Top 25 Recipes for All Kinds of Meat It is easier to make bricks without straw than to feed a hungry man without meat" is an old and bitter Afghan adage, coined probably by the first trader to come down from the Hindu Kush and find himself among the vegetarians of India. If that saying brings to mind great, clove-studded hams, slabs of tender beef, whole legs of mutton, or roasts of veal, consult another cookbook; all take too long for this one. Here are recipes, 'tis true, for beef, lamb, ham, and veal, but all save one are intended for quick cookery. Presumably you already know how to deal with roasts and to grill steaks and chops. To repeat what was said in the Introduction, this book has two objectives: to assist you in serving relatively unusual and good meals swiftly and to come to your aid when you have unexpected guests. The recipes in this section are designed to do either, and sometimes both. Of the various forms in which you can buy beef, the most versatile is oddly not the dearest. It is top round ground, for which it is possible to substitute the even less expensive hamburger. Despite its name, hamburger is as American as chewing gum or the Star-Spangled Banner. It need not, however, be served with a thick slice of onion, a thin one of tomato, a dollop of relish, a smear of mustard, and a bath of ketchup, the whole encased in a tepid roll. At the first bite, this contraption will disintegrate like the deacon's wonderful One-Hoss Shay. It makes for inelegant eating. The disadvantages of ground beef may be eliminated and the advantages—speed and ease of cooking, low cost, nutrition—retained by a little ingenuity in seasoning and cooking. Top round ground may never be the pièce de résistance at a dinner party even if it were called Émince de Filet de Boeuf, but it will have many other important uses.
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Top 25 Recipes for All Kinds of Meat
It is easier to make bricks without straw than to feed a hungry man without meat" is an old
and bitter Afghan adage, coined probably by the first trader to come down from the Hindu
Kush and find himself among the vegetarians of India. If that saying brings to mind great,
clove-studded hams, slabs of tender beef, whole legs of mutton, or roasts of veal, consult
another cookbook; all take too long for this one. Here are recipes, 'tis true, for beef, lamb,
ham, and veal, but all save one are intended for quick cookery. Presumably you already know
how to deal with roasts and to grill steaks and chops. To repeat what was said in the
Introduction, this book has two objectives: to assist you in serving relatively unusual and
good meals swiftly and to come to your aid when you have unexpected guests. The recipes in
this section are designed to do either, and sometimes both.
Of the various forms in which you can buy beef, the most versatile is oddly not the dearest. It
is top round ground, for which it is possible to substitute the even less expensive hamburger.
Despite its name, hamburger is as American as chewing gum or the Star-Spangled Banner. It
need not, however, be served with a thick slice of onion, a thin one of tomato, a dollop of
relish, a smear of mustard, and a bath of ketchup, the whole encased in a tepid roll. At the
first bite, this contraption will disintegrate like the deacon's wonderful One-Hoss Shay. It
makes for inelegant eating. The disadvantages of ground beef may be eliminated and the
advantages—speed and ease of cooking, low cost, nutrition—retained by a little ingenuity in
seasoning and cooking. Top round ground may never be the pièce de résistance at a dinner
party even if it were called Émince de Filet de Boeuf, but it will have many other important
uses.
Five of the following eight beef recipes are based on ground meat, four of them variations on
hamburger as it might be cooked in the United States, Italy, Norway, and China. You are
invited to develop your own variations, borrowing from the French, the Mexican, the
Hungarian, and the Indian cuisines.
Recipes using already baked or boiled ham are as quick as those using ground beef, and ham
is even more readily available from grocers and delicatessens. Furthermore it keeps well, and
you can usually count on having some on hand. In a crisis you could probably persuade your
local druggist to let you have a few of the slices he keeps for making sandwiches. There are
literally hundreds of recipes for ham; those included here are a mere sampling but are, I think,
both interesting and unusual, as well as good.
Lamb, to macerate a metaphor, is a different kettle of fish. Except for the very best and
smallest of baby chops, lamb should be served well done and cooking it usually requires
more time than the average reader of this book can give it. Nor is it so universally available
as beef and ham. The recipes provide a few representative ways in which this meat may be
cooked quickly but appealingly.
