Economical Minced Veal is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of the remains of a fillet of veal that's sliced, floured, and cooked with water and vegetables in a pan where the veal is minced and the stock is thickened to a sauce in which the veal is served. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Economical Minced Veal.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
MINCED VEAL.
(More Economical.)
890. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast fillet or loin of veal, rather more than 1 pint of water, 1 onion, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, salt and white pepper to taste, 1 blade of pounded mace, 2 or 3 young carrots, a faggot of sweet herbs, thickening of butter and flour, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream or milk.
Mode.—Take about 1 lb. of veal, and should there be any bones, dredge them with flour, and put them into a stewpan with the brown outside, and a few meat trimmings; add rather more than a pint of water, the onion cut in slices, lemon-peel, seasoning, mace, carrots, and herbs; simmer these well for rather more than 1 hour, and strain the liquor. Rub a little flour into some butter; add this to the gravy, set it on the fire, and, when it boils, skim well. Mince the veal finely by cutting, and not chopping it; put it in the gravy; let it get warmed through gradually; add the lemon-juice and cream, and, when it is on the point of boiling, serve. Garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread and slices of bacon rolled and toasted. Forcemeat balls may also be added. If more lemon-peel is liked than is stated above, put a little very finely minced to the veal, after it is warmed in the gravy.
Time.—1 hour to make the gravy.
Average cost, exclusive of the cold meat, 6d.
Seasonable from March to October.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
remains of a roast fillet of veal
flour for dusting
600ml water
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
salt and freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp ground mace
3 young carrots
1 bunch of sweet herbs, tied together
1 tbsp butter mixed to a paste with 1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp cream
Method:
Strip off about 500g veal from the roast remains. Dust with flour and set in a pan. Pour over the water then add the onion slices, lemon zest, seasonings, mace, carrots and the herbs. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for about 70 minutes.
Take off the heat and strain the liquid from the pan into a fresh saucepan. Bring to a simmer then whisk in the flour and butter mix. Bring back to a simmer and cook until thickened. Bring to a boil and skim the surface.
In the meantime, take the pieces of veal and mince very finely by slicing (do not chop). Add this to the gravy you made above and allow the meat to warm through.
Take off the heat and mix in the lemon juice and cream. Place back on the heat and allow to warm through (but do not boil). Turn into a serving dish, garnish with sippets of toasted bread and toasted rolls of bacon then serve.
