The "A1" cookery book

nourishment is to be extracted from meat for soups, gravies, etc., the meat must be put into cold water ; but when the juices of the meat are to be retained, as they must be for joints that are to be sent to table, the meat must first be plunged into fast boiling water for a few minutes. Then as much cold water must be added as will reduce the whole to a moderate temperature. Part of the water should then be taken away, as meat should never be cooked in a larger quantity than is necessary to keep it entirely covered until it is ready to serve ; for this reason it should always be boiled in a vessel nearly of its own size. Large joints should be neatly trimmed, skewered and bound firmly into good shape when they are of a nature to require it, brought to boil over a moderate fire, and simmered until they are done, the scum being cleared from the surface of the water as it rises. Pickled or salt meat requires longer boiling than the fresh, and that which is smoked and dried longer still. This last should be laid into cold water and slowly heated. The time allowed for boiling meat is about the same as for roasting, from twenty to twenty-five minutes for a pound. Beef a-la-mode. — 2 lbs. rumpsteak (two inches thick), a few thin slices of fat bacon, 1 calfs foot or part of a cow’s heel, 2 tablespoons of brandy, one carrot, one onion, pepper and salt, | pint water. Lay the slices of bacon on the beefsteak and put it into an earthenware stew-pot, lay at the side the calf’s foot or cow’s heel, a few sweet herbs, one small carrot cut into little pieces, one onion cut in slices, the brandy, water, pepper and salt. Put the lid on the jar and place in a moderate oven. Stew for three hours or more, turning the jar round occasionally. When done skim off the fat and take away the bacon and calfs foot. Serve with the gravy and vegetables round. Beef Olives (fresh meat). — ii lbs. rumpsteak, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon minced parsley and lemon thyme, or a thin layer of forcemeat, pepper and salt to taste, 1 pint of stock, two or three slices of bacon, 2 tablespoons of port wine, thickening of butter and flour. Divide the steak into thin slices, about four inches long and three wide ; brush over with egg ; spread with a layer of veal forcemeat ; roll up the pieces tightly and fasten with a small skewer. Put the stock in a stew-pan that will only just hold the olives ; lay in the rolls of meat, cover them with the bacon, which remove before serving. Stew them very gently for two hours. Take them out, remove the skewers, thicken the gravy with flour and butter, and flavour with two tablespoons of port wine. Give one boil, pour over the meat, and serve very hot. Beef Olives (of cooked meat). — The remains of cold beef, forcemeat, thickening of flour and butter, mushroom ketchup. Cut some slices of beef rather thick ; spread a little forcemeat on one side of each piece and roll it up tightly and secure with narrow tape. Have ready some gravy in a small stew-pan, put in the olives and stew gently about one and a half hours. Arrange the olives on a hot dish after cutting off the tape, and thicken the gravy with a little flour and butter and flavour with pepper and salt, and mushroom ketchup or wine. Pour round the olives and serve.