No. 1.—Plain Mutton Chops and Rump Steaks.
Though almost anybody can boast of being able to cook a plain steak or a chop, very few can say they can do them to perfection. First of all, to obtain this important point, either the mutton or beef ought to be kept till properly set, according to season; secondly, the chop especially is more preferable when cut and beat, some time before cooking, so as to set the meat and prevent its shrinking; it at all times requires a sharp fire (the broiling City fires may be taken as an example, and the continual red heat of the gridiron); lay your gridiron over a sharp fire, two minutes after lay on your chop or steak, turn three or four times; when half done, season highly with salt and pepper, and when done, serve immediately, on a very hot dish. Ten minutes will do a steak of 1½lb., and about six minutes a chop.
No. 2.—Rumpsteak and Potatoes.
Of all steaks, rumpsteaks are far more preferable than any other, not excepting the fillet of beef, as the meat in England is so rich, while in France they eat only the fillet of beef—that being the only eatable steak of a French ox. Have your steak cut as even as possible, nearly an inch thick, and weighing from about 1½lbs. to 2lbs.; broil it sharply as described above, season when properly done, lay it on a very hot dish, put on 2oz. or more of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 2), turn it three or four times on the dish quickly, when a most delicious gravy will be formed, then place about a pound of fried potatoes round it, and serve. For smaller steaks, for cooking be guided by size.
Ditto with Anchovy Butter, of which use 2oz. in lieu of the maître d’hôtel butter, and omit the potatoes.
Same with Pimento Butter.
Same with Shalot Butter, well rubbing the dish prior to putting the steak on it.
No. 3.—Mutton and Lamb Cutlets a la Bouchere.
The word à la bouchere, in English, means the butcher’s wife’s plain fashion, and at one time had only the merit of economy; but a real gourmet, the illustrious Cambaceres, who lived in the time of the first Empire, being served with this dish at a little country inn, while travelling, discovered the correctness of the proverb that “the nearer the bone the sweeter the meat,” and on returning to Paris introduced it to the fashionable circle, and for a long period this exquisite cotelettes d’agneaux de maison, or house-lamb cutlet, and the dainty and justly celebrated cutlets de presalé, were figuring on all the banqueting tables of the Paris gourmets in perfect negligé, being dressed in the following unceremonious manner:—Take either a neck of lamb or mutton, neither too fat nor too lean, chop the cutlets about six inches in length, cutting them as usual, leaving a bone in each; flatten them with the chopper, not trimming them at all, season them highly with salt and pepper, broil them very quick, and serve hot. Lamb, mutton, and veal cutlets may be done the same.
For plain cutlets with fried potatoes, cut them either à la bouchere or trim them, and proceed as for rumpsteak.