To Ragout a Knuckle of Veal is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of the meat from a knuckle of veal that's fried and cooked in stock made from the bone, vegetables and spices which is thickened and flavoured with ketchup, tomato sauce, sherry and lemon juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To Ragout a Knuckle of 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
TO RAGOUT A KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
884. INGREDIENTS.—Knuckle of veal, pepper and salt to taste, flour, 1 onion, 1 head of celery, or a little celery-seed, a faggot of savoury herbs, 2 blades of pounded mace, thickening of butter and flour, a few young carrots, 1 tablespoonful of ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of tomato sauce, 3 tablespoonfuls of sherry, the juice of 1/4 lemon.
Mode.—Cut the meat from a knuckle of veal into neat slices, season with pepper and salt, and dredge them with flour. Fry them in a little butter of a pale brown, and put them into a stewpan with the bone (which should be chopped in several places); add the celery, herbs, mace, and carrots; pour over all about 1 pint of hot water, and let it simmer very gently for 2 hours, over a slow but clear fire. Take out the slices of meat and carrots, strain and thicken the gravy with a little butter rolled in flour; add the remaining ingredients, give one boil, put back the meat and carrots, let these get hot through, and serve. When in season, a few green peas, boiled separately, and added to this dish at the moment of serving, would be found a very agreeable addition.
Time.—2 hours. Average cost, 5d. to 6d. per lb.
Sufficient for 4 or 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 knuckle of veal
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
flour for dusting
butter for frying
1 onion
1 head of celery
1 bunch of savoury herbs, tied together
1/2 tsp ground mace
1 tbsp butter blended to a paste with 1 tbsp plain flour, as a thickener
10 baby carrots
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp tomato sauce
3 tbsp sherry
juice of 1/4 large lemon
Method:
Cut the meat from the knuckle of veal into neat slices. Season these with salt and black pepper to taste then dredge in flour to coat. Melt a little butter in a pan, add the veal slices and fry until golden brown.
Transfer the meat to a large stewpan then add the bone (crack this in several places), onion, celery, herbs, mace and carrots. Pour over about 600ml of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat and carrots and set aside to keep warm then discard the bone. Strain the stock into a clean pan then whisk in the flour and butter thickening, a small piece at a time. Stir in the ketchup, tomato sauce, sherry and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer and add the meat and carrots.
Allow to heat through, turn onto a dish and serve.
