The meat used for making this soup should be quite fresh, and of the common gravy beef; if the shin be used, break the bones, as the marrow will add to its richness.

Take seven to eight pounds of the meat, cut a small portion of it into thick pieces and put it with three or four large sliced onions into a close stewpan, with a little butter, until fried to a fine brown. That done, add a shank of ham, just cover the meat with cold water - say a couple of quarts - and let it simmer by the fire for at least three hours; during which time it should not be allowed to boil, but, when coming to that point, check it with cold water, and skim it. As the pores of the meat will then be opened, and the gravy drawn, throw in three quarts of warm water, along with a handful or one quarter ounce each of black pepper, allspice, and salt, as well as a bundle of sweet herbs, a few cloves, a couple of shalots, two or three middling-sized carrots and turnips (the latter an hour afterwards), together with a couple of heads of celery, and allow the whole to boil slowly until the meat is done to rags, and the vegetables become tender. Then strain it off, and let it stand during the night. Remove the fat on the following day, set any portion of it on the fire an hour before dinner, and, when thoroughly heated, season it with mushroom or walnut ketchup, and send it up with a plate of toasted bread, cut into small square pieces, without crust.

You will thus form a gallon to five or six quarts of strong soup, according to the quality of the meat; but as it is a winter soup, it will bear keeping, and, if served more than once, the flavor may be varied by the addition of different sorts of ingredients, as for instance - first, plain gravy; secondly, gravy and vegetables; and thirdly, vermicelli: or if only one-half or a third part of the quantity be wanted, it may be prepared in the same manner by proportionally reducing the materials. It may be also flavored with red wine.