Red Beef

The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New ... · Bury, Charlotte Campbell, Lady · 1840

Source: The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;: In Which will Be Found a Large Collection of Original Receipts. 3rd ed.
Status: success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (26)

for curing the beef

Twelve pounds of ribs of beef boned ↝ Beef, ground, raw [Ground beef]
four ounces of bay salt ↝ Spices, bay leaf [Spices and Herbs]
three ounces of saltpetre
half a pound of coarse sugar ↝ Flour, semolina, coarse and semi-coarse [Cereal Grains and Pasta]
two pounds of common salt
a handful of juniper berries bruised ↝ Berries, NFS [Blueberries and other berries]

for the pickle

saltpetre and bay salt, one pound and a half of each
saltpetre and bay salt, one pound and a half of each ↝ Spices, bay leaf [Spices and Herbs]
one pound of coarse brown sugar ↝ Sugars, brown [Sweets]
six pounds of common salt
three gallons of water ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]

for stewing

a piece of brisket of beef, about sixteen or eighteen pounds ↝ Beef, brisket [Beef, excludes ground]
some weak broth
slices of fat bacon
fat of veal ↝ Veal, Australian, separable fat, raw [Lamb, Veal, and Game Products]
any pieces of fat meat, the more fat the better, especially of veal
a pint of brandy ↝ Brandy [Liquor and cocktails]
a full pint of wine ↝ Wine, rice [Wine]
a handful of bay-leaves ↝ Spices, bay leaf [Spices and Herbs]
a few cloves ↝ Garlic, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
some blades of mace ↝ Spices, mace, ground [Spices and Herbs]
about two large carrots ↝ Carrots, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
one dozen of large onions ↝ Onions, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
a good bundle of sweet-herbs ↝ Onions, sweet, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
some parsley ↝ Parsley, raw [Not included in a food category]
two or three turnips ↝ Turnips, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]

Instructions (25)

First Method

Bone twelve pounds of ribs of beef.
Beat fine four ounces of bay salt and three ounces of saltpetre.
Mix the beaten salt and saltpetre with half a pound of coarse sugar, two pounds of common salt, and a handful of bruised juniper berries.
Rub the beef well with this mixture.
Turn the beef every day for about three weeks or a month.
Bake the beef in a coarse paste.

Second Method

Take a piece of brisket of beef, about sixteen or eighteen pounds.
Prepare the pickle: combine one and a half pounds of saltpetre, one and a half pounds of bay salt, one pound of coarse brown sugar, and six pounds of common salt.
Add three gallons of water to the pickle ingredients.
Set the pickle on the fire and stir it, to prevent the salts from burning.
Boil the pickle for about an hour and a half, skimming it well until clear.
When the pickle is quite cold, put in the beef.
Let the beef lie in a pan that will hold it properly.
Turn the beef every day and let it remain in the pickle for about a fortnight.
Take the beef out of the pickle and wash it in clean water.
Put the beef into a pot in which you will stew it with some weak broth.
Add slices of fat bacon, fat of veal, and any pieces of fat meat (the more fat the better, especially of veal).
Add a pint of brandy, a full pint of wine, a handful of bay-leaves, a few cloves, and some blades of mace.
Add about two large carrots, one dozen large onions, a good bundle of sweet-herbs, some parsley, and two or three turnips.
Stew the mixture exceedingly gently for eight hours.
Ensure the broth covers the meat while stewing and keep the slices of fat as much over it as you can.
Uncover the pot as seldom as possible.
When the beef is sufficiently tender (test with your finger), take it off the fire.
Allow the beef to cool in the pot until it is very nearly, if not quite, cold, as it will harden sufficiently upon cooling.
The beef will taste better for being left to cool in the pot and will reduce the risk of breaking it when removing it while hot.

Original Text

Red Beef.

Twelve pounds of ribs of beef boned, four ounces of bay salt, three ounces of saltpetre; beat them fine, and mix with half a pound of coarse sugar, two pounds of common salt, and a handful of juniper berries bruised. Rub the beef well with this mixture, and turn it every day about three weeks or a month; bake it in a coarse paste.

Another way.

Take a piece of brisket of beef, about sixteen or eighteen pounds; make the pickle for it as follows:—saltpetre and bay salt, one pound and a half of each, one pound of coarse brown sugar, and six pounds of common salt; add to these three gallons of water. Set it on the fire and keep it stirring, lest the salts should burn; as it boils skim it well till clear: boil it about an hour and a half. When it is quite cold, put in the beef, and let it lie in a pan that will hold it properly; turn it every day, and let it remain in about a fortnight. Take it out, and just wash it in clean water, and put it into the pot in which you stew it with some weak broth; then add slices of fat bacon, fat of veal, any pieces of fat meat, the more fat the better, especially of veal, also a pint of brandy, a full pint of wine, a handful of bay-leaves, a few cloves, and some blades of mace, about two large carrots, one dozen of large onions, a good bundle of sweet-herbs, some parsley, and two or three turnips. Stew[102] it exceedingly gently for eight hours. The broth should cover the meat while it is stewing, and keep the slices of fat as much over it as you can; the seldomer you uncover the pot the better. When you think it sufficiently tender, which try with your finger, take it off, and, though it may appear tender enough to fall to pieces, it will harden sufficiently when it grows cold. It should remain in the pot just as it is taken off the fire till it is very nearly if not quite cold. It will eat much better for being so left, and you will also not run the risk of breaking the beef in pieces, as you would by removing it whilst hot.

Notes

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