Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Beef, Tenderloin of. — To serve tenderloin as directed below, the whole piece must be extracted before the hindquarter of the animal is cut out. This must be particularly noted, because not commonly practised, the tenderloin being usually left attached to the roasting pieces, in order to furnish a tidbit for a few. To dress it whole, proceed as follows : Washing the piece well, put it in an oven, add about a pint of water, and chop up a good handful of each of the following vegetables as an ingredient of the dish, viz. : Irish potatoes, carrots, turnips, and a large bunch of celery. They must be washed, peeled, and chopped up raw, then added to the meat; blended with the juice, they form and flavor the gravy. Let the whole slowly simmer, and, when nearly done, add a teaspoonful of pounded allspice. To give richness to the gravy, put in a table-spoonful of butter. If the gravy should look too greasy, skim off some of the melted suet. Boil also a lean piece of beef, which, when perfectly done, chop fine, flavoring with a very small quantity of onion, besides pepper and salt to the taste. Make into small balls, wet them on the outside with egg, roll in grated cracker or fine bread-crumbs. Fry these force-meat balls a light brown. When serving the dish, put these around the tenderloin, and pour over the whole the rich gravy. This dish is a very handsome one, and altogether fit for an epicurean palate. Beef and Tomato. — Take 3 lbs. of lean beef, cut into large steaks ; lay it in the stewpan with seven or eight ripe tomatoes, a spoonful of water, and a finely chopped onion. Stew slowly for one hour and a half. Add salt, pepper, cloves, and, just before dishing, a piece of butter as large as an egg and half a gill of catsup. Beef Tongue. — Trim a smoked tongue and cover it with cold water. Let this come to a boil ; pour off the water, and fill the pot up again with cold water. Let this come to a boil ; then allow it to simmer two hours. When done, remove the skin; cut it in neat, thin slices. Place them on a hot dish as near the original form as possible. Serve with macaroni. Beef Tongue. — Put a fresh tongue in water sufficient to cover it, and let it simmer for six or seven hours ; skim the gravy well ; half an hour before dishing it, add half a wineglassful of walnut catsup, a little mace, and a few cloves to the gravy, and stew them awhile together. Beef Tongue with Aspic Jelly. — Boil a tongue in the usual way, and either roll it or fix it on a board till quite cold. Take a pint of the liquor in which it was boiled, perfectly free from fat and sediment, and put it into a stewpan with a small sprig of thjune, three shallots, a bay - leaf, a small piece of mace, three cloves, and 2 ozs. of gelatine. Stir it until the latter is dissolved, then lift it to the side of the fire and let it cool. Beat the whites of two eggs with a cupful of cold water and a teaspconful of tarragon vinegar. Stir this into the liquor, and when it is very hot leave it to boil, and let it boil gently for a quarter of an hour without being touched. Lift it from the fire, and let it stand to settle for ten minutes longer, then strain it through a jelly-bag till clear. Glaze the tongue, put it on its dish, and ornament with the jelly cut into cubes. Time to make the aspic, about an hour and a half.