The blue ribbon cook book

The fillet should be plentifully larded and all of the sinewy skin and gristle removed from the top, and most of the fat from the under side. Then place in a baking pan thin slices of larding or pickled pork, chopped onion, carrot, turnip, and celery; then place the fillet on this. Pour over it a cupful of brown stock, salt and pepper, chopped parsley, bay leaf, and cloves. Cook in a hot oven for thirty minutes, basting frequently. When done, drain off the gravy and remove grease from the top. Take a tablespoonful of butter, add a tablespoonful of flour, cook together until they are brown. Add the gravy and a little brown stock — a cupful in all — stir until it boils, add a canful of mushrooms, chopped, and let it simmer for five minutes; then add a little Madeira or sherry; pour round the fillet and serve. BROILED FILLETS. Select select beef tenderloins, two inches thick; lard thoroughly; let them lay for two hours in a strong, highly seasoned stock with two tablespoonfuls of claret; broil for a few minutes over a hot fire; serve with drawn butter or mushroom sauce. BROILED BEEFSTEAK. Select porterhouse steak at least one inch thick. Wipe off with wet cloth, rub over with lemon. With some of the fat which must be trimmed off, grease wire broiler, and place meat in it. Broil over hot fire at first, that surface may be well seared, thus preventing escape of juices. After this, turn occasionally until well cooked on both sides. Remove to hot platter, spread with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. BEEFSTEAK IN OYSTER BLANKET. Select a porterhouse steak at least an inch and a half thick, remove the bone, wipe off with a wet cloth, rub over with lemon. With some of the fat which must be trimmed off, grease the wire broiler and place the meat in it; broil over a very hot fire at first that the surface may be well seared, thus preventing the escape of juices. After this, turn occasionally until cooked on both sides; remove to a baking pan, cover thoroughly with select oysters, placing a little butter here and there all over it. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and place in a hot oven; cook until the oysters plump and the edges curl; season with salt and pepper. Serve with melted butter, a little lemon juice, and chopped parsley. HAMBURG STEAKS. Chop finely one pound lean raw beef; season highly with salt, pepper, and a few drops onion juice or one half shallot finely chopped. Shape, cook, and serve as meat cakes. A few gratings of nutmeg and one egg slightly beaten may be added. MEATS. 47 LAMB CHOPS A LA MAINTENON. Wipe six French chops, which should be one and one half inches thick. Split meat in half, cutting to the bone. Cook two and one half tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of chopped onion five minutes, remove onion, add one half cup chopped mushrooms and cook five minutes. Add two tablespoons of flour, three tablespoons of brown stock, one teaspoon of finely chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture between the split chops, press the edges well together, and broil eight minutes. Serve with melted butter or Spanish sauce. MINCED LAMB ON TOAST. Remove dry pieces of skin and gristle from remnants of cold roast lamb, then chop meat. Heat in well buttered frying-pan, season with salt, pepper, and celery salt, and moisten with a little hot water or stock; or, after seasoning, dredge well with flour, stir, and add enough stock to make thin gravy. Pour over small slices of buttered toast. BREADED VEAL CUTLETS. Leave the cutlet whole, or cut it into pieces of uniform size and shape. Salt and pepper. Dip in egg and cover with bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. Fry in hot lard and serve with tomato or cream sauce. SCALLOPED LAMB.