Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

AMONG the entrees are classed not only the smaller meat dishes suitable for this service at dinners where several courses are used, but also many excellent breakfast and luncheon dishes. Often when there are only two or three persons for dinner, who do not care for an elaborate service, some hot meat entree, with one or two vegetables and a simple dessert, makes up the meal. But since health so largely depends upon a variety in food, it is not well to limit the service habitually, although many of the side-dishes are attractive because they can easily be prepared from inexpensive materials. In this connection the fact should be remembered, that many soups and salads are also inexpensive, and they are both unquestionably most wholesome and appetizing. The side-dishes generally admit of garnishes ; and many of them which are fried can be tastefully arranged upon napkins, with lemon and parsley. The imported lace papers replace napkins very prettily in the service of entrees, both hot and cold. Many entrees are larded with larding pork or bacon. As there are some objections to its use, it may, to a degree, be replaced by strips of tongue boiled tender ; or of uncooked beef-fat, if any can be found tough enough to bear the strain of pulling it through the raw meat. BROILED ROUND OF BEEF. Use a tender round-steak, cut an inch and a half thick ; cut it in strips an inch and a half square and about four inches long ; dip the strips in melted butter seasoned with salt and pepper, put them, between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and quickly broil them over a very hot fire ; when they are done, put them on a hot dish, pour the remainder of the melted butter and seasoning over them, and serve them hot at once. PORTERHOUSE STEAK BROILED. The porterhouse steak is cut from the upper part of the sirloin where there is a large proportion of tenderloin. Wipe the steak with a damp cloth, or scrape it with the back of a knife, to remove the bone-dust, but do not wash it; never pound or cut the fibres to make them tender, because that permits the juice to escape. Brown the steak as close to the fire as it can be put without burning, first on one side, and then on the other, and then put it far enough from the fire to cook it to the desired degree without burning it ; after the steak is done, put it on a hot platter, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve it at once. When beefsteak is known to be tough before cooking, it can be made tender by being put in a dish with enough salad-oil and vinegar to moisten the under side. After lying in the oil and vinegar for several hours, it should be turned, and again allowed to stand : it should be cooked without wiping off the oil and vinegar. FRIED BEEFSTEAK WITH ONION SAUCE. Choose a tender steak cut from the round : if the beef is not tender, put it, early in the evening, on a meat-dish containing sufficient sweet salad-oil and vinegar mixed to- SIDE-DISHES (entries). 269