The Art of Jewish Cooking (8 page)

Read The Art of Jewish Cooking Online

Authors: Jennie Grossinger

Tags: #Cooking, #Regional & Ethnic, #Jewish & Kosher, #Holiday, #General

BOOK: The Art of Jewish Cooking
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Sweet-and-Sour Meat Balls

1½ pounds ground beef

4 tablespoons grated onion

1 egg

2 teaspoons salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons fat

1½ cups beef stock

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, thinly sliced

¼ cup seedless raisins

3 tablespoons sugar

6 gingersnaps, crushed

Mix the meat, onion, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Form mixture into 1-inch balls; lightly roll them in the cornstarch.

Melt the fat in a deep skillet. Brown the meat balls in it. Add the stock, lemon juice, lemon, raisins and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat 35 minutes. Stir in the gingersnaps and cook additional 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Stuffed Cabbage

Large head cabbage

2 tablespoons fat

2 onions, sliced

3 cups canned tomatoes

3 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Beef bones

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons uncooked rice

4 tablespoons grated onion

1 egg

3 tablespoons cold water

3 tablespoons honey

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup seedless raisins

Pour boiling water over the cabbage to cover and let soak for 15 minutes. Remove 12 leaves carefully; if leaves are small, use 18.

Heat the fat in a deep, heavy saucepan. Lightly brown the onions in it. Add the tomatoes, half of the salt and pepper and all the bones. Cook over low heat 30 minutes.

Mix together the beef, rice, grated onion, egg and water.

Place some of the meat mixture on each cabbage leaf. Tuck in the sides and roll up carefully. Add to the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat 1½ hours. Add the honey, lemon juice and raisins. Cook 30 minutes longer.

Serves 6 as a main course, 12 as a first course.

Stuffed Peppers

Substitute 12 peppers for the cabbage. Cut a 1-inch piece from the stem end and reserve. Scoop out the seeds and fibers carefully. Make the sauce as directed in the Stuffed Cabbage recipe. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture, top with stem ends and proceed as directed.

Serves 6 as a main course, 12 as a first course.

Stuffed Breast of Veal

5 pounds breast of veal

2½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons fat

Have the butcher make a pocket in the veal. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Fill the
pocket with one of the following stuffings and fasten the opening with skewers or thread.

Melt the fat in a roasting pan and place the veal in it. Roast in a 325° oven 3 hours or until meat is tender. Baste frequently and add a little water if pan becomes dry. Serves 6–8.

POTATO STUFFING
:

2 cups grated potato, drained

½ cup minced onion

4 tablespoons potato flour

1 egg

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix all the ingredients and stuff the veal.

BREAD STUFFING
:

1 onion, minced

1 green pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, sliced

3 tablespoons fat

6 slices bread

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

⅛ teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 egg

Cook the onion, green pepper and celery in the fat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soak the bread in water; squeeze dry and pull into small pieces. Add to the vegetables with the salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and egg. Mix well and stuff the veal.

Veal Burgers

¾ cup minced onions

6 tablespoons fat

4 slices white bread

1½ pounds ground veal

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

3 eggs, beaten

¾ cup matzo or cracker meal

Brown the onions in half the fat. Wet the bread and mash until smooth. Mix the browned onions, bread, veal, salt, pepper and 2 eggs. Shape into hamburgers. Dip in the remaining beaten egg and then in the meal.

Heat the remaining fat in a skillet. Cook over low heat until browned on both sides. Serves 6.

Veal Goulash

2 pounds veal

2 onions, diced

3 tablespoons fat

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

2 green peppers, sliced

¾ cup canned tomato sauce

Cut the veal in 1½-inch cubes. Brown the veal and onions in the fat. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, green peppers and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour or until veal is tender. Serve with noodles or dumplings. Serves 4–6.

Baked Veal Chops

1 cup matzo or cracker meal

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

4 veal chops

4 tablespoons fat

2 onions, thinly sliced

Mix the meal, 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper together. Beat the eggs and remaining salt. Dip the chops in the meal, the eggs and then the meal again.

Heat the fat in a baking pan. Arrange the chops in it and surround with the sliced onions. Bake in a 350° oven 45 minutes, turning the chops to brown evenly. Serves 4.

Gedempte Veal

3 pounds veal

4 onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons fat

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

¾ cup water

Cut the veal in 1-inch cubes. Brown the veal and onions in the fat. Add the salt, pepper, paprika and water. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour or until the veal is tender. Stir frequently. Serve with boiled potatoes or farfel. Serves 6–8.

Lamb Stew

3 pounds boneless lamb

¼ cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons fat

1 cup diced onions

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 cup boiling water

1 bay leaf

1 cup sliced green peppers

3 potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 package frozen mixed vegetables

Cut the lamb into 2-inch cubes. Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Lightly roll the lamb in this mixture, then brown in the fat with the onions. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaf and green peppers. Cover and cook over low heat 1½ hours. Add the potatoes and vegetables. Cook 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serves 6–8.

