Spiced beef is a form of salt beef, cured with spices and braised or boiled. It is a traditional festive dish in many countries. In England and Wales it has been known for more than 300 years. It remains a traditional Christmas or New Year dish in Ireland.
Elizabeth David notes that spiced beef has been a familiar dish in English cookery for at least 300 years, sometimes under the name of "Hunting Beef" or "Beef à l'Écarte".[1] A recipe for spiced beef is given in John Simpson's A Complete System of Cookery (1806). He comments, "This is more a Christmas dish, than any other time of the year, not but it may be done any time, and is equally good". His recipe calls for only saltpetre, salt and sugar to be rubbed into the meat every few days for three weeks. He does not specify which cut of beef to use.[2]
David specifies round or silverside, and to Simpson's ingredients she adds crushed black pepper, allspice berries and juniper berries.[3] The last, she notes, appear in old recipes from Yorkshire, Cumberland, Wales, Sussex and other places where juniper grew wild.[1] The spices are rubbed into the meat every day for 9–14 days. The meat is then cooked slowly in a low oven for between 5 and 7½ hours.[4]
Unlike England and Wales, where the dish went out of fashion before the 20th century,[6] in Ireland spiced beef (Irish: mairteoil spíosraithe) has remained what Davidson calls "an important part of Christmas fare".[5] The cut of beef in the Irish version varies according to different writers; cuts suggested include round, silverside, topside,[7]rump,[8] and brisket.[9] The meat is rubbed with some or all of the spices mentioned above,[8][9] and then usually boiled, broiled or semi-steamed in water, Guinness (or a similar stout).[7] It is served cold, usually in thin slices, often with brown bread and apricot and almond chutney.[7]
The chef and food writer Rowley Leigh wrote in 2009:
There is a round of spiced beef accompanying a great ham and a magnificent goose at the Misses Morkan's Christmas dance in James Joyce's short story, "The Dead". There is still spiced beef aplenty at butchers' shops in Cork, although it is primarily a Christmas speciality.[6]
In Classic Irish, a 1999 book of Irish recipes, Matthew Drennan writes, "Christmas in Ireland would not be complete without a cold side of spiced beef to see you through the holiday season".[9]
Other countriesedit
Davidson mentions that spiced beef is a traditional festive dish in many other countries, but does not specify which.[5] Some spiced beef dishes, including pastrami and Sauerbraten, differ from the English and Irish versions, among other ways, by being wet-cured in brine or other liquid.[10]
^"How to make pastrami" 2020-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 30 November 2010; and "Sauerbraten" 2020-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Britannica. Retrieved 18 October 2020
Sourcesedit
David, Elizabeth (2003). Norman, Jill (ed.). Elizabeth David's Christmas. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN978-0-7181-4670-2.
Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-211579-9.
Drennan, Matthew (1999). Classic Irish. London: Hermes House. ISBN978-1-84038-004-0.
Simpson, John (1806). A Complete System of Cookery. London: W. Stewart. OCLC 17496738.
spiced, beef, form, salt, beef, cured, with, spices, braised, boiled, traditional, festive, dish, many, countries, england, wales, been, known, more, than, years, remains, traditional, christmas, year, dish, ireland, packaged, processed, spiced, beeftypesalt, . Spiced beef is a form of salt beef cured with spices and braised or boiled It is a traditional festive dish in many countries In England and Wales it has been known for more than 300 years It remains a traditional Christmas or New Year dish in Ireland Spiced beefPackaged processed spiced beefTypeSalt beefMain ingredientsBeefIngredients generally usedSpices saltpetre water beer Contents 1 England and Wales 2 Ireland 3 Other countries 4 See also 5 References 6 SourcesEngland and Wales editElizabeth David notes that spiced beef has been a familiar dish in English cookery for at least 300 years sometimes under the name of Hunting Beef or Beef a l Ecarte 1 A recipe for spiced beef is given in John Simpson s A Complete System of Cookery 1806 He comments This is more a Christmas dish than any other time of the year not but it may be done any time and is equally good His recipe calls for only saltpetre salt and sugar to be rubbed into the meat every few days for three weeks He does not specify which cut of beef to use 2 David specifies round or silverside and to Simpson s ingredients she adds crushed black pepper allspice berries and juniper berries 3 The last she notes appear in old recipes from Yorkshire Cumberland Wales Sussex and other places where juniper grew wild 1 The spices are rubbed into the meat every day for 9 14 days The meat is then cooked slowly in a low oven for between 5 and 7 hours 4 In The Oxford Companion to Food Alan Davidson lists other spices sometimes used in addition to those specified by Simpson and David cinnamon cloves ginger mace and nutmeg 5 Ireland editUnlike England and Wales where the dish went out of fashion before the 20th century 6 in Ireland spiced beef Irish mairteoil spiosraithe has remained what Davidson calls an important part of Christmas fare 5 The cut of beef in the Irish version varies according to different writers cuts suggested include round silverside topside 7 rump 8 and brisket 9 The meat is rubbed with some or all of the spices mentioned above 8 9 and then usually boiled broiled or semi steamed in water Guinness or a similar stout 7 It is served cold usually in thin slices often with brown bread and apricot and almond chutney 7 The chef and food writer Rowley Leigh wrote in 2009 There is a round of spiced beef accompanying a great ham and a magnificent goose at the Misses Morkan s Christmas dance in James Joyce s short story The Dead There is still spiced beef aplenty at butchers shops in Cork although it is primarily a Christmas speciality 6 In Classic Irish a 1999 book of Irish recipes Matthew Drennan writes Christmas in Ireland would not be complete without a cold side of spiced beef to see you through the holiday season 9 Other countries editDavidson mentions that spiced beef is a traditional festive dish in many other countries but does not specify which 5 Some spiced beef dishes including pastrami and Sauerbraten differ from the English and Irish versions among other ways by being wet cured in brine or other liquid 10 See also editList of Irish dishesReferences edit a b David p 105 Simpson p 731 David p 106 David p 107 a b c Davidson p 743 a b Leigh Rowley Beef up your Christmas menu Archived 2020 10 20 at the Wayback Machine The Financial Times 29 November 2008 Retrieved 18 October 2020 a b c Traditional dry spiced beef Archived 2008 12 26 at the Wayback Machine Bord Bia a b Spiced Beef Archived 2010 12 25 at the Wayback Machine Coughlan Butchers The English Market Cork Retrieved 18 October 2020 a b c Drennan p 24 How to make pastrami Archived 2020 10 18 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian 30 November 2010 and Sauerbraten Archived 2020 10 18 at the Wayback Machine Britannica Retrieved 18 October 2020Sources editDavid Elizabeth 2003 Norman Jill ed Elizabeth David s Christmas London Michael Joseph ISBN 978 0 7181 4670 2 Davidson Alan 1999 The Oxford Companion to Food Oxford Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 211579 9 Drennan Matthew 1999 Classic Irish London Hermes House ISBN 978 1 84038 004 0 Simpson John 1806 A Complete System of Cookery London W Stewart OCLC 17496738 Portal nbsp Food Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spiced beef amp oldid 1140668455, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
