USING THE CHEAPER MEATS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 211, 9 July 1943, Page 11

USING THE CHEAPER MEATS

RITISH homemakers long ago accepted the challenge to concoct tasty and appetising dishes from the cheaper kinds of meat-in-cluding the humble tripe and liver, and their families thrive and enjoy the change from the regular and unimaginative procession through the week of a roast joint first hot, then cold, then hashed or minced, with sausages OF steak, and perhaps fish on Friday to lead back to the Sunday hot joint again. Very nourishing and delicious meals from butchers’ "small goods" are now firm favourites, and the "Daisy Chain" is invited to send in some original ideas. Here are some suggestions to start with. Tripe would be more popular if it were more carefully cooked, It should NOT be served in large chunky, tough pieces, in a thin, watery sauce, with a few straggling bits of onion here and there. Tripe should be cut first into very thin strips, which must then be cut into pieces about an inch long. Plunge these into boiling salted water, and simmer until tender-perhaps three hours. Then add plenty of diced onion, and continue boiling for ahother half-hour or until the onion is cooked. Now strain the whole through a colander. Return tripe and onion to the saucepan, cover with milk, and bring to the boil, Thicken with cornflour, adding a large slice of butter, and pépper and salt to taste. Just before taking up, sprinkle generously with very finely chopped parsley, Thin strips of toast are nice with this dish. Tripe and Oysters This is an example of how to make cheaply an apparently expensive «ish. A dozen oysters will uplift about 1¥2lbs, of tripe. Scald the oysters in their own liquor after bearding them. Cook the tripe as in the first recipe, adding the oyster liquor when thickening with cornflour. After the heat is turned off, add the oysters, which must only be allowed to heat through, not boil. Oxtail and Kidney One oxtail, 6 sheep’s kidneys, or halfounce ox kidney. Halve the sheep's kidneys, or cut up ox kidney. Boil the tail joints and pieces of kidney in well seasoned flour. Melt sufficient dripping in large saucepan, and in it brown 2 medium onions, cut in chunks, also the kidney and tail joints. Then add 2 carrots diced thickly, cover with warm water, and stew gently for 3 hours, or until tender. Leave till next day. Then lift off the fat, bring to the boil, and thicken with flour. Kidney Stuffing This is very good for stuffing a boned shoulder of mutton. Chop finely 3 sheep’s kidneys and a good slice of bacon, a small onion (first scalded so that it will be easily digested), plenty of parsley, and a sprig of thyme. Mix with a cupful of breadcrumbs, season with pepper and

salt, and a pinch of powdered ginger. Bind with a beaten egg-or milk if egg not available. Braised Sweetbreads (With Mushrooms) This from America. Soak 2 pairs calves’ sweetbreads in cold water for about 20 minutes, then drain and cover ‘with boiling water, add salt to taste, a dash of vinegar, a few peppercorns and cloves. Simmer, covered, for half an hour, then lift out and plunge them into cold water. Then drain, separate, and remove the connecting membranes. Have ready a tasty sauce made by melting 3 tablespoons butter in little saucepan, and when brown adding a small minced onion and ¥%lb. mushrooms, sliced up. When these are tender, stir in 2 tablespoons flour, and gradually add a cupful of milk, or milk and water, pepper and salt to taste, and stir till it thickens nicely over low heat. Then add the dried sweetbreads cut in pieces; serve on toast with mashed potatoes,