When the object of cooking is to have the nutriment partly
in the meat and partly in the water, the dish is called a stew.
Use a small quantity of water, — less than in making
soups, — and cook at a moderate heat for a long time. The
word stew means a slow, moist, gentle heat. As some of the
nutriment is to be in the meat cut it into pieces convenient
for serving. Put the bones, gristly portions, and the poorer
parts of the lean meat into cold water. This draws out
enough nutriment to enrich the broth. When the water
boils, add the tender portions that their juices may be kept
in them. By this slow, steady simmering, rather than by
fierce boiling, the fibres are softened, and the coarsest and
cheapest kinds of meat are made tender and nutritious.
Any meat that is juicy and not tough may be first browned
on the outside to retain the juice and improve the flavor;
but should you have any cold pieces of roast beef or steak,
these may be used and will have the same effect. Some
proteids are soluble in vegetable acids, such as those in vinegar
and lemon juice. If coarse, tough pieces of meat are soaked
in vinegar, the fibres will be softened and the meat made
more tender. Meat containing much gristle should be put
into cold water. Meat from the upper part of the shin, the
aitch bone, flank, neck, and shoulder, — the less expensive
parts, — are suitable for stews.
Fowls, tough game, the tougher parts of mutton, lamb,
or veal, any meats which have been previously cooked,
and any kind of large white fish may be stewed. Meat
that has some bone and fat makes a richer stew. A great
variety of economical, wholesome, and palatable dishes may
be prepared as stews, and there are many names given to
this form of cooking.
A stew usually has vegetables and dumplings cooked with
the meat.
A haricot of mutton or any other meat is a stew with the
meat and vegetables cut fine, — into bits, the size of a haricot
bean.
A ragout is a stew highly flavored with wine.
A salmi is a stew of game.
A chowder is a stew of fish.
A fricassee is a form of stewing where the meat is sauted
or browned in fat, either before or after stewing, and is usually
served without vegetables.
A pot-pie is a stew with the dough put on as a crust instead
of in the form of dumplings. Braising is a form of stewing usually done in a covered
pan in the oven. The slow, uniform heat from the confined
hot air in the oven gives a richer, stronger flavor than that
obtained by stewing over the fire.
Onions, carrots, turnips, and potatoes are often used in a
stew. Onions may be put in with the meat, but the other
vegetables should be cut small, and added about half an
hour before the stew is done. The kettle should be drawn
forward, that the water may boil, not simmer, while the
vegetables are cooking. This will not harm the meat as it
would if boiled rapidly at first. Remove the bones and fat
before adding the vegetables.
A dumpling is a small biscuit-like portion of dough dropped
or dumped quickly into the boiling liquid. There should
be only liquid enough to come nearly to the top of the meat
and vegetables, that the dumplings may rest on them and
not sink into the liquid. The steam from the savory broth
will cook the dumplings and impart a richer flavor than if
cooked in a steamer over the stew. Cover the kettle closely,
as soon as the dumplings are in, and let the stew boil steadily
ten minutes, without lifting the cover. Serve them at once.
As they are to be eaten with meat they require no shortening.
The same dough may be cut into small cakes and baked as
biscuit.
BEEF STEW
1/2 lb. beef
1/2 onion
1/4 c. turnip, cut in half-inch dice
1/4 c. carrot, diced
2 potatoes
Salt and pepper
Flour
Water to cover
Wipe the meat, cut it into small pieces, and remove all the
fine crumbly bones. Put the larger bones and tough meat
into the kettle and cover with cold water. Melt the fat in a
frying-pan, dredge the tender meat with salt, pepper, and
flour, and brown it in the hot fat. Brown the sliced onions
also, and then put the meat and onions into the kettle. Cover
with boiling water. Simmer from two to three hours, or till
the meat is tender. Half an hour before serving remove
the fat and bones and add the other vegetables. Pare the
potatoes, cut them into quarters, parboil them five minutes,
and put them into the stew. Cook twenty minutes. When
ready to serve, skim out the meat and potatoes, put them on a
dish, thicken the gravy if needed, add more seasoning, and
one half cup of strained tomato if desired. Pour the gravy
over the meat.
DUMPLINGS
1 pt. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 scant c. milk
Mix the dry ingredients and stir in the milk gradually to
make a soft dough. Drop quickly by the spoonful into the
boiling stew, letting the dumplings rest on the meat and
potatoes. Cover closely to keep in the steam, and cook
just ten minutes without lifting the cover. Serve at once.
VEAL FRICASSEE
The ends of the ribs, the breast, the neck, and the smaller
part of the knuckle may be utilized in a stew or fricassee.
Cut the meat, two pounds, in small pieces and remove all
the fine crumbly bones. Dredge with flour and brown it in
dripping or salt pork fat. Cover the meat with boiling
water, skim as it begins to boil, and add two small onions,
one teaspoon salt, and one half teaspoon pepper. Simmer
until tender. Remove the larger bones; add a flour
thickening and more seasoning if necessary. Cook ten
minutes; add one half cup of milk and two tablespoons of
butter.
Potatoes and dumplings may be cooked with the veal if a
stew be desired.
VEAL CUTLETS
Use slices from rump, loin or ribs; remove bones, tendons,
and skin; cover them with cold water and stew for the gravy.
Cook veal fat in the spider until brown and crisp; pound and
shape meat into pieces for serving; cover them with fine stale
bread crumbs, then with beaten eggs, again with the crumbs,
and brown them in the hot fat, adding salt pork fat if own
fat is not sufficient; then cook more slowly until done, with
no trace of pink color, for veal should never be rare. Remove
meat and crisp fat; add dry flour to the hot fat and stir
until brown, adding gradually the boiling water from the
bones. Season with salt, pepper and lemon if you like,
and serve as gravy. If lean meat from the leg or some tough
part, has been used, put it into a stew-pan when browned, and
pour gravy over it and let it simmer for half an hour.