Veal, the gourmet's meat, no one's poison, and the chef's delight, is close to perfection for fast
and fancy cookery. It lends itself to, nay it invites and flourishes under, sauces, the bases for
most good and unusual dishes. Except when in a roast or as chops, it should be cut thin and
cooked over high heat, so there is no problem of time. Good veal is not so easy to come by as
good beef, but it is worth the extra effort. The veal recipes which follow are the ones I would
select to feed the jaded appetite of the man who has eaten everything. If he has in fact eaten
everything, he will be familiar with these, and happy to eat them again.
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BEEF ALHAMBRA SERVES 4
This magnificent stew takes more than an hour to prepare, but you will agree, I am sure, that
the result is well worth the additional time, if you have it. The stew possesses admirable
keeping qualities; it improves with age—within reason—and may be cooked one day,
reheated and served the next or even the day after. It is essentially an informal dish, but is
easily dressed up to become the basis of a formal dinner. While there is nothing particularly
remarkable about beef stew, this one differs from its more mundane relatives through the
inclusion of pickled walnuts. The difference, I might add, is marked. I have the recipe from
an old and valued English friend who tells me that she has never eaten it anywhere except in
her own home, where her mother was wont to serve it to the delight and delectation of family
and guests. In view of her mother's family connections, I have reason to believe that the use
of pickled walnuts in this way may well have originated with the Moors in Spain. Whatever
its origin, we owe its inventor a gastronomic debt.
The recipe calls for top round steak, which you should ask your butcher to cut about three
quarters of an inch thick. You may substitute pieces of leftover roast beef. Fresh beef makes a
better stew, but roast beef is acceptable. If no beef stock is available, use condensed beef
bouillon, or make stock by simmering nine beef cubes in three pints of water until the cubes
are completely dissolved.
l½ POUNDS LEAN TOP ROUND STEAK
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
3 MEDIUM ONIONS, QUARTERED
3 PINTS BEEF STOCK
3 LARGE CARROTS, SLICED IN ONE-INCH PIECES
2 MEDIUM TURNIPS, QUARTERED
5 STALKS CELERY, CUT IN ONE-INCH PIECES
6 PICKLED WALNUTS, QUARTERED
BOUQUET GARNI
SEASONING (SEE BELOW)
6 PICKLED WALNUTS, HALVED
Cut the meat into three-quarter-inch cubes. In a large saucepan melt the butter and sauté the
meat on all sides until it is light brown, to seal in the juices. Remove from the saucepan,
replace with the chopped onions, and sauté them until they are golden. Place the meat and the
onions in a large casserole with a lid. Pour in the beef stock, and add the remainder of the
chopped vegetables, the quartered pickled walnuts, and the bouquet garni (tie a bay leaf, two
sprigs parsley, a dozen peppercorns, and sprinkling of thyme and marjoram in a cheesecloth
bag). Simmer in a moderate oven— about 350 degrees —for an hour, or until meat is tender
but not falling apart. Remove from the oven, and adjust the flavor of the juice. This will
depend on your taste. I would suggest: a tablespoon of pickled walnut juice, a little sherry, a
dash or two of Scotch Bonnet, and, of course, salt and pepper. If the color of the juice is too
light, a little Kitchen Bouquet will darken it. Once you have corrected the seasoning, make a
small roux with two tablespoons butter and two of flour, and pour off the juice from the
casserole to make a sauce with the roux, being careful not to let the sauce get too thick. Pour
the sauce over the meat and the other contents of the casserole, add six to eight more pickled
walnuts, halved, and return the stew to the oven. Allow it to reheat completely, about five
minutes. Take the casserole from the oven, and remove the bouquet garni. (By now it looks
exactly like a piece of the beef. I have forgotten to remove it on two occasions with
unfortunate consequences, each time to the guest of honor.) The stew is now ready to serve.
If you wish to give this dish a party atmosphere, I suggest serving it in small individual
casseroles, garnishing each with cooked diced turnip, carrot, and a few peas to add color,
with one whole pickled walnut in the center, topped with a sprig of water cress like an
umbrella. Normally you will want no vegetables with this stew, but French bread or toasted
rolls are splendid for sopping up the sauce. An Avocado Salad (qv) would be especially good
to follow and could almost be accounted a vegetable. The wine you will want will be the red
wine of Burgundy, a Chambertin or a Pommard for example. Add Chocolate Cheese (qv) as a
dessert.
