Old Fashioned Meats

Grammy had a zillion recipes for cooking meat.  Keep in mind when you were a farm wife in the olden days, you didn't waste!  Grammy and gramps were frugal! Everything was used from an animal.  It was common to cook kidneys, brains, sweetbreads, tongue, and heart.  I can remember my mama cooking heart for me when she cooked liver for the rest of the family....I didn't like liver when I was a kid but I do like it now.

I remember the first time I had a sliced tongue sandwich.  It was good.  Not that I want to cook one now but I was a farmer's daughter....we ate everything from the animal just like grammy.

SPICED COW TONGUE

Wash tongue carefully.  Place in kettle with 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cloves, dash of allspice and 1 sliced medium onion.  A couple bay leaves adds to the flavor.  Simmer this slowly for about 3 to 4 1/2 hours.  The skin will begin to curl back when it's done.  Remove the tongue from the cooking liquid and peel off the skin. Put it back in the cooking liquid until the liquid cools so it can absorb the flavor.  Slice and serve.  Good hot or cold and is good with horseradish. 

***************

SWEETBREADS

Cut to separate into pieces.  Use an iron skillet with about 1 inch of fat. Dip sweetbread in egg and cracker crumbs and fry until brown and crisp.  Drain on brown paper sack.

Note:  As a kid, these were a treat at our house.  My mama or my sister used to cook these and we couldn't wait until supper.

**************

BEEF HASH

Can use cold boiled potatoes or cubed raw potatoes.  Use about 2 or 3 cups of cubed potatoes.   If using raw potatoes, cube and boil in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons onions first for about 5 minutes.  Add chopped or shredded leftover beef roast and about 1/2 cup chopped onion and salt and pepper. Cook for at least 20 minutes or until the potatoes begin to get a bit mushy and most of the liquid is gone.  (Can add liquid through cooking so it doesn't stick.)  Serve with chopped raw onion on top.

*************

These are grammy's and mama's simple old time recipes.  Some recipes from long ago can till be used if you have the taste for these type of foods.  Tongue can still be purchased at specialty stores, but I don't think sweetbreads are sold in general grocery stores.  A butchering plant can better inform you regarding sweetbreads.  Beef hash is still on our menu at home.

Grammy and mama's thoughts and recipes will be back another day.  Come back and sit a spell.  Keep the old fashioned way alive.

Grammy and mama said so is protected under copyright laws and cannot be used or reproduced.