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Beef Chops or Steaks

chops or steaks. - no. 94.
(from The Cook's Oracle: And Housekeeper's Manual, by William Kitchiner, 1822)

Receipt:

To stew them, see No. 500, ditto with onions, No. 501.​
Those who are nice about steaks, never attempt to have them, except in weather which permits the meat to be hung till it is tender, and give the butcher some days' notice of their wish for them.​
If, friendly reader, you wish to entertain your mouth with a superlative beef-steak, you must have the inside of the sirloin cut into steaks. The next best steaks are those cut from the middle of a rump, that has been killed at least four days in moderate weather, and much longer in cold weather when they can be cut about six inches long, four inches wide, and half an inch thick; do not beat them, which vulgar trick breaks the cells in which the gravy of the meat is contained, and it becomes dry and tasteless.​
N.B. If your butcher sends steaks which are not tender, we do not insist that you should object to let him be beaten.​
Desire the butcher to cut them of even thickness; if he does not, divide the thicker from the thinner pieces, and give them time accordingly.​
Take care to have a very clear, brisk fire; throw a little salt on it; make the gridiron hot, and set it slanting, to prevent the fat from dropping into the fire, and making a smoke. It requires more practice and care than is generally supposed to do steaks to a nicety; and for want of these little attentions, this very common dish, which every body is supposed capable of dressing, seldom comes to table in perfection.​
Ask those you cook for, if they like it under, or thoroughly done; and what accompaniments they like best; it is usual to put a table-spoonful of catchup (No. 439), or a little minced eschalot, or No. 402, into a dish before the fire; while you are broiling, turn the steak, &c. with a pair of steak-tongs, it will be done in about ten or fifteen minutes; rub a bit of butter over it, and send it up garnished with pickles and finely-scraped horse-radish. Nos. 135, 278, 299, 255, 402, 423, 439, and 356, are the sauces usually composed for chops and steaks.​
N.B. Macbeth's receipt for beef-steaks is the best -​
- "when 't is done, 't were well
If 't were done quickly."
 
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Albert. Thanks for sharing your recipe and cooking method for frying the proper outdoor steak. Unfortunately, I am not much of a steak eater: I hate the marble and fat. YUK!!! Just give me a simple grilled hamburger with melted blue cheese crumbles. David.
 
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