Prepared Calf's Head

Ingredients

• half of a calf’s head
• three or four pounds of neck of veal or of beef
• half a gallon of cold water
• salt
• a faggot of parsley

Method

1. 1

   Remove the brains and tongue, bone the head, wash and dry it.

2. 2

   Sprinkle inside with mace and pepper, roll tightly, and bind.

3. 3

   Place in a pot with veal or beef, cover with water, and simmer for 1.25 to 1.75 hours until tender.

4. 4

   Serve hot with curry sauce or gravy.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 203. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

PREPARED calf’s HEAD. (The Cook's Receipt .) Take away the brains and tongue from the half of a calf’s head, and then remove the bones, being careful in doing so to keep the knife as close to them as possible, and to avoid piercing the outer skin : in this consists the whole art of boning, in which an attentive cook may easily render herself expert. Next wash the head and dry it in a clean cloth ; sprinkle over the inside a little pounded mace, and cayenne or white pepper ; roll it up tightly, and bind it round with tape or twine. Lay into a small stewpot three or four pounds of neck of veal or of beef, twice or thrice divided, and place the 212 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. xi. head upon it with the bones well broken; pcur in half a gallon of cold water, or as much as will suffice to keep the head covered until it is done, and simmer it very gently from an hour and a quarter to an hour and three quarters. When it is extremely tender, lift it out, and if wanted for table, remove the binding, and serve it very hot, with currie sauce, rich oyster sauce, or egg sauce and brown gravy ; but should the remains, or the whole of it be required for the following receipts, pour no gravy over it : in the latter case do not take off the tape for several hours. 'The tongue may be stewed with the head, but will require rather less time. We do not think it needful to repeat in every receipt our directions for adding salt to, and removing carefully the scum from, meat that is stewed or boiled, but the cook must not neglect either. When the trouble of boning is objected to, it can be dispensed with for some of the dishes which follow, but not for all. After the head is taken out, boil the gravy until it is well reduced, and rich : it should be strongly jellied when cold. A bone of ham, or a slice of hung beef will much improve its flavour; but vegetables must be avoided if it be wanted to keep : a little spice and a faggot of parsley

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.