Using Up Cold Meat

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 946, 27 September 1957, Page 32

Using Up Cold Meat

whether young or old, are faced with the question of tasty new ways of using up leftover cold meat. Sometimes there is a little left-over from two or three kinds of meat-say a wee bit of veal, a bit of steak and a bit of mutton. These can all be minced up together and added to a_ freshly-made curry sauce, not long enough to recook, but just to warm through at the last minute. But the old shepherd’s pie gets tiresome if made every week, so here are some’ other dishes which you may have forgotten. The modern favourite is fried rice, to which is added tiny shreds of pork or chicken, and perhaps a flavouring of garlic or spring onion. From fried rice it is only a short step to the now popular Nassi Goreng-really an Indonesian dish, very economical and satisfying indeed. It has fried rice for its base and can be garnished with tinned shrimps or prawns, and have a poached egg on top-almost anything you can think of. In most large cities little packets of dehydrated vegetables and spices, called Conimex, are now sold. These are softened first in a little warm water to make the vegetables swell, ] SUPPOSE ll housewives,

and give the inimitable flavour of the Nassi Goreng. If you cannot get the Conimex, you can use onions cut up,

but, of course, the dish will not be the same at all. Fried Rice Boil sufficient rice till cooked. It may. be steamed to finish off so that. the grains are dry and separate, or washed through with cold or hot water to remove stickiness. Then heat in oven or over steam, stirring, but the grains must be separate. Now fry chopped onion, in butter preferably, otherwise in bacon fat or any good cooking oil, Fry also some chopped bacon and a little almost anything else you like that is flavoursome (a clove of garlic, or some shrimps), and then put in the dried rice and fry all together, just faintly brown, with a dash of pepper, cayenne, and curry. Nassi Goreng Siam rice is the best to use. Steam or cook one pound of it till dry and grains separate; then cool (or do it the day before). Have one packet or bag of the Conimex softened in a little lukewarm water, just enough to make the vegetables swell. (Conimex is really the

brand name; the real name is Boemboe Nassi Goreng.) Now heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in casserole; add the Boemboe and fry together with a little finely chopped meat-chicken or pork or veal, or what have you. There is never much meat in Nassi Goreng. Let this simmer on low heat for a few minutes and then gradually add the cold cooked rice. Stir constantly so that all the rice gets fried properly and no white grains are left. Lastly add a little chopped ham (if you have it). Make an omelette, and cover the Nassi Goreng with strips of it when ready to be served, or with fried eggs. Serve shrimps or chutney or gherkins with the rice, as desired. Actually, when Nassi Goreng is served as a regular family dish, and not special, it seems to be mostly fried rice with just shredded meat. Macaroni Scramble Boil some macaroni till soft. Line piedish with it, Mince left-over cold mutton, chicken or veal, season with pepper and salt and parsley. Almost fill dish with meat, and cover with fresh mashed potatoes. Bake till hot through. Turn. out on to dish and serve with good gravy. Left-over Souffle One and a half tablespoons butter, 1% cup milk, dash pepper, 1 dessertspoon minced onion, 2 eggs separated, 2 tablespoons flour, %4 cup finely chopped fish, meat or chicken left-overs, dash Worcester sauce, pinch salt. Melt fat, blend in flour, cook a little. Add

milk, make smooth and cook stirring. Add chicken, seasonings and egg yolks. Mix well. Beat egg whites till stiff but not dry, with pinch salt. Fold into mixture. Pour into one big casserole or four or five individual greased dishes, Only fill three-parts full, as it rises, For one big one, bake 60 minutes, oven about 325 degrees; 35 minutes for small ones. Manse Pie This is nicest when made of two or three kinds of meat; any good scraps will do, but care must be taken to remove all gristle and skin. If the meat is all lean, chop a little fat bacon with it, Chop the meat very finely, and allow to 114 lb. when chopped, % Ib. butter, 6 oz. fine breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 cup milk, a little dried herbs and pepper and salt to taste. Beat egg well and mix all thoroughly. Mould into a shapely cake, cover with breddcrumbs and bake in well-buttered dish till nicély browned all over. It will take about an hour in a quick oven. Fricandelle Chop some remains of veal. or any other cold meat, fat and lean together. Season it with pepper and salt, add about an equal quantity of grated breadcrumbs, 1 oz. butter, an egg and a little good gravy. Mix well and press firmly into a basin or mould, buttered; boil 1 hour, turn out and serve with a little brown gravy poured over. Macaroni Meat Hash Two tablespoons macaroni, 2 or 3 large onions, left-over cold meat, tomato sauce and cheese, Cook macaroni

in salted water till tender. Slice onions. lay in bottom of casserole, put layer of minced meat, layer of onions, macaroni etc., till dish is full. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons tomato sauce, grated cheese. breadcrumbs, and dabs of butter. Moderate oven, Brown well on top. Left-over Meat Pudding Half pound of cold mutton, beef, 1 teacup flour, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 boiled onion, 1 breakfast cup milk, 4 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, little pepper and nutmeg. Mix gradually in a bowl the flour, parsley; chopped onion and seasoning, with the beaten egg and milk, until a smooth batter. Cut the meat into small pieces and add. Butter a pudding dish well and pour the mixture in, bake for about 4% hour, turn out and serve with gravy over or around, The same may be put in a buttered basin and covered with butter paper, then steam for 1 hour. Turn out and serve with brown sauce. An excellent dish for lunch or children’s dinner. Rissoles Half pound cold meat (chopped finely), a small onion, 4 tablespoon chopped parsley, 14 tablespoon of Worcester sauce, ¥2 oz, dripping, %4 oz. flour, seasoning, egg, breadcrumbs, % pint stock, Melt dripping in small saucepan, and when hot put in the onion and fry till tender, add flour and stock, stirring well all the time; boil well, and add sauce and parsley. Mix _well with the meat and spread out to get cold, Divide into small pieces, make into balls (flour the hands). Dip each one into egg, and cover with breadcrumbs, Fry a nice brown in deep, hot fat. Drain on soft paper. Dish in a pile, and garnish with parsley. Instead of making sauce to bind the rissoles, an egg may be used, and ™% Ib. of mashed potatoes or breadcrumbs. Scalloped Corned Beef Take 12 Ib. cold minced corned beef, 2 oz, boiled macaroni, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 onion minced, 14 pint stock or milk, 1 tablespoon of flour, small piece of butter or dripping. Fry onion in the butter, add flour and

gradually the milk. Bring to the boil, add parsley and the meat. Place a layer of mince in piedish, add a layer of macaroni, repeat till piedish is full, Cover with mashed potatoes or greased breadcrumbs and brown in the oven.

NEXT WEEK: Dried Apricots ona Prunes