Beef, 2 lbs.; bacon, 1 lb.; pepper, 1/4 oz.; little salt; small nutmeg; rind of 1 lemon, or savoury herbs, 1 tablespoonful: baked 2 hours.
MINCED COLLOPS AU NATUREL.
Mince finely a pound of very tender rump steak, free from fat or skin; season it with a moderate quantity of pepper and salt, set it over a gentle fire, and keep it stirred with a fork until it is quite hot that it may not gather into lumps. Simmer it very slowly in its own gravy from ten to twelve minutes, and then, should it be too dry, add a little boiling water, broth, or gravy; stew it for two minutes longer, and serve it directly.
These collops are particularly suited to persons in delicate health, or of weak digestion; and when an extra dish is required at a short notice, from the expedition with which they may be dressed, they are a convenient resource.
10 to 12 minutes.
SAVOURY MINCED COLLOPS.
Make a little thickening (see Brown Roux, Chapter [V].) with about an ounce and a half of butter, and a dessertspoonful of flour; when it begins to be coloured, shake lightly into it a large teaspoonful of finely-shred parsley or mixed savoury herbs, two-thirds as much of salt, and half the quantity of pepper. Keep these stirred over a gentle fire until the thickening is of a deep yellow brown; then add a pound of rump-steak, finely minced, and keep it well separated with a fork until it is quite hot; next pour to it gradually half a cupful of boiling water, and stew the collops very gently for ten minutes. Before they are served, stir to them a little catsup, chili vinegar or lemon-juice: a small quantity of minced onion, eschalot, or a particle of garlic, may be added at first to the thickening when the flavour is not objected to.
A RICHER VARIETY OF MINCED COLLOPS.
Omit the minced herbs from the thickening, and season it with cayenne and a small quarter of a teaspoonful of pounded mace. Substitute beef gravy for the boiling water, and when the collops are nearly done, fill a wineglass with one fourth of mushroom catsup, and three of port wine, and stir these to the meat. Serve the collops very hot, and garnish them with alternate forcemeat balls (see No. 1, Chapter [VIII].) and fried sippets. If flavoured with a little gravy made from the bones of a roast hare, and served with currant jelly, these collops will scarcely be distinguished from game.