Pressed Beef.—For this many cooks take the salt brisket procurable, ready salted, of the butcher; or it may be prepared thus: Take 6lb. of nice brisket of beef, without bone if possible, but remove any if sent with it. Rub it well over with vinegar and moist sugar, and let it stand in this for an hour or two, then lift it out and put it into a pan with water or ordinary bone stock enough to cover it, together with two or three slices of bacon, fat and lean together (a little of this placed under the beef is good), two small onions, each stuck with three or four cloves, a dozen peppercorns and allspice mixed, a good bouquet (be sure it contains two bayleaves), two carrots, and salt. Bring this again to the boil, then simmer in a tightly covered pan for four to four and a half hours till the meat is cooked. Now lift the pan from the fire and leave it till the meat is fairly cool, when it may be lifted out and pressed between two dishes till perfectly cold. (Mind when pressing beef, or indeed any meat, to get the pressure even. It is no use putting a heavy weight in the centre of the covering dish, and leaving the ends unweighted, or the pressure will be unequal. Three lighter weights of about equal heaviness are far better than one heavy one planted in the middle). Meanwhile strain the liquor (there will not be much) left in the pan, and boil it down rapidly till it is a thickish glaze, and paint the meat over with this. Again let it set thoroughly, then brush it all over lightly with just liquid aspic jelly, or preferably with gelatine dis-solved in some clear stock, or diluted Consommé Maggi, in the proportion of ½oz. to 1oz. of