The "A1" cookery book

To Broil Beefsteaks. — The steaks should be from half to three quarters of an inch thick, equally sliced and freshly cut from the middle of a well-kept, tender rump of beef. The fire must be strong and clear. The bars of the gridiron should be thin and not very close together. When they are thoroughly heated, without being sufficiently burning to scorch the meat, wipe and rub them with fresh mutton suet ; next pepper the steaks slightly, but never season them with salt before they are dressed; lay them on the gridiron, and when done on one side turn them on the other, being careful to catch, in the dish in which they are to be sent to table, any gravy which may drain from them. Ten to fifteen minutes is sufficient to broil steaks. Let them be served at once on a very hot dish. To Fry Beefsteaks. — Put some butter into a frying-pan, let it get quite hot, and if you are going to use onions slice them and fry them in the butter. Then put in the beefsteak and turn it frequently until it is done, which ought to be in about ten to fifteen minutes. Should the beefsteak be rather fresh it is well to beat it before it is cooked, and fry it an hour and a half before it is wanted, and then put a plate over the frying-pan and draw it away from the hottest part of the stove and let it stew slowly till it is wanted. This ought never to be necessary for rumpsteak, but in the country it is not always possible to get this, and ordinary beefsteak is very tender cooked in this way. To make more gravy pour a little boiling water, pepper, salt, and Harvey or ketchup sauce into the frying-pan after the meat is taken out. Scotch Collops. — 1 1 lbs. lean beefsteak, i onion, i oz. butter, a little flour, ^ pint of stock, pepper and salt. Mince the beef finely with a knife, cut off all the fat and skinny portions ; chop up the onion and fry it in the butter till brown, then pour in the stock and dredge in a very little flour ; let it boil for a few minutes. Season the minced beef with pepper and salt, and add it to the gravy in the stew-pan. Simmer it very gently from ten to twelve minutes, stirring with a fork all the time that it may not get lumpy. Add a little more boiling stock if it is too dry. Serve on a hot dish, and garnish with croutons. To Stew Beefsteak. — Fry the meat in I oz. of butter in the stew-pan, dredge in a little flour, and when it is brown pour in by degrees enough hot water to cover the meat. When it comes to boiling-point draw the pan a little back, take off the scum, add salt, a sliced onion, carrot, a stick of celery, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a dozen peppercorns. Simmer gently for three hours. A quarter of an hour before it is served mix in three teaspoons of arrowroot smoothly mixed with half a wineglass of mushroom ketchup, a pinch of mace and cayenne. This will flavour and thicken the gravy. Button mushrooms are a great improvement, and if they are used they will take twenty minutes to stew in the gravy. To Stew Steak and Macaroni. — 1 1 lbs. steak, | lb. macaroni. Cut the beef in small pieces, roll them in flour, and fry slightly in 2 oz. of butter ; put the meat into a stew-pan, just cover with hot water, and allow it to simmer for one and a half hours ; then add the macaroni, and simmer again for three quarters of an hour.