▼▼▼
CUBED STEAK AUX CHAMPIGNONS SERVES 4
Earlier in this book, in the Introduction, to be exact, it was pointed out that choice steak
should be grilled over charcoal and served with a minimum of seasoning and froufrou. This is
true of the more expensive cuts, whose innate goodness and flavor it is a high culinary crime
to conceal under sauces, bottled or otherwise. Top round steak, however, is, as a man once
said, a horse of a different color. Naked and unadorned it tends to be tough and almost
tasteless. A few minutes spent in making a good mushroom sauce for it will enable; you to
serve a dinner which will draw "ohs," and "ahs," and "isn't it absolutely . . ." from your
guests. And you, too, for that matter. A cubed steak after this fashion has the double
advantage of being a delight to your palate and to your pocketbook.
The recipe for the sauce calls for Bovril, an extract of beef made in England. You may
substitute an American variety of beef extract such as Wilson's B-V if you like, and with
good results. Use of some form of beef extract is essential as it "makes" the sauce. On no
account use beef bouillon cubes in lieu of the extract. The result will be quite different and
quite unhappy.
1 TIN CONDENSED MUSHROOM SOUP
¼ CUP CREAM
1 EIGHT-OUNCE TIN BUTTON MUSHROOMS
1 TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1 TEASPOON BOVRIL
2 TABLESPOONS BURGUNDY OR CLARET
4 CUBED STEAKS, ONE HALF INCH THICK, ABOUT EIGHT
OUNCES EACH
2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
1 TEASPOON SMOKED SALT
4 SPRIGS WATER CRESS
Make the sauce first. Put the soup in a saucepan, and, over a gentle fire, thin with cream,
stirring until the mixture is smooth. Add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and Bovril.
Stir in the wine. Let heat for a short time, two or three minutes. If the sauce is still too thick,
thin with milk, but remember you do not want a runny sauce. In any case do not permit it to
boil. While the sauce is heating through, sauté the steaks. For four steaks you will require two
skillets. Place a tablespoon of butter in each and melt over a low flame. Increase the fire and
sauté the steaks quickly; after one side has cooked for about a minute, turn the steaks: season
the cooked side with pepper and smoked salt. At the end of another thirty seconds, re-turn the
steaks and season the other side. In all, the steaks should not be sautéed more than a total of
two minutes, preferably less. Place each steak on a hot plate, pour the sauce over the steaks,
garnish with water cress, and serve.
Boiled whole baby onions and broiled or grilled tomato halves combine well together and
with these steaks. Follow the main course with a Double Cressed Salad (qv). Either a Claret
or a Burgundy will enhance this meal; why not a Saint-Julien or a Richebourg—if you can
get it. The fare is a little on the heavy side and should end on a light note—Fragole Marsala
(qv).
▼▼▼
BEEF JARDINIÈRE SERVES 4
One of the problems which all cooks sooner or later have to solve is how best to use leftover
roast beef. There are many number of ways to attack this problem, and some solutions are
monuments to the cook's skill. Most of these, however, are elaborate and time consuming. A
simple and rapid solution is to make a jardiniere with the beef. The result is not exactly
suitable for a dinner party, but it makes a fine Sunday supper, or a dinner en famille, or even
one of those "potluck" dinners which people invite you to from time to time and which
usually turn out to be rather formidable affairs. The beef for this jardiniere should be cut into
bite-sized cubes. Raw beef may be used, of course, but you should then allow a very
considerable increase in the cooking time.
1 MEDIUM POTATO
1 LARGE CARROT
1 BOX FROZEN PEAS
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
5 CUPS DICED, COOKED ROAST BEEF
SALT
PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON MINCED PARSLEY
Cut the potato and the carrot into quarter-inch dice. Place them in separate saucepans with a
cup of water each and boil until tender, but do not let them become mushy. About fifteen
minutes would be right. Cook the peas. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the diced beef in
lit until well coated and brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cooked
potato, carrot, and peas in the skillet with the beef, add the minced parsley, and cook over a
low fire, turning everything constantly, until all ingredients are well coated with butter. Serve
hot.
This is a one-dish meal. No other vegetables are required, although toasted half biscuits or
rolls might be added with profit. If you want a bit of éclat, serve Mangoleekee Salad (qv) or
Persimmon Salad (qv). A light red wine, Beaujolais, perhaps, would be about right with the
beef, and Chocolate Whiffle (qv) would be equally appropriate as a dessert.
