Old-Time Tenderizing

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Let the stoics say what they please, we do not eat for the good of living, but because the meat is savory and the appetite is keen.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, however, home cooks were apparently being taught how to prepare savory meat dishes for good living.

In the May 9, 1915, issue of the Los Angeles Sunday Times, Marion Harland provided recipes for savory beef stew and beefsteak pie, both using wholesome, inexpensive cuts of meat. “Often the cheaper cuts contain more nourishment and are of more food value than the expensive portions,” she wrote.

Long, slow cooking is necessary, though, to make these cheaper meats tender and digestible. Cuts of this kind are generally hard-working parts of the animal. In “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book” (1896), Fannie Farmer explained that though such meat is tough, with “long and coarse” muscle fibers, it also is juicy--”on account of the greater motion of that part of the creature, which causes the juices to flow freely.”

Take one bite of this stew and you’ll see what Farmer and Harland mean. Not only does long, slow cooking bring out the juices, but the blend of seasonings creates a remarkable flavor.

Harland advised readers not to serve the stew “dumped carelessly” in a dish. Rather, garnish with a border of potato or rice or add a trimming of watercress or parsley.

But for the beefsteak pie, you won’t need any decorative extras. The dish stands on its own with its beautiful rustic golden crust. Dig in and you’ll find the tender beef and kidneys swimming in gravy. To create a one-dish meal, add baby carrots, peas or other vegetables to the pie before sealing it. Savory indeed.

SAVORY BEEF STEW

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck

2 to 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cold water

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced parsley

2 teaspoons minced thyme

2 teaspoons minced marjoram

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Salt, pepper

1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Cut beef into 1-inch pieces. Put in saucepan with 2 to 2 1/2 cups cold water, cover and simmer gently until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add onion, parsley, thyme, marjoram, allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Cover again and stew 1/2 hour more.

Mix flour, remaining 2 tablespoons cold water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir into stew and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

2 servings. Each serving:

380 calories; 399 mg sodium; 153 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 55 grams protein; 0.36 gram fiber.

BEEFSTEAK PIE

The recipe was published in The Times without a crust recipe. The crust recipe here is from the 1896 version of Fannie Farmer’s “Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.”

FILLING

2 pounds boneless beef chuck

Water

1 1/4 pounds beef kidney

1 onion

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper

CRUST

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup water

FILLING

Cut chuck into neat 1- to 2-inch squares and lay in saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and cook slowly over low heat until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Cut up kidneys, scald under hot water 1 minute and cook in simmering water to cover until tender, 15 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl. Set aside 3/4 cup stewing liquid in separate bowl. Let kidneys cool. Skim fat off top of stewing liquid.

Puree onion and strain to make 1/4 cup juice. Set aside.

Cook butter and flour together until mixture bubbles. Combine with kidney stewing liquid to form gravy, whisking until smooth and thick. Season with onion juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange beef squares and kidneys in deep-sided 1 1/2-quart baking dish and pour gravy over top.

CRUST

Mix flour, baking powder and salt, then sift twice. Work in butter and shortening with fingertips until dough reaches coarse consistency with small lumps.

Mix milk with water and, using fork, mix into flour gradually.

Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness on floured board. Use to seal top of baking dish, tucking dough down between sides of meat and inside of dish. Cut 4 (2-inch) slits in crust to allow heat to escape during cooking and bake at 350 degrees until top crust is a golden brown, about 45 minutes.

4 servings. Each serving:

679 calories; 1,694 mg sodium; 426 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 62 grams protein; 0.35 gram fiber.