The best part for this purpose is the round, which you must desire the
butcher to cut into four pieces. Wash the meat and dry it well in a
cloth. Grind or beat to powder an equal quantity of cloves and mace,
and having mixed them together, rub them well into the beef with your
hand. The spice will be found a great improvement both to the taste
and smell of the meat. Have ready a pickle made precisely as that in
the preceding article. Boil and skim it, and (the meat having been
thoroughly rubbed all over with the spice) pour on the pickle as before
directed. Keep the beef in the pickle at least six weeks, and then
smoke it about three weeks. Corn cobs make a good fire for smoking meat.
Smoked beef is brought on the tea-table either shaved into thin chips
without cooking, or chipped and fried in a skillet with some butter and
beaten egg.
This receipt for dried or smoked beef will answer equally well for
venison ham, which is also used as a relish at the tea-table.
Mutton hams may be prepared in the same way.