Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [3]
English: Bones bring meat to town.
He who eats the meat let him eat the bones.
You buy the land you buy the stones: you buy the meat you buy the bones.
Ask your butcher for racks of beef rib bones left from cutting boneless steaks. With just enough meat clinging to the bones, they are tender enough to be grilled or roasted, whole or individually, without any preliminary cooking.
The beef loin is always cut into steaks, with or without bones: loin, tenderloin, sirloin T-bone, and porterhouse. For the bone lover, the choice, closest to the ribs, is the short or top loin steak. Next, where the tenderloin appears on one side of the bone, are the T-bone and porterhouse steaks. The first cut is the T-bone with its piece of loin on one side of the bone and a small piece of tenderloin on the other. As the butcher cuts toward the back end of the animal, the size of the tenderloin increases, yielding porterhouse steaks. When thickly cut these big steaks can serve two or three people.
Short ribs may be cut from the ends of the rib roast through to where the ribs form the animal’s chest. These ribs have a good covering of fat and are best braised.
Veal can also yield an eight-rib roast, smaller than one from beef, of course. The meat-to-bone ratio is lower, and the bones are usually frenched (see page 108) for presentation. As with beef, the roast can be cut into thick individual rib chops.
The veal loin is sold either whole as a roast or cut into chops that resemble small T-bone steaks. Both rib and loin chops are lean, so it’s best to have them cut 1½ to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) thick. Grill or panfry them, and take care not to overcook them, serving them medium-rare or medium.
The veal breast, layered with bones and fat, is cut from where the ribs form the chest. Whether sold as one piece or cut into individual ribs, veal breast should be braised.
The Back End
In butchering the back section, the tail and shank of beef and veal are removed (see “The Extremities”), leaving the leg. The large beef leg is in turn cut into sections, the rump, round, and tip. These pieces yield steaks and roasts that are usually boneless. The bone lover should look for bone-in round steaks, which are excellent when braised.
While smaller than that of beef, a veal leg is also large and is cut into bonein roasts and steaks. These cuts are lean, though, so braising is the best way to keep them juicy.
The Extremities
The shanks come from both the back and front legs, with the back ones being larger. Both beef and veal shanks (osso buco) can be bought whole or cut crosswise into thick pieces. With the marrow-filled leg bone these cuts are ideal for slow-cooking. Marrow bones, free of meat, are also sold separately. Ask that the bones be cut from the center section of the leg and sawed into 3- to 4-inch (7.5- to 10-cm) lengths so that you can get at the marrow. At the ends of the bone, there is less marrow proportionately; these bones should be reserved for the stockpot.
Despite the name, today oxtail comes from cows, not just oxen or castrated beef. An oxtail can be bought as one piece or sliced into thick pieces, which become progressively smaller as the tail tapers toward its end. The smallest pieces have more bone than meat and are more useful for stock. Larger pieces are best braised. I have asked my butcher for veal tails, but it appears they do not leave the abattoir.
If you are lucky enough to be able to get a calf’s foot, you’ll want to add it to your stockpot. Ask your butcher to split it in two and then cut it into smaller pieces. A very rich source of gelatin, one calf’s foot is enough to set 2 cups (500 ml) of liquid.
“Have you got nothing else for my breakfast, Pritchard?” said Fred to the servant who brought in coffee and buttered toast; while he