Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Very often it will be found that those who prefer meat " grilled " also have a partiality for meat "devilled." What, then, is the difference between an ordinary mutton chop grilled and a mutton chop devilled? Generally, the only difference is that some black or cayenne pepper has been sprinkled over the chop during the grilling ; but there are several kinds of sauces that may be called devil sauce. I will mention two — for the first of which I am indebted to the late Mr. Francatelli, and for the second to Mons. Bossard, the famous cook at St. Peter's College, Cambridge. Francatelli's recipe is as follows : — Chop three shallots fine, and place them in a small stewpan with two table-spoonfuls of French vinegar and a pinch of cayenne pepper ; boil these together for three minutes ; then add half a pint of thin, strong, brown gravy and a table-spoonful of tomato sauce ; boil again, and finish by stirring in a small pat of anchovy butter. This sauce is suitable for all kinds of broiled meat, and of course its strength, PRINCIPLES BOILING. xlix SO far as hotness goes, entirely depends upon the size of the pinch of cayenne pepper. The other kind of devil sauce is of quite a different character, and has the advantage of being made in a few moments, and also of consisting only of materials that are nearly certain to be at hand. Take say an ounce or a little more of butter, and dissolve it in a stewpan, but do not oil the butter or allow the stewpan to get too hot. Mix in a spoonful of made mustard, and a little mixed black and cayenne pepper, and stir the whole well together. The sauce should resemble thick custard, both in appearance and consistency. This sauce should not be poured over the grilled meat until the very last moment. Care also should be taken not to have the plate so burning hot so that it will dissolve the butter into oil. Recollect, the only secret of making this sauce successfully is not overheating it. This sauce, poured over a nicely-grilled chop at breakfast-time, often has the effect of enabling a person with a delicate appetite to take meat, when, without the stimulant of the sauce, they would be unable to touch any. We have already discussed the general principles of cooking to be observed both in frying and boiling. I would, however, remind you, in choosing a joint, such as a leg of mutton, when it is for boiling and not for roasting, it is advisable to have it rather fresher. A leg of mutton for roasting may be left till it is on the verge of turning. Not so a leg for boiling. First, if the mutton be kept too long it will be of a very bad colour when sent to table ; secondly, the liquor in which it was boiled will not be fit for anything.