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Braised Fillet of Beef
Take a fillet and roll it together, so as to bring the fat into the centre. Place a few slices of ham and a little gravy into a braising or stewpan, on which place the meat; cover it with chopped carrots, celery, small onions, a pickled chili, a gherkin sliced, sweet herbs, mace, a little allspice, and salt. Simmer until the meat is tender. Brown it before the fire, or with a frying-pan; skim and season the sauce, and serve with vegetables and sauce on the same dish.
A pot-roast in the French manner: a rolled cut set on a bed of aromatics with very little liquid, finished with a hard browning so it comes to table looking roasted. The original assumes you know how much liquid a braise wants, which is the one thing worth pinning down.
- Liquid, not stew"A little gravy" means a shallow layer of brown stock in the bottom of the pan, not enough to cover. The vegetables piled on top release more as they collapse. A braising pan implies a close-fitting lid; the meat should steam as much as it simmers.
- Which filletIn books of this vintage "fillet of beef" usually means the tenderloin, though the instruction to roll the fat into the centre suggests a flatter cut that can be rolled and tied. Fillet was indeed braised in period kitchens; if you want a more forgiving long cook, a 3-4 lb boned and rolled chuck, brisket or top round, tied at intervals, with a layer of its own fat rolled to the inside as directed, is easier to manage.
- TimingExpect 2.5 to 3 hours at a bare simmer for a 3-4 lb rolled cut. The recipe is a stovetop simmer; if you prefer, a low oven around 300F holds the temperature more evenly. "Tender" means a skewer slides in with no resistance.
- The hamSlices of raw or lightly cured ham line the pan to keep the beef off the metal and add gelatin and salt. Pancetta, prosciutto ends or a thick slice of unsmoked bacon all serve. Because of this, and the added salt, season the sauce only at the end.
- Spices and picklesWhole spices stand up to a long simmer better than ground, though the recipe does not specify: about a blade of mace and 4 or 5 allspice berries for this quantity. One small pickled chili and one gherkin is all the recipe calls for; they are there to sharpen the sauce, not to make it hot or sour.
- Browning at the finish"Before the fire" means an open hearth. Lift the drained joint onto a rack under a hot broiler and turn it until the outside is coloured, or dry it well and sear it in a hot dry pan. Do this after braising, not before, and do it quickly so the meat does not dry out.
- Finishing the sauceRest the braising liquid a few minutes and skim the fat from the surface, then reduce it if it tastes thin. The vegetables can be lifted out whole and arranged round the meat as the recipe intends, or the whole lot pressed through a sieve for a thicker sauce.
- YieldA 3-4 lb rolled cut with its vegetables serves six to eight, and slices well cold the next day.