Stewed Leg of Mutton
Mutton is a relatively healthy meat that offers a wide range of health benefits. From boosting your immune system and preventing anemia to improving muscle health and promoting restful sleep, mutton is a versatile and nutritious choice. This preparation comes from The Economical Cook Book of 1905; if you’re wondering how to cook mutton, stewing is a good option. This hearty and flavorful preparation features a leg of mutton that has been braised in its own juices, and served with a rich, savory sauce. The addition of salt pork or bacon adds a smoky depth to the flavor, while the carrots, onions, parsley, and thyme provide a balance of sweetness and herbaceous notes. The ketchup also adds a touch of sweetness and tanginess, creating a complex and satisfying mutton preparation. This recipe, like many of its generation, is lacking in measurements. A 4 lb. leg should be suitable for 6 - 8 people.
- Salt pork, or bacon
- 1 leg of mutton
- Veal trimmings
- 3 carrots
- 3 onions
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch thyme
- Salt
- Pepper
- Flour
- ½ cup ketchup
Wash the leg clean, and cover the bottom of a long and narrow stew-pan with slices of salt pork, bacon or fat ham (uncooked). Lay the leg on these, and cover it completely over with slices of the same, which may be skewered to keep them in their place. Have some trimmings of uncooked veal, three carrots, scraped and cut in slices half an inch thick, three onions sliced, a bunch of parsley and the same of thyme (not chopped), and lay these around the leg, season all with pepper and a very little salt, as the bacon will give it a salt taste. Pour cold water sufficient to come to the top of the leg but not over it, and cover very closely and set it in the oven, which should be moderately hot. Remove the cover occasionally and baste the leg, cook slowly for four hours ; take out the leg, lay it on a hot dish, and thicken the gravy with browned flour. Give it a boil up, and add half a teacup of tomato catsup. Give it another boil, pour over the leg, and serve.