153. Ox Tails

Have them properly jointed by the butcher; it saves time, and experience enables the butcher to do the task more neatly than the cook. They should be separated at each joint, until the end of the tail is approached, and then two or three joints may be the length allowed. Three or four tails may be cooked; that, however, must be regulated according to the quantity required. We give the proportions for three tails. Cover them with water after laying them in the saucepan, clear the scum as it rises, and when it boils put in a little salt, half a tea-spoonful of white pepper, and half that quantity of cayenne, eight or ten cloves stuck in two small onions, two large or four small carrots, and a good sized bunch of parsley. Let it boil very gently, until the meat is tender, they will take three hours; strain the gravy from the meat, thicken it, and serve up with the tails in a tureen. When the gravy has been thickened, the vegetables may be returned to it or not, according to taste, and it may be sent to table poured over the tails, or in a separate tureen.

Ox-tails are broiled, but as in any mode of dressing them they require much cooking, they must first be stewed. They are not divided in this mode of dressing, but boiled for a quarter of an hour whole, stewed in sufficient gravy to cover them until tender, then coated with yolk of egg, or fresh butter powdered with bread crumbs, and broiled upon a gridiron, served immediately they are browned.

154. Haricot Of Ox Tails

Joint the tails and choose those of a size; in the country you must use the large end and smaller in the dish. Blanch them for a few minutes, take them up, return them in a clean stewpan, cover them with second stock, add a small faggot of sweet herbs, and a slice of lean ham, a blade of mace, four cloves; when tender take them up and thicken the liquor, put a little brown sauce to it, have ready cut in a shape carrots, turnips, twelve button onions, the middle of a head of celery cut one inch long, a green gherkin or cucumber, cut as for cutlet sauce six mushrooms; after you have prepared the vegetables add them to your sauce which you have previously passed through a tammy; boil all for ten minutes, season with sugar, and salt, and pepper; glaze the tails.