Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook (11 page)

pineapple, drained 4 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 onions, sliced thin

1 cup canned tomato sauce

4 gingersnaps, crushed
\Vi
teaspoons salt

Va
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak the prunes overnight in water to cover. (This step may be omitted if the presoaked variety is used.) Drain. Pit very carefully.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the shortening in a skillet. Add the chopped onion and saut6 for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the beef, pineapple, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stuff the prunes with the mixture.

Melt the remaining shortening in a saucepan. Saut6 the sliced onions in it for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce, gingersnaps, salt, pepper, and remaining lemon juice and sugar. Add the prunes carefully, open side up. Cover and cook over low

98

Meats

heat for 25 minutes. Correct seasoning. The sauce should be both sweet and sour.

Serve as an accompaniment to meat or poultry dishes, or as a main course with potatoes.

ROLLED MEAT LOAF

1  cup medium buckwheat groats

(kasha)

2 
cups boiling water

3 tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons shortening 3 pounds ground beef

2 egg yolks

1 onion, grated

V4
cup bread crumbs
Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

Combine the buckwheat groats, boiling water, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the shortening in the top of a double boiler. Place over boiling water and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until the groats are dry.

Mix the beef with the egg yolks, onion, bread crumbs, pepper, and remaining salt. Mix well. Pat the meat into a square 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Place the groats on top and roll up carefully.

Heat the remaining shortening in a baking dish. Place the roll in it carefully.

Bake in a 400
⁰
oven for 45 minutes.

99

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

When I was a young bride and this was the first time my mother-in-law was coming to my house for supper I didn't know how to cook her. How should I make a good impression? First, what I cooked had to be good; second, it shouldn't be extravagant—so what should
I
make? For my mother-in-law supper without soup was no supper, and that remained with My Jake also. If my butcher would give me a bone, I would make barley soup, and if
I
bought a pound of soup meat, I could use it in the soup and then make Meat and Sauerkraut. The menu was:
         
>

Barley Soup Meat and Sauerkraut Apple Compote Tea and Spongecake

After that supper I was her favorite daughter-in-law.

LEFTOVER MEAT AND SAUERKRAUT

2 pounds sauerkraut

3 tablespoons shortening 2 onions, chopped

V*
pound mushrooms, sliced 6 slices cooked beef, veal,

chicken, or turkey 12 ripe olives, sliced 2 dill pickles, sliced

100

Meats

Wash the sauerkraut. Cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain well.

Melt the shortening in a skillet. Saut6 the onions in it for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Place half of the sauerkraut in a greased baking dish. Arrange the meat over it. Spread half of the olives and pickles over it. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut, olives, and pickles.

Bake in a 375
⁰
oven for 20 minutes.

MEAT AND CARROT TZIMMES

3 teaspoons salt

Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 3 pounds beef (brisket or chuck) 2 onions, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups boiling water

4 tablespoons honey 8 carrots, quartered

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

Mix together 2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper. Rub into the beef thoroughly.

Place the meat in a casserole or Dutch oven with the onions. Brown slowly over low heat. Add the flour, mixing well. Add the water, stirring until the boiling point. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Add the honey and mix. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and remaining salt. Cover.

Bake in a 375° oven for
\Vi
hours, or until beef is tender. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes of baking. Correct seasoning.

101

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

RUMANIAN MEAT AND PEPPERS

3 tablespoons shortening 1^2 pounds beef, cubed
\Vi
pounds veal, cubed

4 onions, chopped 2 teaspoons salt

Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper
Vi
cup boiling water 6 green peppers, sliced thin 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Melt the shortening in a heavy saucepan. Add the beef, veal, and onions. Cook over medium heat until browned. Add the salt, pepper, and water. Cover and cook over low heat for
1V2
hours. Add the green peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. Re-cover the saucepan. Bake in a 375
⁰
oven for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes additional.

KOKLETIN

SPICY HAMBURGERS

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

Va
cup cold water

3 tablespoons bread crumbs 2 teaspoons salt

Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons shortening

Mix the beef, onion, garlic, eggs, water, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper together until well blended. Shape into 12 croquettes.