▼▼▼
HAMBURGER CONEY ISLAND SERVES 2 TO 4
As forecast in the note on Meat, this and the three succeeding recipes provide four methods
of cooking hamburger, each as it might appear in the cuisine of a different country. They are
designed to bring changes and a little excitement into the life and consumption of hamburger.
It is only meet to begin with the American version, and what more appropriate name for that
than "Coney Island"? A glance at the list of ingredients will reveal that all of the normal
appurtenances of lunch-counter hamburgers—mustard, onion, pickles, and ketchup—are
included as integral parts of the recipe and their flavors cooked into the meat. This hamburger
is good at any informal meal.
1 POUND HAMBURGER
½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED ONION
¼ CUP TOMATO KETCHUP
1 TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS FINELY CHOPPED MUSTARD PICKLE
1 TEASPOON SALT
½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
½ TEASPOON DRY MUSTARD
2 EGGS
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
Beat the eggs lightly or shake well in a swirl mixer. Put the meat, chopped onion, ketchup,
Worcestershire sauce, pickle, salt, pepper, and dry mustard into a large mixing bowl. Pour
over them the beaten eggs. Using a fork or, better yet, your hands, mix the whole mass
thoroughly. Shape into patties about three inches in diameter and an inch thick.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. When it is hot, add the patties and sauté briskly on both
sides, turning with a cake turner or spatula and pressing the patties into the butter firmly but
not hard enough to break them. When they are cooked evenly to a light brown on both sides,
reduce the heat and allow them to cook about ten minutes longer, turning at least once.
With this American version, what could be better than French-fried potatoes and corn on the
cob or summer squash? One item you should have is Mixed Green Salad II (qv). Beer is the
obvious beverage, and ice cream the equally obvious dessert. If you prefer wine try an
American Traminer or Gamay.
▼▼▼
HAMBURGER NAPOLI SERVES 2 TO 4
Hamburgers are not much eaten in Italy. Beef is scarce, and the type we grind for hamburger
is normally reserved for use with pasta in one form or another. If, however, the Italians took
to eating hamburgers, they would probably prepare them along the lines of this recipe, whose
"Italian" aspects derive from seasoning with orégano and grated cheese and cooking in olive
oil and garlic. Orégano is a dominating herb and if used to excess can destroy the taste of the
parsley, the meat, and the cheese, and almost overcome the flavor of garlic. Be careful how
you increase the amount called for in the recipe.
1 SLICE STALE BREAD
2 EGGS
1 POUND HAMBURGER
3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY
4 TABLESPOONS GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
¼ TEASPOON ORÉGANO
1 TEASPOON SALT
½ TEASPOON PEPPER, FRESHLY GROUND
6 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
1 CLOVE GARLIC
3 TABLESPOONS FLOUR
Soak the bread in water, squeeze dry, and break into very small pieces. Beat the eggs lightly,
or shake in a swirl mixer. Mix thoroughly in a large bowl the meat, bread, parsley, cheese,
orégano, salt, pepper, and eggs. If the mixture is too dry, pour in one quarter cup of red wine,
preferably Chianti, and mix some more. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and add the garlic,
finely minced or put through a garlic press. While the oil is heating, shape the hamburger into
balls about one and a half or two inches in diameter. Roll them in the flour. With the oil hot
but not smoking, sauté the meat balls, turning from time to time, for about ten minutes.
Boiled noodles or spaghetti, dressed with butter and served on the side, and zucchini sautéed
in olive oil or creamed spinach with this hamburger will make you think you are dining in the
Galleria. Add a bottle of Barolo and you will be sure of it. The salad should be Mixed Green
Salad III (qv). The dessert? Zabaglione (qv), of course.
Photo owned by Neal Whitaker
▼▼▼
HAMBURGER BERGEN SERVES 2 TO 4
Although it would probably be an exaggeration to say that Scandinavians are hamburger-
conscious, they are extremely fond of meat balls, which they call by other names but which
differ from the American hamburger only in shape and seasoning. Sage, ginger, and a touch
of lemon add a subtle Scandinavian touch to these patties, and as you eat them you can
imagine you are watching the fjords go by. If you like your food more highly spiced, double
the amount of sage and ginger, but do not add more lemon, juice or peel.