No. 157. Ragout of Ox Tails. Cut two ox tails into pieces two inches in length, rub two ounces of butter over the bottom of a convenient-sized stewpan, place in the pieces of tails, with half a pound of streaked bacon cut into square pieces the size of walnuts, place over a moderate fire, stirring occasionally until nicely browned, but not in the least burnt, add two ounces of flour (mix well) and three pints of water; when boiling and half cooked add a bunch of parsley, with two bay-leaves, twenty young carrots, or pieces of old ones, and twenty button onions, season with a teaspoonful of salt, a half ditto of sugar, and a quarter ditto of pepper; let simmer until the tails and vegetables are quite tender, keeping well skimmed, when take out and dress them in pyramid upon mashed potatoes, garnish round with the vegetables, pass the sauce through a hair sieve into another stewpan, place over the fire, stir with a wooden spoon until adhering to the back, when pour over the tails, and serve very hot.
No. 158. Ox Cheeks are very delicate when well stewed, and may be purchased very cheap; they require soaking all night, and about six hours to blanch in salt water, until the flesh will detach easily from the bone, when take it out, remove the bone, place some onion, carrot, and turnip, in slices, in a large flat stewpan, with a piece of bacon, a few sprigs of thyme, parsley, and two bay-leaves, cover with a little stock (if any) or water, place the flesh from the cheek over, put in a moderate oven until very tender, when take up, dress upon a dish, and serve with a sharp sauce over.
Ox cheeks may also be served in currie, or converted into a ragout after blanching, as directed for ox tails.
Should you happen to have the remains of a fresh ox tongue, it would be very good cut in slices, warmed, and served with a sharp sauce, or hashed; the remains of a pickled one may be used in any little made dish of veal, or poultry, hereafter described; to some persons it is, however, preferable cold.
No. 159. Ox Kidneys are very good for breakfast or luncheon; cut the kidneys into thin slices, avoiding the piece in the centre, put two ounces of butter in a stewpan, with a little chopped eschalots, place over the fire; when becoming a little browned add the kidneys, which keep stirring for five minutes still over the fire, add half a tablespoonful of flour (mix well), two glasses of sherry, two of water, half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, one of chopped parsley, and a bay-leaf, let simmer gently five minutes, not, however, to boil, or they would become hard and indigestible; should the sauce be too thin add a little butter and flour mixed together, it requires to be sufficiently thick to envelope the kidneys; when done poor out upon a dish, and serve very hot. A few raw mushrooms stewed with the kidneys is also a great improvement.
A bullock’s heart is a favorite dish with some persons; soak an hoar in lukewarm water to disgorge, dry, and stuff the interior with a good veal stuffing, roast an hour and a half before a moderate fire, and serve very hot, with a little veal sauce (see page 647) around; proceed the same for calves’ or sheep’s hearts, but of course they will require less time.
No. 160. Calf’s Head. Should you have any left from a previous dinner it may be dressed in various ways. To hash calf’s head, cut into good slices not too thin, or it would have a bad appearance; put a spoonful of chopped onions in a stewpan, with a wineglassful of vinegar, six peppercorns, a sprig of thyme, a bay-leaf, a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, and a gill of broth, reduce to half over the fire, then add the slices of calf’s head and a gill more broth, season with a little pepper and salt, when quite hot through add half an ounce of butter, with which you have mixed a tablespoonful of flour, first breaking it into four or five pieces, shake round over the fire until becoming a little thickish, add a little colouring (No. 146) to give a light brown colour; pour out upon your dish, and serve with a few slices of gherkins sprinkled over.
Calf’s head may also be cut in slices, warmed, and served with some of the sauces as directed for fillet of beef, or curried as for the ox-tails (No. 156); hashed calf’s head, with a couple of spoonfuls of currie-paste added, is also very excellent.
No. 161. Calf’s Brains and Tongue. Boil the tongue in stock or water until tender, lay the brains in lukewarm water to disgorge, then carefully take off all the skin, put about a quarter of a pound of butter in a sauté-pan, rub all over the bottom, cut the brains in slices, lay them in the pan, season with a little pepper, salt, and lemon-juice, place over a moderate fire, and when set turn them over, add about a gill of melted butter, and a little milk, if too thick, season a little more if required, shake the sauté-pan round, moving the brains from the bottom, but not breaking them, and pour upon a dish, skin and trim the tongue, cut it in halves lengthwise, glaze and serve dressed upon the brains. Sheep and lamb’s tongues and brains are dressed in precisely the same manner as the calf’s.
No. 162. Veal Cutlets, the English Method. Procure a piece of fillet of veal weighing about four pounds, from which (to the best advantage) cut eight or ten pieces of the shape and size of fillets of fowl, season lightly with a little pepper and salt, have a couple of eggs, well beaten, upon a plate, into which dip the cutlets, and afterwards into bread-crumbs, beat lightly; then cut four or five slices of streaked bacon, which fry in a sauté or frying-pan; when done take out and lay in the cutlets, which fry of a nice light brown colour, dress the bacon and cutlets alternately upon your dish, pour as much fat as possible out of the pan, into which pour a quarter of a pint of water, and the same of melted butter; boil until becoming rather thickish, when add a tablespoonful of Harvey sauce, one of catsup, a little colouring (No. 146), and a little pepper and salt, boil another second, pass through a sieve over the cutlets, and serve. Veal cutlets cut and fried as above may also be served upon some very light mashed potatoes, omitting the sauce.