Tricks of my Trade

Côtelettes de Pore Charcutière (Pork Chops Delicatessen Style)

Prepare and cook pork chops as described in côtelettes de pore sautées, Remove the chops to a serving dish and melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion and cook until the onion is golden. Add 3 ounces white wine and 1 tablespoon vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced to three-fourths. Add I cup brown sauce (see April, 1952) and 3 tablespoons tomato sauce or puree and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, 3 slices of sour pickles, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley and correct the seasoning with salt. Return the chops to the pan and cook until the sauce almost reaches the boiling point. Do not let the sauce boil after the mustard and pickles have been added. Remove the chops to the serving dish and pour the sauce over them. Serves 4.

Escalopes de Veau Sautées (Veal Sautéed in Butter)

Cut 1 ¼ pounds leg of veal into ½-inch-thick slices and flatten each slice with a wooden mallet. Season the meat with salt and pepper and rub it lightly with flour. In a large frying pan melt 4 tablespoons butter and saute the veal in it for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until it is golden brown on both sides. Transfer the meat to a serving platter and pour the butter over the meat. Add ½ cup stock or water to the pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring in all the brown crustiness in the pan. Pour the gravy over the meat and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Escalopes de Veau Sautées Chasseur (Sautéed Veal Hunter Style)

Prepare and cook veal as for escalopes sautées. Remove the meat to a serving dish and add to the butter in the pan ½ pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced. Cook gently until the mushrooms are soft. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion and ¼ cup white wine and cook until the liquid is reduced to half. Add 3 tablespoons tomato sauce, and 3 tablespoons gravy or beef extract or brown sauce (see April, 1952) and cook for a few minutes longer. Add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and a little chopped tarragon and pour the sautéed vegetables over the meat. Serves 4.

Escalopes de Veau Panées (Breaded Veal Cutlets)

Cut 1 ¼ pounds veal into ½-inch thick slices and flatten each slice with a wooden mallet. Rub the pieces with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, dip them into 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon salad oil. and ½ teaspoon salt, then dip in fine dry bread crumbs to cover the entire surface.

In a frying pan sauté the veal slices in 3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Arrange the veal on a serving dish and pour the butter from the pan over it. Serve with slices of lemon. Serves 4.

Petites Escalopes de Veau

Cut 1 pound veal into thin slices and pound each slice with a wooden mallet until it is paper thin. Season the slices with salt and pepper and rub them with flour. In a frying pan sauté the meat in 3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter until it is golden brown on both sides. If the slices are thin enough, they will be done as soon as they are brown. Remove the meat to a serving dish and add to the pan a few tablespoons sherry, Madeira, or Marsala, and a little leftover meat gravy or water. Cook for a few minutes, stirring in all the brown crustiness in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon butter, swirling it in by moving the pan around in a circular motion, and pour the wine sauce over the meat. Other sauces such as chasseur, portugaise, mushroom, may be served with the veal. In all cases, the sauce should be made in the pan after the veal has been removed. Serves 4.

Côtes de Veau à l'Estragon (Veal Chops with Tarragon)

Season 4 veal chops. 1 inch thick, with salt and pepper and rub them with flour. Saute the chops slowly in 3 tablespoons melted butter for about 12 to 15 minutes on each side and arrange them on a serving platter.

Parboil 24 of the choicest leaves from 4 sprigs of tarragon in a little boiling salted water for 1 minute, drain them, and plunge them into cold water. Chop the remaining tarragon sprigs and add them to the pan in which the chops have been cooked with a scant ¼ cup while wine and cook for a few minutes, stirring in all the brown crustiness from the sides of the pan. Add ½ cup veal gravy or stock and 1 tablespoon beef extract and bring the sauce to a boil. Decorate the veal chops with the parboiled tarragon leaves and strain the gravy over them. Serves 4.

Côtes de Veau à la Grand'mère (Grandmother's Veal Chops)

Season 4 veal chops, 1 inch thick, with salt and pepper and rub them with flour. In a frying pan melt 3 tablespoons butter, add ¼ pound fat salt pork or bacon, diced, parboiled for 5 minutes, and drained, and cook until the dice are golden brown. Set the dice aside. Arrange the chops in the pan with 12 small onions and sauté them over gentle heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 large potatoes. diced, and continue to cook for about 25 minutes, turning the chops when brown on one side and moving the onions around to brown them evenly. Remove the chops and vegetables, add ½ cup Stock or water to the pan, and cook for a few minutes, stirring in all the brown crustiness to make the gravy. Return the chops, vegetables, and pork dice to the pan and cook about 5 minutes longer to reheat them. Sautéed mushrooms may be added, if desired, Serves 4.