Home › The Principles of Cookery › Veal, Cushion of, Braised, Superior

Veal, Cushion of, Braised, Superior

The cushion of veal, or the noix, as it is called in French cookery-books, is simply that part of the leg which is covered by the udder. It should be separated from the under part of the fillet with a sharp knife, and the udder should be left whole, closely adhering to the cushion in its original position. The sinewy parts may be cut away. Take the cushion thus prepared, and lard the fleshy portion evenly and neatly with strips of fat bacon. Butter a braising-pan, and cover the bottom with a layer of sliced vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, and herbs), put in the larded veal and any bones and trimmings of meat that may be at hand, pour in as much stock as will just reach the surface of the veal, and braise it very gently over a slow fire. Butter a round of paper to fit the stewpan, lay this over the meat, put the lid over all. Every now and then the paper must be lifted and the meat basted with the gravy. Stew very gently indeed till the veal is tender. Remove the lid and the paper, and put the stewpan into the oven to brown the veal. Still baste it occasionally. The gravy should now be considerably reduced, and very thick. If it is, put the meat on a dish, and strain the gravy over it. If it is not, boil it quickly in a sauce-pan with the lid off until it becomes so. The fat must, of course, be removed from it. Garnish the dish with a mixture of dressed vegetables, and send sorrel to table with it. The sorrel may be prepared as follows. Wash and pick the stalks from three pounds of fresh sorrel. Boil for fifteen minutes in a quart of water salted, then drain, and chop small. When sorrel is not obtainable spinach will do. Melt an ounce and a half of butter, mix with it one ounce of flour. When smooth add a gill of broth and the sorrel. Stir over the fire for a few minutes, add another gill of broth, and stir again for twenty minutes. Mix three eggs with half a gill of milk, pour this into the sorrel, and stir over the fire for five minutes. If liked, the veal can be laid upon the sorrel in the dish. Time to braise the veal, about three hours. Probable cost, 1s. per pound.