Take four pounds of clear beef, from either the shoulder or rump, and
pickle it for two days in one-half gallon of claret and one-half gallon
of good wine vinegar (not cider). To the pickle add two large onions cut
in quarters, two fresh carrots and about one ounce of mixed whole
allspice, black peppers, cloves and bay leaves.
When ready for cooking take the meat out of the brine and put in a
roasting pan. Put in the oven and brown to a golden color. Then take it
out of the roasting pan and put it into a casserole, after sprinkling it
with two ounces of flour. Put into the oven again and cook for half an
hour, basting frequently with the original brine.
When done take the meat out of the sauce. Strain the sauce through a
fine collander and add a few raisins, a piece of honey cake, or ginger
snaps and the meat of one fresh tomato. Season with salt and pepper and
a little sugar to taste. Slice and serve with the sauce over it.
For those who like German dishes and German cooking it is not necessary
to confine yourself to the Heidelberg Inn, for both the Hof Brau, in
Market just above Fourth street, and the German House Rathskeller, at
Turk and Polk streets are good places where you can get what you want.
The Hof Brau, however, is less distinctively German as the greater
number of its patrons are Americans. The specialty of the Hof Brau is
abalone's, and they have as a feature this shell fish cooked in several
ways. They also have as the chef in charge of the abalone dishes,
Herbert, formerly chef for one of the yacht clubs of the coast, who
claims to have the only proper recipe for making abalone's tender. Under
ordinary circumstances the abalone is tough and unpalatable, but after
the deft manipulation of Herbert they are tender and make a fine dish,
either fried, as chowder or a la Newberg. In addition to abalone's the
Hof Brau makes a specialty of little Oregon crawfish. While there is a
distinctive German atmosphere at the Rathskeller of the German House,
the place is too far out to gather such numbers as congregate at either
the Heidelberg or the Hof Brau, but one can get the best of German
cooking here and splendid service, and for a quiet little "Dutch supper"
we know of no place that will accommodate you better than the
Rathskeller.
On special occasions, when some German society or club is giving a dance
or holding a meeting at the German House, the Rathskeller is the most
typical German place in San Francisco, and if you go at such a time you
will get all the "atmosphere" you will desire, as well as the best the
market affords in the way of good viands.