JEWISH SMOKED BEEF.
(Extremely useful for giving flavour to soup and gravy.)
This beef, of which we have more fully spoken in Chapter XXXIV.[TN: chapter missing], imparts a remarkably fine flavour to soup or gravy; but great care must be taken in using it to cut quite away all the external parts which have been discoloured in the drying: the whole of the surface, indeed, should be rather thickly pared off, or it will give a smoky taste to the gravy. An ounce or two of the lean thus cleared from the outsides and from all skin and fat, and divided first into thick slices, and then into small squares, will flavour a pint or more of stock of any kind: it may be added to the meat in making Liebeg gravy when it is first put into the stewpan.
TO HEIGHTEN THE COLOUR AND THE FLAVOUR OF GRAVIES.
This is best done by the directions given for making Espagnole. An ounce or two of the lean of unboiled ham, cut into dice and coloured slowly in a small stewpan, or smoothly-tinned iron saucepan, with less than an ounce of butter, a blade of mace, two or three cloves, a bay-leaf, a few small sprigs of savoury herbs, and an eschalot or two, or about a teaspoonful of minced onion, and a little young parsley root, when it can be had, will convert common shin of beef stock, or even strong broth, into an excellent gravy, if it be gradually added to them after they have stewed slowly for quite half an hour, and then boiled with them for twenty minutes or more. The liquid should not be mixed with the other ingredients until the side of the stewpan is coloured of a reddish brown; and should any thickening be required, a teaspoonful of flour should be stirred in well, and simmered for three or four minutes before the stock is added; the pan should be strongly shaken round afterwards, to detach the browning from it, and this must be done often while the ham is stewing.
Obs.—The cook who is not acquainted with this mode of preparing or enriching gravies, will do well to make herself acquainted with it; as it presents no difficulties, and is exceedingly convenient and advantageous when they are wanted in small quantities, very highly flavoured and well coloured. An unboiled ham, kept in cut, will be found, as we have already said, a great economy for this, and other purposes, saving much of the expense commonly incurred for gravy-meats. As eschalots, when sparingly used, impart a much finer savour than onions, though they are not commonly so much used in England, we would recommend that a small store of them should always be kept.
BARON LIEBEG’s BEEF GRAVY.
(Most excellent for hashes, minces, and other dishes made of cold meat.)
For particulars of this most useful receipt, for extracting all its juices from fresh meat of every kind in the best manner, the cook is referred to the first part of the chapter on soups. The preparation, for which minute directions are given there, if poured on a few bits of lean ham lightly browned, with the other ingredients indicated above, will be converted into gravy of fine flavour and superior quality.
With no addition, beyond that of a little thickening and spice, it will serve admirably for dressing cold meat, in all the usual forms of hashes, minces, blanquettes, &c., &c., and convert it into dishes as nourishing as those of meat freshly cooked, and it may be economically made in small quantities with any trimmings of undressed beef, mutton, or veal, mixed together, which are free from fat, and not sinewy: flavour may be given to it at once by chopping up with them the lean part only of a slice or two of ham, or of highly-cured beef.