Middle Short Loin Braised a la Messinoise

Select a short loin weighing about thirty pounds; taken from a young and tender beef, and prepare it as follows; remove all the fat surrounding the tenderloin, detach the tenderloin from the chine-bone sufficiently so as to be able to saw off the chine-bone. Cut away the aitch bone from the sirloin. Prick the thick flank with the tip of a small knife; flatten it; remove the skin from the tenderloin, also the large nerve on the sirloin, trim the loin well, leaving the flank wider on the thin side of the tenderloin. Season with salt and pepper, lard the meat with larding pork and seasoned raw ham, roll the flank over the tenderloin, covering the latter with slices of fat an inch or more in thickness; tie it up, making a knot at each turn of the string, which must be about three-quarters of an inch apart. Cover the bottom of a buttered braising pan with cut slices of carrots and onions, lay the loin on top, moisten to a quarter of its height with broth, (No. 194a) and a quarter of a bottleful of Marsala wine, adding a quarter of a pound of sliced mushrooms. Reduce to a glaze, then moisten again to three-quarters of its heighth with the same quantity of broth and Marsala wine as before. Cook slowly for four hours, basting it frequently with its own gravy, and when the meat is cooked, trim and lay it on a long dish, garnishing the sides with small macaroni Milanese timbales (No. 2988), and the ends with small round ravioles (No. 158). Strain the gravy, skim it carefully, reduce to the consistency of a quarter-glaze, then pour over the meat one-third of it, serving the rest at the same time in a sauce-boat.