Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen (24 page)

BEEF CAKES

 

A variation on the classic shepherd's pie, the potato-topped beef cakes can be made quickly from leftovers. You could just take the meat and place it between slices of bread, top with pickles and onions, and that would be fine. But with just a little more effort with the knife and frying pan, you have a tasty, fulsome meal, ready in less than 15 minutes. Although it may seem like a lot to mix equal portions of bread and meat, once cooked, a hungry eater really couldn't tell the patty is not entirely beef
.

In a mixing bowl, blend together beef, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, pickle relish, bacon, salt, and pepper. Add enough melted beef drippings or butter to moisten and hold the mixture together. Form into 4 cakes. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat and brown the cakes on one side. Carefully turn and top with mashed potatoes. Lower heat, cover the pan, and cook until browned on other side and the potatoes are warmed through, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes 4 meat cakes, to serve 4

ADAPTED FROM “BEEF CAKES,” MISS ELIZA LESLIE,
MISS LESLIE'S DIRECTIONS FOR COOKERY IN ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES
, 1845.

DECEMBER SAUSAGES

 

Late fall and early winter were typically the time when farmers' hogs that had been roaming free in the woods, or city dwellers' animals that had had the run of the town streets, were herded to the butchery. Some of the meat was smoked, some was pickled in barrels with salt brine, and a bit of it was eaten fresh. This uncured “December sausage” is highly spiced with just black pepper and dry sage. Cook the patties slowly and enjoy the delicious aroma. Prepare them within a day of making the meat, or freeze. The original recipe called for a 50:50 ratio of fat to lean ground
pork. It also called for 2 tablespoons of salt. The adapted quantities provide much of the flavor of the original but are a bit healthier
.

Combine the seasonings and mix thoroughly into the pork. Form into small patties and cook slowly in a skillet, or on a barbecue grill, until browned on both sides and cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, as measured by an instant-read meat thermometer. As they cook, the sausages will release a lot of fat, so if you are cooking on a grill, take care that the dripping fat does not catch fire. You could also stuff this mixture into casings and make link sausage if you prefer.

TIP FOR SUCCESS:
One easy way to mix the spices into the meat is to cover your work surface with foil or plastic wrap. Pat the ground pork out into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle the mixed seasonings evenly over the pork. Slice off 1-inch strips and mix with your hands until the spices are evenly distributed. When all the sections have been mixed, combine them into a single large mixture.

Makes about 2 dozen small patties, to serve 6 to 8

ADAPTED FROM “SAUSAGE,”
PRAIRIE FARMER
, DECEMBER 1859.

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

 

Corning was primarily a meat-preservation technique. Leading Lincoln-era cookbook authors Sarah Rutledge, Mary Randolph, Eliza Leslie, and others present directions for keeping beef by rubbing it well with salt and putting it in a cool place. Some of the recipes call for the addition of saltpeter or molasses. When it was time to cook the meat, the goal was to remove as much of the saltiness as possible by slowly simmering it in a lot of water
.

Remove the beef from the package and rinse well. Do not use the seasoning packet if one is enclosed. Put the beef in a large, heavy stewpot and cover with at least 6 inches of cold water. Cook over medium heat until the liquid just comes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Cook until the meat is fork tender, about 30 to 45 minutes per pound. About a half hour before the beef is finished, cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges around the top of the simmering beef, cover with a lid, and continue simmering until the cabbage is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, let the beef stand in a platter, covered to keep warm, for about 10 minutes. Then slice across the grain into very thin pieces.

Makes 3 to 4 servings per pound of meat

RE-CREATED FROM PERIOD SOURCES.

WHITE FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN

 

Period cookbooks offered recipes for two kinds of chicken fricassee. For the “brown” fricassee version, the cook fries the chicken first and then adds the cream sauce. I think this “white” version, where the chicken is seasoned and simmered in cream or milk, is more like the comforting home cooking Mary knew would tempt Abraham's appetite. Some recipes call for adding a strip of lemon peel or mushrooms to the simmering sauce. This delicious recipe, adapted from the cookbook Mary Lincoln owned, is simply chicken, cream, and a few seasonings
.

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces roughly the same size. Cut each leg joint to separate into thigh and drumstick pieces. Working with the knife close to the ribcage on the first side, cut breast and wing in 1 piece from the ribcage. Slice the breast into 2 pieces, leaving some breast meat attached to the wing end so the portions are of roughly equal size. Repeat with the other side.

Combine the seasonings and sprinkle on the meat. This is a flavorful mix; you may want to use only half, reserving the rest for another time, or to incorporate into the sauce. Place the chicken pieces in a large frying pan with a lid. Pour the cream, milk, or mixture of both over the chicken, lifting the pieces to make sure it flows under the chicken as well.

Cook over medium heat until the liquid begins to bubble, then lower the heat and cover. Simmer until the chicken is fork tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Mash the butter and flour together with a fork and add, bit by bit, to the pan liquids. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until this sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the sauce. Place thinly sliced ham around the edges of the platter, if desired.

Serve with biscuits. The biscuits
here
are particularly delicious.

TIP FOR SUCCESS:
I find using all cream makes for an overly rich sauce. I usually mix a cup of cream with skim milk, but any combination will work.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

ADAPTED FROM “FRICASSEED CHICKENS,” MISS ELIZA LESLIE,
DIRECTIONS FOR COOKERY IN ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES
, 1845.

Piccalilli is a mixture of all kinds of pickles … small cucumbers, button onions, small bunches of cauliflowers, carrots cut in fanciful shape, radishes, bean-pods, Cayenne-pods, ginger, olives, grapes, limes, strips of horse-radish, etc., etc.… It is an excellent accompaniment to many highly-seasoned dishes; if well put up, it will keep for years.

—M
RS
. B
LISS OF
B
OSTON
T
HE
P
RACTICAL
C
OOK
B
OOK
, 1850