Pickled Tongue or Corned Beef

6 pounds brisket or fresh tongue

1¼ cups salt

2 tablespoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon saltpeter

1 teaspoon sugar

12 cloves garlic

1 quart water

Place the meat in a large stone crock. Mix the salt, pickling spice, saltpeter, sugar and garlic with 1 quart water and pour over the meat. Add enough water to completely cover the meat. Use a heavy bowl or board to weight the meat down. Cover the crock with cheese-cloth, tie it in place, then cover the cheesecloth with aluminum foil.

Let stand in a cool place for 8 days, then store in refrigerator for 6 days.

To serve, cook in boiling water for 3 hours or until tender. Serves 8–10.

Corned Beef

1½ cups salt

4 quarts water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons pickling spice

½ ounce saltpeter

8 bay leaves

5 pounds first cut brisket of beef

8 cloves garlic

2 onions

2 stalks celery

Combine the salt, water, sugar, pickling spice, saltpeter and bay leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Cool. Place the beef in a stone crock or bowl (not metal). Pour the cool liquid over it and add the garlic. Weight the meat down to keep it covered by the liquid. Cover with a piece of muslin and tie. Let pickle for 12 days in cool place, preferably a refrigerator.

TO COOK
:

Rinse the meat, add the onions and celery, cover with water. Bring to boil and cook on low heat for 3 hours or
until tender. Drain and slice crosswise. Cabbage and potatoes can be cooked in the stock and served with the corned beef. If you use the entire five pounds, it will serve 12–14.

Some people think cold corned beef is even better than hot, and others think it’s best of all in a sandwich, made, of course, with tangy rye bread,
*
hot English-style mustard, and a pickle or some cold sauerkraut on the side. Another favorite sandwich is pastrami, but for this you’d better get your pastrami at your favorite delicatessen, since it’s too difficult to prepare at home.

Boiled Pickled Tongue

4–5-pound pickled tongue

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

Wash the tongue. Combine with onion, garlic and bay leaves in a deep kettle. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat 3½ hours or until tender. Add boiling water as it cooks out.

Let the tongue cool in the stock, then remove the root and skin. Reserve 2 cups stock if you want to make a sauce. Remove bay leaves. Slice the tongue and serve plain or with a sauce. Serves 6–8.

Roast Tongue

4–5-pound fresh tongue

3 onions, sliced

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1 cup canned tomato sauce

2 tomatoes, diced

2 cups boiling water

Plunge the tongue into boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Drain and remove the skin and root.

Place the tongue in a roasting pan with the onions around it. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the bay leaf, tomato sauce, tomatoes and water. Cover the pan and roast in a 325° oven 3 hours or until the tongue is tender. Baste frequently and remove the cover for the last 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serves 6–8.

Tongue with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

2 tablespoons fat

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups tongue stock (
this page
)

⅓ cup vinegar

⅓ cup honey

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

¼ cup seedless raisins

¼ cup sliced blanched almonds

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Cooked tongue

Melt the fat in a saucepan and lightly brown the onion. Sprinkle the flour on the browned onion; gradually add the stock, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Stir in the vinegar, honey, salt, ginger and raisins. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Add the almonds and lemon. Cook 2 minutes.

Slice the tongue and serve with the sauce. Serves 6.

Sweet-and-Sour Calf’s Liver with Spaetzel

2 onions, sliced

3 tablespoons fat

1 pound calf’s liver, diced

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons flour

1½ cups boiling water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons sugar

Lightly brown the onions in the fat. Add the liver and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika and flour. Add the water, lemon juice and sugar, stirring constantly until mixture reaches the boiling point. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Taste to correct seasoning and serve with spaetzel (
this page
). Serves 4.

Calf’s Liver with Onion Sauce

1 pound calf’s liver

½ cup flour

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons chicken fat

3 cups sliced onions

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup beef broth

Have the liver sliced into 4 thin slices. Dip in the flour mixed with the salt and pepper.

Heat the fat in a skillet and brown the liver on both sides. Remove liver. Brown the onions in the fat remaining in the pan. Mix the cornstarch and broth together and add to the onions, stirring constantly until mixture reaches the boiling point. Scrape the bottom of skillet and cook additional 2 minutes. Pour over the liver. Serves 4.

Sunday Sweetbreads

4 pairs calf’s sweetbreads

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 cups water

3 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons chicken fat

1 cup diced onions

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons potato flour

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons minced parsley

Wash the sweetbreads and soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain.

Combine the sweetbreads, vinegar, 3 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat 20 minutes. Remove sweetbreads and plunge into ice water for 20 minutes. Measure 2 cups of the stock and reserve. Remove the membrane and dice the sweetbreads.

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