Cookery for every household

About 1 tea-cupful milk. Wipe the meat with a damp cloth and cut it into pieces about 1 inch square, removing the skin and any superfluous fat. Toss these pieces in half the flour, coating them well. Melt the dripping in a stewpan ; when smoking hot put in the prepared Stewed Beef with Dumplings meat, and keep turning it over and over until browned on all sides. Then remove the meat, and add the onion finely chopped, or cut in thin slices ; brown that also, and stir in the remainder of the flour. Add the stock, and stir until boiling. Skim if necessary, return the meat, and add seasoning to taste. Allow the stew to simmer slowly until the meat is quite tender. About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, prepare the dumplings. Sieve the flour, salt, and baking powder into a basin, and mix into a smooth paste with the milk. Drop small pieces of this dough into the stew with a tea-spoon, put the lid on the pan, and allow the dumplings to cook for 15 minutes. Serve the meat in the centre of a hot dish with the dumplings round, and strain the gravy over. Note. — A little tomato juice may be used along with the stock, and more vegetables added if desired. Time to stew, 1£ to 2 hours. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Probable cost, 2s. C d. 829. Beef Stewed in Lettuce 1 lb. stewing steak. 1 large lettuce. Seasoning. Choose a long lettuce, wash it carefully and drain it well. It must not be left too wet. Wipe the meat, and trim it if required. Then take a strong stewpan and grease it with a little butter or dripping. Line it with about two layers of the lettuce leaves, and lay the piece of meat in the middle. Season with pepper, salt, and, if liked, a little finely chopped onion. Cover with more lettuce leaves, and put the lid on the pan. Now cook slowly by the side of the fire from 1 J to 2 hours, when the meat ought to be perfectly tender and the lettuce reduced to a brown glaze. Time to cook, H to 2 hours. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Probable cost, Is. 2d. 830. Braised Beef 3 lbs. round of beef. £ cupful each of carrot, turnip, onion, and celery. 2 oz. good dripping, lpt. stock. A little flour. Trimmings of ham or bacon. A small bunch of herbs. 12 peppercorns. 2 or 3 cloves. A small blade of mace. Choose a nice thick slice from the round of beef, trim it, and tie it into shape with a piece of tape. Prepare the vegetables and cut them in small neat pieces. Then put the dripping and some trimmings of ham or bacon into a stewpan, and when melted put in half the vegetables. Coat the meat lightly with flour, lay it on the top, with any bones or scraps round the sides, and cover with the remainder of the vegetables. Cook on the top of the stove or in the oven until the contents have taken colour, then add the stock, herbs, spices tied in muslin, and, if liked, a glass of white wine. Cook slowly until the meat is thoroughly tender, basting it occasionally with the stock. Success depends on slow cooking, and more stock should be added if necessary. When ready, lift the meat on to a hot dish, remove the tape, and keep it warm while the gravy is being prepared. If the liquid in the saucepan has reduced very much, add a little stock or water and strain into another saucepan. Boil for a few minutes, remove any grease from the top, pour some of this gravy round the meat, and serve the remainder in a sauce boat.