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📝 Description
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🥘 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, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole black pepper, salt to taste.
👨🍳 Method
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.
📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
I tried my hand at Beef à la Mode this week, eager to experience a dish that's more a historical curio than a modern classic. I found the process of slowly stewing the beef in its own aromatics to be incredibly soothing, a stark contrast to the hurried cooking methods of today. The real delight came when I added the boiling water — the way the flour-coated beef pieces sizzled and settled, creating a rich, rustic gravy, was utterly satisfying. This dish is perfect for the weeknight cook who appreciates a slow simmer and a hearty meal. I was surprised by the subtle heat from the allspice berries — a pleasant kick that modern recipes often overlook. Serve it with some crusty bread to soak up the gravy, and you've got a comforting, old-fashioned meal that's well worth the wait.
