All Aboard, Next Stop... Vlissingen?
By William Brent
Vlissingen is a city in the southwestern Netherlands on what was once the island of Walcheren. Its location is between the Scheldt River and the North Sea. It was chartered in 1315 and by the 1600s it was the main harbor for the Dutch East India Company.
Vlissingen is also the name given to a town in the New World – right here in New York City. The oldest official document mentioning this area is from 1645, and is the town charter granted by Governor Kieft. In case you hadn’t guessed – the English word for Vlissingen is Flushing.
From nearly the beginning, everybody wanted Flushing – the British took it over in 1664; the Dutch got it back in 1673, but gave it back to the Brits a year later – then there was that unpleasantness around 1776, and, well lets just say the British and Dutch were no longer an issue.
Flushing has always been a hub of transportation – in fact, in addition to the Long Island Rail Road, and the various trolley lines; by the end of the Civil War there were no fewer than three separate railroads in the area. One was The Flushing and North Side RR. The F&NRR was incorporated in 1869, but actually formed on Feb. 24, 1864. Back then it was known as the Woodside and Flushing Railroad; a company originally set up to compete with the New York & Flushing RR.
Follow me so far?
The Flushing and North Side RR and the LIRR had one familiar name in common – though it is a name more closely associated with College Point. You see, for a period of time, Conrad Poppenhusen headed both organizations.
In July 1874 the North Side RR became part of the Flushing, North Shore and Central RR. Then two years later all these local rail services became part of the Long Island Rail Road.
As late as 1964 you could board a LIRR train in Jamaica, and have dinner aboard the Tuscarora Club.
Most short lines and commuter rail services would offer some form of club service (sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper and lukewarm soft drinks or coffee). But the Tuscarora Club had as full a kitchen as you could reasonably fit on a parlor car, and managed two full dinner services a week between Jamaica and Montauk.
The Tuscarora Club was an arch-roof diner with an aluminum kitchen and a charcoal stove. Service was offered on Fridays on train No. 26, “The East Ender” and on Sunday evening when it returned to the City. The menu? Well, you were limited to two entrees; Roast Turkey or Roast Beef (naturally with all the trimmings).
For those interested in such things – the LIRR sold this dining car in the early 1970s and it found its way to Georgia as part of a restaurant. The car was finally destroyed in October of 2009 (at the ripe old age of 92).
What might the Roast Beef that was served as you rattled through Queens County have tasted like? Well, this should give you some idea:
Ingredients
3 to 3-1/2 lbs of Boneless Rump Roast at room temperature. Don’t shy away from one with a good deal of fat.
Vegetable oil (canola or olive)
Sliced fresh garlic
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Red wine (don’t go dirt cheap here – if you wouldn’t drink it – don’t cook with it)
Water or beef stock (not broth)
Corn starch or arrow root (or unbleached flour if you really must)
Butter (salted or unsalted – we’re only going to use it if there isn’t enough fat in the drippings)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375.
You can enjoy authentic Long Island Rail Road roast beef at home.
You can place an aluminum tray with some hickory chips or charcoal at the bottom of the oven (expect a bit of smoke, but it’s worth it)
Rub the roast with a bit of oil – then kosher salt.
Cut a few shallow incisions into the roast and then insert a bit of garlic into each cut.
Sprinkle the roast with pepper.
Place the roast on the rack (I like to use a roasting pan with a removable rack) fatty side up so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire roast in its juices.
Place this on the shelf above the charcoal.
Let the roast “brown” at 375 for half an hour, then lower the heat to 225.
Remove the roast when the inside temperature is 135-140 (about 2 1/2 hours).
Let it rest for at least 15 minutes, lightly covered with foil wrap, or you’ll lose all the juices the first time you cut into it.
To prepare the gravy, remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat.
Add a bit of red wine to the drippings to deglaze (loosen) the drippings from the pan. (1/4 cup if you really have to have a measurement – thank you Fanny Farmer).
Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch or arrow root (or even flour) in a little cool water and add to the drip pan.
Stir quickly.
Add a pad or two of butter.
Add beef stock (or water) until you reach the desired consistency and volume.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Welcome aboard!