HAMBURG STEAK

Take the tough ends of two sirloin steaks and one tablespoonful of kidney suet, run through a food chopper; season with pepper and salt, form into small cakes, dredge lightly with flour, fry quickly, same manner steak is fried, turning frequently.  The kidney fat added prevents the Hamburg steak being dry and tasteless.  “A tender, juicy broiled steak, flaky baked potatoes, a good cup of coffee and sweet, light, home-made bread, a simple salad or fruit, served to a hungry husband would often prevent his looking for an affinity,” said Aunt Sarah to her niece Mary.

MEAT STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

STEW.

5 pounds of a cheap cut of beef. 4 cups of potatoes cut into small pieces. 2/3 cup each of turnips and carrots cut into 1/2-inch cubes. 1/2 an onion chopped. 1/4 cup of flour.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the meat into small pieces, removing the fat.  Fry out the fat and brown the meat in it.  When well browned, cover with boiling water.  Boil for five minutes and then cook in a lower temperature until meat is done.  If tender, this will require about three hours on the stove, or five hours in the fireless cooker.  Add carrots, onions, turnips and pepper and salt during the last hour of cooking, and the potatoes fifteen minutes before serving.  Thicken with the flour diluted with cold water.  Serve with dumplings.  If this dish is made in the tireless cooker the mixture must be reheated when the vegetables are put in.  Such a stew may also be made of mutton.  If veal or pork is used the vegetables may be omitted or simply a little onion used.  Sometimes for variety the browning of the meat is dispensed with.  When white meat, such as chicken, veal or fresh pork is used, the gravy is often made rich with cream or milk thickened with flour.

DUMPLINGS.

2 cups of flour. 4 teaspoons (level) of baking powder. 2/3 cup of milk or a little more if needed. 1/2 teaspoonful of salt. 2 teaspoonfuls of butter.

Mix and sift the dry ingredients.  Work in butter with the tips of the fingers.  Add milk gradually, roll out to thickness of half inch.  Cut with biscuit cutter.  Place in a buttered steamer over a kettle of hot water and cook from 12 to 15 minutes.  If the dumplings are cooked with the stew enough liquid should be removed to allow of their being placed directly upon the meat and vegetables.  Sometimes the dough is baked and served as biscuits, over which the stew is poured.  If the stew is made with chicken or veal it is termed a fricassee.

This recipe tells of such an economical way of extending the meat flavor that I think every young housewife should know it.  Mary copied it from The Farmers’ Bulletin, an article on the “Economical Use of Meat in the Home.”  The dumplings, as she prepared them from this recipe, were regular fluff balls, they were so light and flaky.  I would add, the cook-pot should be closely covered while cooking or steaming these dumplings, and the cover should not be raised for the first ten minutes.