Controlling the Meat Bill

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 774, 21 May 1954, Page 32

Controlling the Meat Bill

/ OST people desire, and need, a certain quantity of meat, although modern dietitians advocate a higher percentage of milk products than in former years. Cheese and milk, besides eggs, beans, peas and lentils are all important; but the fact remains that most families do like meat for dinner! The "best cuts" of meat are expensive, and therefore it is necessary to serve often the cheaper parts in an attractive and tasty way so that they are enjoyed and looked forward to. Many homemakers seem to think that lambs consist wholly of loin chops and legs; and that beef cattle provide nothing but steek, thick and juicy. Pork, too, generally means only loin or leg with lovely crackling. Don’t overlook valuable livers, kidneys, brains, tripe, and even hearts; they can be made very tasty; and remember the idea of the mixed grill, which is cleverly based on only a small portion of expensive steak, served on the same hot plate with a crisp sausage, a strip of bacon, French fried potatoes and onions, and a green vegetable. This appears to be a luxury dish, though it is really money-saving because of the combination of high and low-priced foods. Savoury dumplings and suet puddings can help out with stews and in the gravy from a roast joint; fried bread is a helper, too; and even one chop looks more when placed on a slice of toast. Stuffed Calves’ Hearts Make a veal stuffing (sage and onion, breadcrumbs, etc.), and fry it a little in savoury fat, to give ita fine flavour. Wash the hearts thoroughly and cut out the tough veins. Slit half-way down to make a pocket. Dust with pepper and salt and fill with the stuffing. Place in a casserole and dot with fat. Put a little water in the casserole and have the oven moderately hot, to brown the hearts. -Turn once so they brown on both sides. Roasted Liver Wash thoroughly, and wipe dry. Cut a long deep hole in the side, and stuff with breadcrumbs, bacon and onion chopped, salt and pepper to taste, a piece of butter, and 1 egg to bind. Sew or tie the! liver together. Spread with dripping, and bake about 1 hour in fair oven, basting frequently. Serve with gravy and currant jelly. Meat Loaf Two pounds good beef, 2 oz. bacon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon parsley chopped fine, pepper, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon onion juice, 14 cup milk. Mince meat and add other ingredients. Shape into loaf with floured hands, and bake in oven at approx. 450 degrees for about 45 minutes. Place strips of bacon on top before cooking. Serve with gravy or tomato sauce. Crusted Meat Loaf Have ready flaky pastry, 2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken, ham, veal, etc., 1 cup finely chopped cooked potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, sprinkle of pepper, % cup meat stock or gravy. Mix all together. Roll pastry into oblong and % inch thick. Form meat mixture into a roll. Place on pie-crust. Fold over, tuck ends in nicely. Put in greased bread tin. Brush with butter. Bake in hot oven 375 degrees for about 35 min-

utes. Slice and serve with tomato or mushrooms. Tripe 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 another 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 pepper 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 with Oysters This is an example of how to make cheaply an apparently expensive dish. A dozen oysters will uplift about 142 Ib. 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. Liver Rissoles These have good food value. Chop up a sheep’s or lamb’s fry, with about 2 oz. lean bacon or ham and a small onion, add about 1 oz. shredded suet and 1 cup breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste. Mix well, bind with a beaten egg, and form into little cakes. Roll in flour and fry in deep boiling fat until brown. Make gravy in pan after pouring off most of fat. Serve with green vegetable and jacket potatoes. Fried Brains Prepare brains by soaking for an hour in cold salt water to cover. Then remove and simmer 20 minutes in water containing a teaspoon each of vinegar and salt. Plunge into cold water to set. Remove the membrane covering them. Then divide into sections and cook as desired. This is always the preliminary preparation. For fried brains: Dust the prepared brains generously with salt and pepper, then dip in flour, Beat an egg slightly and dilute with 2 tablespoons cold water. Dip the brains into the egg, then cover well with fine breadcrumbs. Place in frying basket and plunge into deep fat hot enough to brown a cube of bread in a minute (350 degrees). Drain on, paper. Serve with tomato sauce, or white sauce containing chopped egg and green pepper; or a mushroom sauce.