1147—Pièce de Bœuf à la Cuiller

Select a very square or oval piece of beef, and bear in mind, in selecting it, that it will have to be fashioned to the shape of a case when it has been cooked.

String it, and braise it after the manner described under No. 247, Ordinary Braisings, almost entirely covering it with moistening liquor.

Set it to cook gently; withdraw the piece when the meat is still somewhat firm, and let it cool under slight pressure.

This done, cut out the meat from the inside; leave a thickness of about half-inch round the sides and on the bottom, and the piece thus emptied should constitute a square or oval case, in accordance with the shape originally adopted.

Coat the outside of the whole piece with a mixture of beaten eggs and fine bread-crumbs, combined with Parmesan; sprinkle melted butter over it with a brush, and put the case into a sufficiently hot oven to allow of a crust forming round it.

Meanwhile chop up the meat extracted from the inside of the piece; add thereto a little salted tongue, some braised slices of sweet-bread, and mushrooms; put the whole into a sautépan with an Italian or a half-glaze sauce, according to the requirements, and heat this garnish.

N.B.—This preparation was quite common in old-fashioned cookery, but though it is still served occasionally, it is now looked upon more as a curiosity than anything else. As a curiosity, therefore, I chose to include it among these recipes; but it does not follow from this that I in any way recommend it.