Beef and Onion Stew. — Cut two pounds of meat in pieces
the size of an egg, and put it into a stewpan with enough warm
water nearly to cover it; cover the stewpan and let it simmer
slowly for half an hour; then skim it clear, peel five or six small
onions and cut them in thick slices; pare half a dozen large
potatoes and cut them in half, or quarters; add a tablespoon-
ful of salt, and a small teaspoonful of pepper to the stewed
meat; then put in the potatoes and onions. If the meat is
lean, (it is best to have a small portion of fat,) add a bit of
butter the size of a large egg; shake over it a tablespoonful of
wheat flour✪ Beef and Onion Stew, or work it into the butter; cover the stewpan close,
and let it stew gently that it may brown without burning; one
hour is required for making this stew. If the potatoes are cut
smaller than halves, they should be put in twenty minutes
before it is done; half an hour will be required to cook them
if cut in two.
HOUSEHOLD. ^139
To Roast Beef. — Have a bright, clear fire before putting
down the roast; if it is large, have afire according; let it be a
clear, steady fire, with a bed of coals at the bottom — this is for
a wood fire; for a coal fire, make one large enough to last the
length of time required for the roast (fifteen minutes for each
pound of meat); make the front of the fire clear from ashes,
and brush up the hearth; rinse the meat in cold water, wipe it
dry; mix salt and pepper, a teaspoonful of salt, and asaltspoon-
ful of pepper for each pound of meat; rub it over every part*
then put it evenly on the spit, taking care not to run it through
the best parts; or if it is done in a reflector, set it on a trivet or
mufiin rings, and turn the pan about as occasion may require;
then put it down at a little distance from the fire, that the out-
side may not be too much done before the inside is cooked;
put at least a pint of water into the dripping-pan, with which
to baste; replenish with boiling water, so that there shall not be
less than a pint of gravy when the meat is done, for a piece
weighing five or six pounds; when about half done, clear the
front of the fire and set it a little nearer; turn the meat so
that all sides snay be done evenly; fifteen minutes before it is
done, if you please, dredge with the fat of the meat wheat flour
until it looks white; baste it freely and set it to finish; when
done, take it on to a large dish and cover with a tin cover; set
the dripping over the fire, dredge in a small tablespoonful of
flour, stir it smooth; when it is a fine brown, add a teacupful of
boiling water✪ Roast Beef, let it boil up, stirring it meanwhile; then pour
it through a gravy strainer into a tureen; if there is much fat
skim nearly all of it off"; or, instead of dredging in flour, make
a thin, smooth batter of a tablespoonful of flour, and a small
cup of cold water; let the gravy in the pan become boiling hot
before stirring it in; then stir it smooth, and when it is a fine
rich brown, strain it into the tureen and serve with the meat.
Page 93 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Beef and Onion Stew. — Cut two pounds of meat in pieces the size of an egg, and put it into a stewpan with enough warm water nearly to cover it; cover the stewpan and let it simmer slowly for half an hour; then skim it clear, peel five or six small onions and cut them in thick slices; pare half a dozen large potatoes and cut them in half, or quarters; add a tablespoonful of salt, and a small teaspoonful of pepper to the stewed meat; then put in the potatoes and onions. If the meat is lean, (it is best to have a small portion of fat,) add a bit of butter the size of a large egg; shake over it a tablespoonful of wheat flour, or work it into the butter; cover the stewpan close, and let it stew gently that it may brown without burning; one hour is required for making this stew. If the potatoes are cut smaller than halves, they should be put in twenty minutes before it is done; half an hour will be required to cook them if cut in two.
To Roast Beef. — Have a bright, clear fire before putting down the roast; if it is large, have afire according; let it be a clear, steady fire, with a bed of coals at the bottom — this is for a wood fire; for a coal fire, make one large enough to last the length of time required for the roast (fifteen minutes for each pound of meat); make the front of the fire clear from ashes, and brush up the hearth; rinse the meat in cold water, wipe it dry; mix salt and pepper, a teaspoonful of salt, and asaltspoonful of pepper for each pound of meat; rub it over every part; then put it evenly on the spit, taking care not to run it through the best parts; or if it is done in a reflector, set it on a trivet or mufiin rings, and turn the pan about as occasion may require; then put it down at a little distance from the fire, that the outside may not be too much done before the inside is cooked; put at least a pint of water into the dripping-pan, with which to baste; replenish with boiling water, so that there shall not be less than a pint of gravy when the meat is done, for a piece weighing five or six pounds; when about half done, clear the front of the fire and set it a little nearer; turn the meat so that all sides may be done evenly; fifteen minutes before it is done, if you please, dredge with the fat of the meat wheat flour until it looks white; baste it freely and set it to finish; when done, take it on to a large dish and cover with a tin cover; set the dripping over the fire, dredge in a small tablespoonful of flour, stir it smooth; when it is a fine brown, add a teacupful of boiling water, let it boil up, stirring it meanwhile; then pour it through a gravy strainer into a tureen; if there is much fat skim nearly all of it off; or, instead of dredging in flour, make a thin, smooth batter of a tablespoonful of flour, and a small cup of cold water; let the gravy in the pan become boiling hot before stirring it in; then stir it smooth, and when it is a fine rich brown, strain it into the tureen and serve with the meat.
Records on this page
Beef and Onion StewBeef StewRoast Beef