Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Simmer three heads of celery and two onions in thick pieces, two pounds of cold boiled, or in a pint of good gravy till all is tender, then put roast beef, and stew gently for ten or twelve minutes. The celery should be cut evenly in pieces of about two inches long. Serve with potatoes sliced and fried crisp. Average cost, 8d., exclusive of meat. Sufficient for four or five persons. Beef, Stewed, as Hare.— When hare cannot be obtained, a good substitute for it will be found in a piece of rump of beef of suitable size. Take four or five pounds, which cut into pieces of about three ounces. Divide into slices half a pound of bacon, and another half pound into dice, without the skin. Prepare a seasoning of the following ingredients: — A few sprigs of parsley cut small, the rind of half a lemon minced, a blade of mace, half a nutmeg grated, and a good flavouring of salt and pepper. Dust some flour over the beef and fry in butter until it becomes light brown; do this over a quick fire that the meat may be only slightly cooked, then lay the slices of bacon, as a lining, round the stewpan ; put in the beef and diced bacon in layers, with the seasoning equally distributed, and add a large onion stuck with half a dozen cloves. Make a gravy with the butter in the pan, a little broth and half a pint of ale ; throw it over the meat, close the lid, and stew over a very gentle fire from three to four hours. Thicken the gravj' with flour and add a glass of Madeira. Probable cost of beef. Is. per pound. Sufficient for six or seven persons. Beef, Stewed, and Oyster Sauce.— Take two pounds of cold beef, cut into slices, and broil them over a clear fire. Put one dozen and a half oysters into a stewpan with their own liquor, remove them in about two minutes, and strain the liquor. Mix equal quantities of butter and flour together, one ounce of each; take the liquor and milk, enough to make one pint, stir all together in a saucepan till it boils, then remove it and stir in another ounce of butter, and add the oysters. Warm them, but do not allow them to boil. Serve with the beef. Time, five minutes to warm. Probable cost of oysters, Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. per dozen. Sufficient for four persons. Beef, stewed (French method). — Take two pounds of rump steak, beat it to make it tender, and lard it throughout. Stew it for four or five hours over a slow fire with equal quantities of white wine and water, and some small pieces of a leg of veal. Season with spice, salt, garlic, thyme, and parsley. When the meat is tender, strain the broth, put it back into the pan, and boil till it becomes thick; then serve poured over the beef steak. Probable cost, Is. 4d. per pound. Sufficient for four persons. Beef, Stewed (Irish method). — Divide two pounds of beef into small pieces — any part will do — and put them into an earthenware pan with a light-fitting cover, with a pint and a half of water, two or three onions, a carrot cut up, and a little salt and pepper. Stew all together in the oven for an hour or more. Lay on the top some peeled potatoes, cover up and put it back into the oven for an hour and a half more, when the potatoes will be reduced to a mash, and the stew will be, as all Irish stews are, excellent. Probable cost, 2s. Sufficient for four or five persons. {See Irish Stew).