_Ingredients._—6 or 7 lbs. of the thick flank of beef, a few slices of
fat bacon, 1 teacupful of vinegar, black pepper, allspice, 2 cloves
well mixed and finely pounded, making altogether 1 heaped teaspoonful;
salt to taste, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, all finely
minced and well mixed; 3 onions, 2 large carrots, 1 turnip, 1 head
of celery, 1½ pint of water, 1 glass of port wine. _Mode._—Slice
and fry the onions of a pale brown, and cut up the other vegetables
in small pieces, and prepare the beef for stewing in the following
manner:—Choose a fine piece of beef, cut the bacon into long slices,
about an inch in thickness, dip them into vinegar, and then into a
little of the above seasoning of spice, &c., mixed with the same
quantity of minced herbs. With a sharp knife make holes deep enough
to let in the bacon; then rub the beef over with the remainder of the
seasoning and herbs, and bind it up in a nice shape with tape. Have
ready a well-tinned stewpan (it should not be much larger than the
piece of meat you are cooking), into which put the beef, with the
vegetables, vinegar, and water. Let it simmer _very gently_ for 5
hours, or rather longer, should the meat not be extremely tender, and
turn it once or twice. When ready to serve, take out the beef, remove
the tape, and put it on a hot dish. Skim off every particle of fat from
the gravy, add the port wine, just let it boil, pour it over the beef,
and it is ready to serve. Great care must be taken that this does not
boil fast, or the meat will be tough and tasteless; it should only just
bubble. When convenient, all kinds of stews, &c. should be cooked on
a hot plate, as the process is so much more gradual than on an open
fire. _Time._—5 hours, or rather more. _Average cost_, 7_d._ per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year, but more
suitable for a winter dish.
BEEF À LA MODE (Economical).
_Ingredients._—About 3 lbs. of clod or sticking of beef, 2 oz. of
clarified dripping, 1 large onion, flour, 2 quarts of water, 12 berries
of allspice, 2 bay-leaves, ½ teaspoonful of whole black pepper, salt to
taste. _Mode._—Cut the beef into small pieces, and roll them in flour;
put the dripping into a stewpan with the onion, which should be sliced
thin. Let it get quite hot; lay in the pieces of beef, and stir them
well about. When nicely browned all over, add _by degrees_ boiling
water in the above proportion, and, as the water is added, keep the
whole well stirred. Put in the spice, bay-leaves, and seasoning, cover
the stewpan closely, and set it by the side of the fire to stew very
_gently_, till the meat becomes quite tender, which will be in about
3 hours, when it will be ready to serve. Remove the bay-leaves before
it is sent to table. _Time._—3 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 3_d._
_Sufficient_ for 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
BEEF, Baked.
[COLD MEAT COOKERY. 1.] _Ingredients._—About 2 lbs. of cold roast beef,
2 small onions, 1 large carrot or 2 small ones, 1 turnip, a small bunch
of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, quite ½ pint of gravy, 3
tablespoonfuls of ale, crust or mashed potatoes. _Mode._—Cut the beef
in slices, allowing a small amount of fat to each slice; place a layer
of this in the bottom of a pie-dish, with a portion of the onions,
carrots, and turnips, which must be sliced; mince the herbs, strew
them over the meat, and season with pepper and salt. Then put another
layer of meat, vegetables, and seasoning; and proceed in this manner
until all the ingredients are used. Pour in the gravy and ale (water
may be substituted for the former, but it is not so nice), cover with
a crust or mashed potatoes, and bake for ½ hour, or rather longer.
_Time._—Rather more than ½ hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat,
6_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note._—It is as well to parboil the carrots and turnips before adding
them to the meat, and to use some of the liquor in which they were
boiled as a substitute for gravy; that is to say, when there is no
gravy at hand. Be particular to cut the onions in very _thin_ slices.
* * * * *
[COLD MEAT COOKERY. 2.] _Ingredients._—Slices of cold roast beef,
salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, 1 teaspoonful of minced
savoury herbs, 12 tablespoonfuls of gravy or sauce of any kind, mashed
potatoes. _Mode._—Butter the sides of a deep dish, and spread mashed
potatoes over the bottom of it; on this place layers of beef in thin
slices (this may be minced, if there is not sufficient beef to cut into
slices), well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a very little onion
and herbs, which should be previously fried of a nice brown; then put
another layer of mashed potatoes, and beef, and other ingredients, as
before; pour in the gravy or sauce, cover the whole with another layer
of potatoes, and bake for ½ hour. This may be served in the dish, or
turned out. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold
beef, 6_d._ _Sufficient._—A large pie-dish full for 5 or 6 persons.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
BEEF-BONES, Broiled.
