Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions

MUTTON CHOPS AND RUMP STEAKS. Though almost anybody can boast of being able to cook a plain steak or a chop, very few can say they can do them to perfection. First of all, to obtain this important point, either the mutton or beef ought to be kept till properly set, according to season; secondly, the chop especially is more preferable when cut and beat, some time before cooking, so as to set the meat and prevent its shrinking; it at all times requires a sharp fire (the broiling City fires may be taken as an example, and the continual red heat of the gridiron); lay your gridiron over a sharp fire, two minutes after lay on your chop or steak, turn three or four times; when half done, season highly with salt and pepper, and when done, serve _immediately_, on a very hot dish. Ten minutes will do a steak of 1½lb., and about six minutes a chop. NO. 2.--RUMPSTEAK AND POTATOES. Of all steaks, rumpsteaks are far more preferable than any other, not excepting the fillet of beef, as the meat in England is so rich, while in France they eat only the fillet of beef--that being the only eatable steak of a French ox. Have your steak cut as even as possible, nearly an inch thick, and weighing from about 1½lbs. to 2lbs.; broil it sharply as described above, season when properly done, lay it on a very hot dish, put on 2oz. or more of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 2), turn it three or four times on the dish quickly, when a most delicious gravy will be formed, then place about a pound of fried potatoes round it, and serve. For smaller steaks, for cooking be guided by size. _Ditto with Anchovy Butter_, of which use 2oz. in lieu of the maître d’hôtel butter, and omit the potatoes. _Same with Pimento Butter._ _Same with Shalot Butter_, well rubbing the dish prior to putting the steak on it. NO. 3.--MUTTON AND LAMB CUTLETS A LA BOUCHERE. The word à la bouchere, in English, means the butcher’s wife’s