Spiced Beef

[windrush]

Fellow gourmands.

 

I've greatly enjoyed many of the game recipes on here so, as I'm just getting this year’s Christmas Spiced Beef organised, I thought I’d share the recipe as there doesn’t appear to be one in the collection. Not game, obviously, however I’m sure you’ll appreciate it just the same.

I expect there are many variations but this one has served us well for more years than I care to count. Spiced beef was an old English dish, revived last century by writers such as Elizabeth David and Jane Grigson.

 

85g/3oz dark brown sugar

2.7kg/6lb top side or silverside of beef

28g/1oz whole peppercorns

28g/1oz whole allspice

28g/1oz juniper berries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

100g/4oz coarse sea salt

 

Rub the sugar into all exposed parts of the beef - best way is directly with your hands. Place it in a non-metal casserole with a lid and refrigerate or leave in a cool place (like what I do). Leave it for 2 days, turning the meat and pouring the sugar, which will become liquid, over it 2 or 3 times a day (or not!).

 

In a spice grinder or mortar, coarsely grind the peppercorns, allspice, and juniper. In a bowl, mix these spices with the cinnamon and salt. Rub mixture into the beef. Make sure you rub spices into all outer surfaces. Repeat this every day for 8 days. Don’t fret if you forget, but do cover all exposed surfaces when you do remember.

 

To cook, set the oven to 140 degrees. Brush off any spices adhering to the beef, they're no longer required - very messy but don't wash it. Wrap beef tightly in a double layer of tin foil. Place the beef in an ovenproof dish with a tight lid (I use an earthenware casserole). When the beef is in the dish, there should be little space to spare, so choose accordingly. Pour 1/3l of water into the dish with the wrapped beef. Cover the dish with 3 layers of foil before placing the lid tightly on top to prevent evaporation. Place it in the oven and cook for 40 mins per lb / 45 mins per .5 kg.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for a couple of hours. (It will have shrunk to about half the raw size). Take the beef from its liquid and wrap it in clean foil and refrigerate it for 24 hours. It will be about half the size of the original and quite dense/firm. (In our household that means cooking it on Christmas Eve so it’s ready from Boxing Day onwards).

 

To serve, unwrap the beef and carve it thinly and serve in anyway you like but with pickles and salads and Hook Norton Grain mustard is best, I think, or is it with bubble and squeak? Difficult. However, accompanying it with something robust from your local brewery will never fail.

 

Variations and notes – a) some years when time has been short the sugar stage has been 24 hours or skipped entirely and the spicing cut to a few days. The only difference is a less spiced result, but my wife prefers this more subtle taste. In order to get the more subtle taste, I generally up the juniper and reduce the allspice. b)Making it ready for cooking is messy - there's no alternative to just getting your hands in and wiping off the excess manually. c) There’s no point in leaving any of the pickling spices on for cooking: they’ve done their job and can, in fact, detract from the final result. d) Most pre-pack meat assumes you're going to roast it, so remove any additional fat that's been slapped on before you start. e) Some older recipes I’ve seen also specify saltpetre. As far as I can tell this just keeps the meat red but trying to source it on the internet may ruin your Christmas! f) Once cooked, the spiced beef keeps 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator. g) getting the children to gather the juniper whilst on holiday is optional, darling - but has been done.

Edited December 14, 2009 by windrush

[Snap Cap]

That does sound good, but..........

 

Could you explain the cooking method better? I've read it a few times but still getting all confusamacated.

[windrush]

That does sound good, but..........

 

Could you explain the cooking method better? I've read it a few times but still getting all confusamacated.

 

Is that clearer?

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