Modern cookery for private families by Eliza Acton

TO CHOOSE BEEF. Beef is in reality in season through the entire year, but it is best during the winter months, when it will hang a sufficient time to become tender before it is dressed. Meat of a more delicate nature is better adapted for the table in summer. The _Christmas beef_ of England is too much celebrated to require any mention here. If young and freshly killed, the lean of ox-beef will be smoothly grained, and of a fine, healthy, carnation-red, the fat rather white than yellow, and the suet white and firm. Heifer-beef is more closely grained, and rather less bright of colour, the bones are considerably smaller, and the fat of a purer white. Of bull-beef we only speak to warn our readers that it is of all meat the coarsest and the most rank in flavour. It may be known by its dark hue, its close tough fibre, and the scanty proportion, bad appearance, and strong odour of its fat. In choice and well-fed beef, the lean will be found intergrained with fat: very lean meat is generally of an inferior quality. The ribs, the sirloin, and the rump, are the proper joints for roasting. The round, or buttock, the edgebone, the second round, or mouse-buttock, the shin, the brisket, the shoulder or leg of mutton piece, and the clod, may be boiled or stewed. The neck is generally used for soup or gravy; and the thin flank for collaring. The best steaks are cut from the middle of the rump; the next best from the veiny piece, or from the chuck-rib. The inside of the sirloin, commonly used for the purpose in France, makes by far the most delicate steaks; but though _exceedingly_ tender, they are considered by some English epicures to be wanting in flavour. The finest part of the sirloin is the chump-end, which contains the larger portion of the fillet; of the ribs, the middle ones are those generally preferred by experienced housekeepers. TO ROAST SIRLOIN, OR RIBS OF BEEF. Let the joint hang as long as it can possibly be kept perfectly sweet. When it is first brought in, remove the pipe of marrow which runs along the back-bone; and cut out the kernels from the fat. Be very careful in summer to guard it from flies; examine it frequently in warm or damp weather; and scrape off with a knife, or wipe away with a dry cloth, any moisture which may appear on the surface: when this has been done, dust some powdered ginger or pepper over it. Unless the joint should be very large, its appearance will be improved by taking off the ends of the bones, which may then be salted for a few days, and afterwards boiled. Spit the beef firmly; place it near the fire to render the surface firm, as directed in the article _Roasting_, of Chapter IX.; then draw it to a distance and let it remain so until the heat has well penetrated the interior; and, if from prejudice the old method be still preferred, heat it very gradually in the first instance (in either case baste it constantly), and let it be drawn nearer to the fire for the last half hour or more of roasting, merely to brown it well. Persons who object to meat being _frothed_ for table, have it dredged with flour when it is first placed at the fire, and sprinkled with fine salt when it is nearly done. It is not necessary to paper the fat of beef, as many cooks direct, if proper attention be given to it while roasting. As a general rule, it may be observed, that when the steam from the meat draws strongly towards the fire, it is nearly or quite ready to serve. The time required to roast it will depend on the state of the weather,[75] the size and strength of the fire, the thickness of the joint, the use or non-use of a meat-screen or reflector, the general temperature of the kitchen, and other contingencies. A quarter of an hour for each pound of meat is commonly allowed for solid, heavy joints, and, if the directions we have given be attended to, this will not be found too much even for persons who prefer beef somewhat rare: it must be left longer at the fire if wished very thoroughly roasted, and quite double the usual time when the plan we have noticed at page 172, is adopted. When likely to be sent to table hashed, minced, or dressed a second time in any way, the juices of the meat should be dried up as little as possible when it is first cooked. Footnote 75: The meat will be much sooner done in hot weather than in cold. If frozen, it must be thawed _very gradually_ before it is put to the fire, or no length of time will roast it; this will be effected better by laying it into cold water for some hours before it is wanted, than by any other means. ROAST RUMP OF BEEF. As this joint is generally too much to serve whole, as much of it as will form a handsome dish should be cut from the chump end to roast. It must be managed as the sirloin, to which it is commonly preferred by connoisseurs. When boned and rolled into the form of a fillet of veal, as it sometimes is, nearly or quite an additional hour should be allowed to dress it. TO ROAST PART OF A ROUND OF BEEF. The natural division of the meat will show where the silver side of the round is to be separated from the upper or tongue side, which is the proper part for roasting, and which will be found equally good and profitable for the purpose, if allowed to hang as long as it can be kept sweet before it is dressed. Care should be taken in dividing the meat, not to pierce the inner skin. The silver side, with the udder, if there should be one to the joint, may be pickled, spiced, or simply salted, and will be excellent either way. The outside fat should be drawn tightly round the remainder of the beef, which must be firmly skewered, or bound with tape, to keep it in form. It will require long roasting at a strong, steady fire, and should be kept constantly basted. Beef, 14 lbs.: 4-1/2 to 5 hours. _Obs._—We think that larding the beef quite through with large lardoons of firm fat, of udder, or of bacon, would be an improvement; and we ought also to observe, that unless it be delicate and of fine quality, it will not answer well for roasting. TO ROAST A FILLET OF BEEF. Raise the fillet from the inside of the sirloin, or from part of it, with a sharp knife; leave the fat on, trim off the skin, lard it through, or all over, or roast it quite plain; baste it with butter, and send it very hot to table, with tomata sauce, or _sauce piquante_, or eschalot sauce, in a tureen. It is sometimes served with brown gravy and currant jelly; it should then be garnished with forcemeat-balls, made as for hare. If not very large, an hour and a quarter will roast it well with a brisk fire. _Obs._—The remainder of the joint may be boned, rolled, and roasted, or braised; or made into meat cakes; or served as a miniature round of beef. 1-1/4 hour. ROAST BEEF STEAK. If extremely tender, a large slice from the middle of the rump will make an excellent small dish of roast meat, when a joint is not easily to be procured. Let it be smoothly cut, from an inch to an inch and a half thick, flattened on a table, and the inside sprinkled with a little fine salt and cayenne, or common pepper. Make a roll of forcemeat, as No. 1,