The universal cookery book

Take three pounds of fresh beef, trim off the fat ; cut half a pound of bacon into long, slender strips, and lard the beef with it. Mix a few cloves, mace, allspice, peppers, cayenne, tablespoonful of powdered thyme, and two cloves of garlic, with half a pint of malt vinegar. Put the meat into an earthen crock, with a thin slice of bacon under it, add the seasoning and a pint of soup-stock, cover the crock, and simmer six hours. When preferred, vegetables may be added, but it is more satisfactory to cook them separately. — The Book of Entrees: Thomas J. Murrey. White, Stokes, & Allen, Pubs. Beef Stew or Hash. “Take a pound of cold boiled beef, and slice into small bits. Put on to stew with six or eight mediumsized potatoes and three large onions peeled and cut into small pieces. Have sufficient water, that, when done, it will be rather juicy than dry. Season with salt and pepper, and add a little butter, if the meat does not make it rich enough.” This is a plain but savory stew. Beefsteak Pie. A good common paste for meat pies, and which is intended to be eaten, is made as follows : Three ounces of butter and one pound of flour will be sufficient for one dish. Rub the butter well amongst the flour so as to incorporate them thoroughly. If the butter be fresh, add a little salt. Mix up the flour and butter with as much cold water as will BEEFSTEAK PIE. make a thick paste. Knead it quickly on a board, and roll it out flat with a rolling-pin. Turn the dish ppside down upon the flattened paste, and cut or shape out the piece required for the cover. Roll out the parings, and cut them into strips. Wet the edges of the dish, and place these strips neatly round on the edges as a foundation for the cover. Then take some slices of tender beef mixed with fat ; those from the rump are the best. Season them with pepper and salt, and roll each slice up in a small bundle, or lay them flat in the dish. Put in a little gravy or cold water, and a little flour for thickening. Then, after putting in the meat, lay the cover on the dish, pressing down the edges closely to keep all tight. If any paste remain, cut or stamp it into ornaments, such as leaves, and place these as a decoration on the cover. On taking pies from the oven, and while quite hot, the crust may be glazed with white of egg and water beaten together, or sugar and water laid on with a brush. — American Home Cook-Book. (By per. Dick & Fitzgerald, Pubs.) Such a busy little woman as she wasl So full of self-importance, and trying so hard not to smile or seem uncertain about any thing. It was a perfect treat to Tom to see her with her brows knit, and her rosy lips pursed up, kneading away at the crust, rolling it out, cutting it up into strips, lining the basin with it, shaving it off fine round the rim ; chopping up the steak into small pieces, raining down pepper and salt upon them, packing them into the basin, pouring in cold water for gravy ; and never venturing to steal a look in his direction, lest her gravity should be disturbed ; until at last, the basin being quite full and only wanting the top crust, she clapped her hands, all covered with paste and flour, at Tom, and burst out heartily into such a charming little laugh of triumph, that the pudding need have had no other seasoning to commend it to the taste of any reasonable man on earth.