[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—The bones of ribs or sirloin; salt,
pepper and cayenne. _Mode._—Separate the bones, taking care that the
meat on them is not too thick in any part; sprinkle them well with the
above seasoning, and broil over a very clear fire. When nicely browned,
they are done; but do not allow them to blacken.
BEEF, Brisket of, à la Flamande.
_Ingredients._—About 6 or 8 lbs. of the brisket of beef, 4 or 5 slices
of bacon, 2 carrots, 1 onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper
to taste, 4 cloves, 4 whole allspice, 2 blades of mace. _Mode._—Choose
that portion of the brisket which contains the gristle, trim it,
and put it into a stewpan with the slices of bacon, which should be
placed under and over the meat. Add the vegetables, herbs, spices,
and seasoning, and cover with a little weak stock or water; shut the
stewpan-lid as closely as possible, and simmer very gently for 4 hours.
Strain the liquor, reserve a portion of it for sauce, and the remainder
boil quickly over a sharp fire until reduced to a glaze, with which
glaze the meat. Garnish the dish with scooped carrots and turnips, and,
when liked, a little cabbage; all of which must be cooked separately.
Thicken and flavour the liquor that was saved for sauce, pour it round
the meat, and serve. The beef may also be garnished with glazed onions,
artichoke-bottoms, &c. _Time._—4 hours. _Average cost_, 7_d._ per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 6 or 8 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
BEEF, Brisket of, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—7 lbs. of the brisket of beef, vinegar and salt, 6
carrots, 6 turnips, 6 small onions, 1 blade of pounded mace, 2 whole
allspice pounded, thickening of butter and flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of
ketchup; stock, or water. _Mode._—About an hour before dressing it,
rub the meat over with vinegar and salt; put it into a stewpan, with
sufficient stock to cover it (when this is not at hand, water may be
substituted for it), and be particular that the stewpan is not much
larger than the meat. Skim well, and when it has simmered very gently
for 1 hour, put in the vegetables, and continue simmering till the meat
is perfectly tender. Draw out the bones, dish the meat, and garnish
either with tufts of cauliflower or braised cabbage cut in quarters.
Thicken as much gravy as required, with a little butter and flour; add
spices and ketchup in the above proportion, give one boil, pour some of
it over the meat, and the remainder send in a tureen. _Time._—Rather
more than 3 hours. _Average cost_, 7_d._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 7 or
8 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note._—The remainder of the liquor in which the beef was boiled may be
served as a soup, or it may be sent to table with the meat in a tureen.
BEEF, Broiled, and Mushroom Sauce.
[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—2 or 3 dozen small button
mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, salt and cayenne to taste, 1 tablespoonful
of mushroom ketchup, mashed potatoes, slices of cold roast beef.
_Mode._—Wipe the mushrooms free from grit with a piece of flannel, and
salt; put them in a stewpan with the butter, seasoning, and ketchup;
stir over the fire until the mushrooms are quite done, when pour it in
the middle of mashed potatoes, browned. Then place round the potatoes
slices of cold roast beef, nicely broiled over a clear fire. In making
the mushroom sauce the ketchup may be dispensed with, if there is
sufficient gravy. _Time._—¼ hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the
meat, 8_d._ _Seasonable_ from August to October.
BEEF, Broiled, and Oyster Sauce.
[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—2 dozen oysters, 3 cloves, 1 blade
of mace, 2 oz. of butter, ½ teaspoonful of flour, cayenne and salt to
taste, mashed potatoes, a few slices of cold roast beef. _Mode._—Put
the oysters in a stewpan, with their liquor strained; add the cloves,
mace, butter, flour, and seasoning, and let them simmer gently for
5 minutes. Have ready in the centre of a dish round walls of mashed
potatoes, browned; into the middle pour the oyster sauce quite hot,
and round the potatoes place, in layers, slices of the beef, which
should be previously broiled over a nice clear fire. _Time._—5 minutes.
_Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._, exclusive of the cold meat. _Sufficient_
for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to April.