The above is a joint which I have always considered too large for my Kitchen at Home, but the aitch-bone or brisket is easily managed.
No. 6. Aitch-bone of Beef. A good-sized one would weigh from fifteen to twenty pounds. Pickle it precisely as directed in the last, but one week would be sufficient, boil nearly three hours, and serve with the vegetables round as before, and a suet pudding separate; if for cold do not take the tape from it until cold, trim the top, run a silver skewer in at the extremity, and serve garnished with sprigs of very green fresh parsley.
No. 7. Brisket of Beef. The whole brisket would require pickling for a week, it must not be too fat; this being a long awkward joint may be cut in two, and served upon separate occasions, boil about five hours and serve as for the last two, with the vegetables around it; when upon table it must be cut into thin slices, fat and lean in fair proportions. The remains of a brisket of beef are excellent when cold.
No. 8. Brisket of Beef à la Garrick. This dish will, I am sure, be as popular with the English public as the celebrated tragedian and comedian whose name I have borrowed, even if he were now alive. Procure a nice brisket of beef with as little fat as possible attached, if too much cut a little of it off, and detach the whole of the bones from it, then make a pickle with twenty pounds of salt, three quarters of a pound of saltpetre, four cakes of sal prunella, two pounds of moist sugar, and two cloves of garlic, with which rub the meat well, and leave it rather more than a week, rubbing and turning it over every day; then drain and cut it into two equal parts, place one upon the other, mixing the fat and lean well, tie them together, and afterwards in a clean cloth, put into a large stewpan or stock-pot containing six gallons of water, and let simmer for eight hours, (but to ascertain correctly if done run a trussing-needle into it, if tender it is quite done;), then take it out and let it remain ten minutes upon a dish to drain, have ready a large tin dish-cover, eighteen inches long, twelve wide, and deep in proportion, place it upon a trivet and put the beef into it, opening the cloth to lie smoothly in the cover, and with a fork arranging the meat, fat and lean together, all over the bottom; you have a common piece of board half an inch in thickness made to fit into the cover, place it upon the meat with half a hundred weight upon it, and let remain in a cold place until the next morning, then take off the weight and the board, pull the cloth gently at each angle, and when loose turn it over upon your dish, take the cloth off gently, garnish with sprigs of parsley, fresh watercresses, and small radishes (if in season), cut in thin strips crosswise. Nothing could be nicer than this for a breakfast or luncheon, it will keep good a fortnight in winter, and as long as a week in the summer by putting it in a cold place. I have frequently made some in my Kitchen at Home, procuring a piece weighing ten or twelve pounds, from the bones and trimmings of which I have also made very excellent soup, which but of course must be fresh. The pickling will answer to salt three or four other joints, as it will keep good nearly a month in summer, and much longer in winter.
No. 9. Haunch of Mutton. The haunch is the most important joint from the sheep, it requires but little trimming, and to be hung about three weeks (season permitting). Saw about three inches from the knuckle, detach all the skin from the loin, and put it upon a spit, commencing running the spit in at the knuckle and bringing it out at the flap, avoiding the fillet of the loin (a cradle spit may be used for this joint,) set it down at the distance of two feet from a good solid fire, and if weighing about twenty pounds it requires two hours and a half roasting, ten minutes after it is down rub it over with butter, which you have fixed in the bowl of a wooden spoon, it will form a kind of froth over it, then place it back three feet from the fire, where let it continue until done, if approved of, shake over a little flour from a flour-dredge a quarter of an hour before taking it up, when done dress upon your dish with a paper frill upon the knuckle and about half a pint of gravy under. If the meat is rather fat the butter may be omitted.
No. 10. Soyer’s Saddle-back of Mutton. This is an entirely new joint which I have introduced in this present month, April 1846. I have served it but three times in our coffee-room, where it gave the greatest satisfaction to those who had partaken of it, having dined from fifteen to eighteen each, whilst two saddles, which would weigh six or eight pounds more, would not dine more than seven or eight if badly carved, or more than ten if properly carved in the usual manner. The cut is a correct representation of the appearance of the new joint, which serves to indicate the mode of carving. It is composed of the two loins and two necks of a sheep trimmed into the form of a double saddle, without interfering in the least with the legs and shoulders, which would cause a serious loss to the butcher.
