Collops facts for kids

A collop is a thin slice of meat. It can also mean minced (finely chopped) meat. Long ago, in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, "collops" often meant slices of bacon.

There was a special day called Shrove Monday, also known as Collop Monday. This was the last day people traditionally ate meat before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marked the start of Lent, a time when many people would avoid eating meat. A popular breakfast on Collop Monday was bacon collops served with a fried egg.

At a very old school called Christ's Hospital, which started even before Queen Elizabeth I, "collops" on the menu meant stewed minced beef.

Scotch Collops

What are Scotch Collops?

Scotch collops are a traditional dish from Scotland. This meal was even mentioned in the famous novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.

How are Scotch Collops Made?

Scotch collops can be made with thin slices or finely chopped meat. The meat can be beef, lamb, or venison. It is mixed with onion, salt, pepper, and suet (a type of fat).

The dish is then cooked by stewing, baking, or roasting. Sometimes, extra flavors are added depending on the type of meat used. Traditionally, Scotch collops are served with thin toast and mashed potatoes.

Other Collop Recipes

Old English Collops

In the 1700s, a cookbook called The Compleat Housewife had a different recipe for "collops." This recipe used thinly sliced veal. The veal was dipped in a seasoned batter, coated in flour, and then fried in butter. It was served with a thick mushroom and butter gravy, finished with fresh orange juice.

Rolled Veal Collops

In the early 1800s, another cookbook, A New System of Domestic Cookery, described a recipe where long, thin slices of bacon were layered over veal collops. These were then spread with a flavorful forcemeat (a mixture of chopped meat and spices), rolled up, and fried. They were served with a rich brown gravy.

Minced Beef Collops

The famous cook Eliza Acton included several recipes for minced beef collops in her book Modern Cookery for Private Families. The simplest version used very tender minced beef, simmered in its own gravy.

For less tender cuts of meat, like rump steak, the collops were served in a stew. This stew was made with a basic roux (a mix of flour and butter) and herbs, along with flavorings like ketchup or chili vinegar. A fancier version of this dish included cayenne pepper, mace, mushroom ketchup, and port wine. It could be served with gravy and currant jelly.

Eliza Acton also used the term "collops" for "veal cutlets." These were small, round cuts of veal. They could be gently fried in butter and served with a rich sauce called espagnole sauce. Or, for "Scotch collops," they were dipped in egg batter and bread crumbs before frying and then sauced.

Collops on the Titanic

Interestingly, lamb collops were part of the breakfast menu for first-class passengers on the famous ship Titanic.

Etymology

The exact origin of the word "collop" is not fully clear. Some experts think it might be related to the old Swedish word kollops (which is similar to the modern Swedish kalops). Others suggest it might come from a German word, klops.

One idea is that the modern Swedish kalops came from the English collops. And that the English word might have come from an even older Swedish word, colhoppe. This word meant "ember-hops," referring to how thin slices of dried, salted leg of mutton would "dance" on a hot skillet over embers. This word was used in Sweden as early as the 1400s.

See also

In Spanish: Collops para niños