Beef A La Mode

Cut off the under part of a round of beef, wipe and trim off the edges, place in a deep earthen dish and pour over it spiced vinegar. This spiced vinegar may be made as follows: Boil for five minutes a breakfast cupful of vinegar, with an onion chopped fine, a little salt, mustard, pepper, cloves, and allspice. Let the meat remain in this mixture for several hours, stirring it frequently; then dress it with ten or twelve strips of salt pork cut a third of an inch square, and as long as the meat is thick insert these strips with a large larding-needle, or bore a hole in the meat with a carving steel; or, if desired, larger incisions may be made and stuffed with breadcrumbs highly seasoned, with salt, pepper, onions, thyme, marjoram, etc., moistened with hot water, a little butter and a well beaten egg. Bind the beef into shape with a narrow strip of cotton cloth, in such a manner as to retain the stuffing, and dredge with flour, then cut up two onions, half a carrot and half a turnip, and fry in fat drippings until brown, and place in a stewpan. Brown the meat all over in the same fat, and place on a trivet in the pan; half cover with boiling water, adding a little mixed herbs tied in a muslin bag; cover loosely and simmer for four hours or until quite tender. Take out carefully and remove the strings, and put on a large dish, Skim off the fat from the gravy, add more seasoning, and thicken with wetted flour worked smooth, boil for eight or ten minutes and strain over the meat. Decorate with potato balls and small onions.

Boiled Beef

Place a brisket or round of beef in a saucepan, with some small pieces of trimmings of beef, veal, lamb or fowl giblets, salt and pepper to taste, and pour over enough water to cover, boiling them until nearly done. Then add an onion, carrots cut in slices, a bunch of parsley, a teacupful each of browned flour and butter to thicken, cover the saucepan and cook for about twenty minutes longer. When the meat is done, remove it and place upon a dish; strain the liquor, adding a wineglassful of mushroom catsup or white wine to it, and pour over the meat and serve.

Braised Beef

Place a layer of sliced onions in the bottom of a stewpan, over which arrange a layer of thick slices of bacon, and put a piece of round of beef on the bacon, after tying up the beef to keep it in shape. Set on the fire for twenty minutes, turning it once or twice, then add a tumblerful of wine, some carrots and onions cut in slices, a bundle of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste, and add a few cloves. Fill the pan with sufficient stock to cover the beef, placing the lid on the pan, and braise it from four to five hours, with a few hot cinders on the lid, or else in the oven. Strain free from all fat, and serve with the meat gravy.

Braised Beef A La Mode

Lard a piece of beef with salt pork, let it marinade for twelve hours with the juice of half a lemon, a little salt and pepper, a sprig of thyme, two bay leaves and half a dozen parsley roots. Then place the meat in a saucepan with a lump of butter, and brown both sides well for ten minutes, then remove and place it on a dish. Add to the gravy a little flour, stirring it well and moisten with a quart of broth, mixing it slowly while the sauce is boiling; then replace the beef in the saucepan with two sliced carrots, and a dozen small onions glazed, and cook for an hour, adding a strong garnished bouquet, a wineglassful of claret wine, and a small piece of crushed garlic, also salt and pepper to taste. After skimming off the fat and straining, serve on a hot dish, arranging the carrots and onions in clusters around the dish.