102

Meats

Melt the shortening in a skillet. Fry the croquettes in it for 10 minutes on each side.
(Kokletin
are not eaten rare.) Serve with home-fried potatoes.

MEAT BALLS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

1V2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, grated

2 teaspoons salt

V4
teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cold water !egg

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

4 tablespoons shortening

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Mix the beef, onion, salt, pepper, water, egg, and bread crumbs until smooth. Shape into i-inch balls. Melt 2 tablespoons shortening in a skillet and fry the balls in it to desired degree of rareness.

Melt remaining shortening in a skillet. Saut6 the mushrooms in it for 10 minutes. Beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together and add to the mushrooms, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Add the meat balls. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, but do not allow to boil.

Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve.

103

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

POT ROAST WITH APRICOTS

1 pound dried apricots

2 tablespoons shortening

4 pounds beef (brisket or chuck roast)

3 cups boiling water

1 onion, grated

2 teaspoons salt

^l
A
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 2 teaspoons lemon juice i teaspoon sugar

Soak the apricots overnight in water to cover. Drain.

Melt the shortening in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Brown the meat in it over medium heat; turn meat frequently. Add the boiling water, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, sugar, and apricots. Cover and cook over low heat for 2V2 hours, or until meat is tender. Add a little water if necessary. Correct seasoning.

BEEF AND LENTIL STEW

1 cup lentils

2 tablespoons shortening 2 onions, chopped

2 pounds boneless beef, cubed

2 cups boiling water

2 teaspoons salt

V2
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 1 teaspoon paprika
V4
cup rice

Wash the lentils thoroughly, discarding any imperfect ones. Soak in

104

Meats

water to cover for 2 hours (if the presoaked variety is not used). Drain.

Melt the shortening in a saucepan. Add the onions and beef. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lentils, water, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover and cook over low heat for
1Y2
hours. Add the rice, and a little more water if necessary.

Cook for 20 minutes longer, or until rice and lentils are tender.

MAMALIGA PIE

corn meal and meat pie
             
i cup yellow corn meal

i cup cold water 4 cups boiling water

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons shortening i onion, chopped

i green pepper, chopped l clove garlic, minced i pound chopped beef i egg, beaten
V4
cup bread crumbs
Vi
teaspoon pepper

Mix the corn meal and cold water to a smooth paste. Add to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat the shortening in a skillet. Saut6 the onion, green pepper, and garlic in it for 10 minutes. Add to the beef. Mix well. Add the egg, bread crumbs, pepper, and remaining salt. Mix well.

Spread half the corn meal on the bottom of a 9-inch greased pie plate. Arrange the meat mixture over it and cover with the remaining com meal. Grease a piece of aluminum foil and cover the top of the pie plate with it.

Bake in a 350
⁰
oven for 1 hour. Cut into pie-shaped wedges and serve hot.

105

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

This is a dish that you can't spoil. Some things that you can cook have to be eaten right away, but with this recipe you can cook it forever or until you re ready to eat it. I know that when I am going to have certain individuals for dinner, who will be nameless because they would be insulted, I will not be able to eat on time. 1 don't know the reason, but they scraggle in one at a time and a
7
o'clock supper becomes an 8
p.m.
dinner. Punctuality is not one of their faults. So if you happen to have the same trouble you can be sure that this recipe will serve you very well. Mso, you can eat on time with this dish. Either way, you will find it's a pleasure.

BEEF WITH PRUNES AND SWEET POTATOES

2 teaspoons salt

V2
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds beef (brisket, cross rib, or chuck roast)

1 pound unsweetened prunes, presoaked

3 cups water

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the beef and rub in thoroughly.

106

Meats

Brown the meat on all sides in a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, turning the meat frequently. Add the prunes, water, sweet potatoes, lemon juice, and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat for
1V2
hours additional.

Uncover and place in a 350
⁰
oven for 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender.

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

4 teaspoons salt

1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced Breast of veal, with pocket for

stuffing 4 potatoes, peeled, grated, and