAPTEK XXXVII. PREPAEATIONS OF VEAL.

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