Modern cookery, in all its branches

This is the most simple and economical manner of stewing the beef; but should a richer one be desired, half roast the joint, and stew it afterwards in strong gravy to which a pint of mushrooms, and a pint of sherry or Madeira, should be added an hour before it is ready for table. Keep it hot while a portion of the gravy is thickened with a well-made brown roux (see Chapter IV.)* and seasoned with salt, cayenne, and any other spice it may require. Garnish it with large balls of forcemeat highly seasoned with minced eschalots, rolled in egg and bread-crumbs, and fried a fine golden brown. Plainly stewed from 6 to 7 or 8 hours. Or : half roasted then stewed from 4 to 5 hours. Obs. — Grated horse-radish, mixed with some well-thickened brown gravy, a teaspoonful of mustard, and a little lemon-juice or vinegar, is a good sauce for stewed beef. BEEF PALATES. (ENTREE.) First rub them well with salt, to cleanse them well ; then wash them thoroughly in several waters, and leave them to soak for half an hour before they are dressed. Set them over the fire in cold water, and boil them gently until the skin will peel off, and the palates are tolerably tender. It is difficult to state the exact time required for this, as some will be done in two hours and a half, and others in not less than from four to five hours. When thus prepared, the palates may be cut into various forms, and simmered until fit to serve in rich brown gravy, highly flavoured with ham, cayenne, wine, and lemon-peel ; or they will make an excellent currie. As they are very insipid of themselves, they require a sauce of some piquancy, in which, after they have been peeled and trimmed, they should be stewed from twenty to thirty minutes, or until they are perfectly tender. The black parts of them must be cut away, when the skin is taken off. An onion, stuck with a few cloves, a carrot sliced, a teaspoonful of whole white pepper, a slice of butter, and a teaspoonful of salt, may be boiled with the palates in the first instance ; and they will be found very good, if sent to table in the curried gravy of Chapter XVI., or in the Soubise of Chapter VI., made thinner than the receipts direct. Boiled from 2^ to 4 or 5 hours. Stewed from 20 to 30 minutes. Obs. — A French cook of some celebrity, orders the palates to be laid on the gridiron until the skin can be easily peeled or scraped off ; the plan seems a good one, but we have not tried it. BEEF PALATES. (Neapolitan Mode.) Boil the palates until the skin can be easily removed, then stew them very tender in good veal broth, lay them on a drainer and let them cool ; cut them across obliquely into strips of about a quarterinch in width, and finish them by either of the receipts for dressing maccaroni, which will be found in Chapters XVIII. and XX. STEWED OX-TAILS.