Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Beef Tea. — Take a pound of lean, fleshy beef, put it into a basin containing one quart of cold water, first cutting it into very small bits ; let it soak in this water an hour or more, then put both water and beef into a clean saucepan and bring it to a boil ; put in a little salt and take off the scum as it appears ; simmer very gently, and strain for use in little less than an hour. WTien warmed up again, it should not be put into a saucepan, but heated by setting the cup of tea into boiling water. Cost, about Is. 4d. per quart. Beef Tea (another way).— Use for this, not an iron saucepan, but an earthen pot with a well-fitting hd, which ^\'iU stand, without cracking, the heat of the iron plate on the top of the cooking-stove. Fill it from one-third to a quarter full of good lean beef, cut into shapely pieces the size of a small walnut, in order that they may be presentable afterwards in a rata- touille, or as potted beef, seasoning slightly with salt and a few whole peppercorns. Then poiu- on cold water nearly to the brim, and set it on the plate or top of a cooking-stove to simmer gently several hours, taking off any scum and fat that may rise. The beef is not to be overdone, but is to be left in the pot until all the strength from it has been extracted. Stir A\-ith a spoon before serv'ing a portion, in order to have the nutritious particles which have sunk to the bottom suspended in the tea. ^yhere there is no cooking-stove, the beef tea may be slowly cooked by setting the earthen pot con- taining it in a large iron vessel of boihng water, or, if the lid is luted do-\vn ■«ath paste, it may be made in a very slow oven. Beef Tea from Fresh Meat (Baron LiEBiG s Eecipe). — Take one pound of lean beef, entirely free from fat and sinew ; mince it finely and mix it well with one pint of cold water. Put it on the hob, and let it remain heating very gradually for two hours. At the end of that time, add half a tea-spoonful of salt and boil gently for ten minutes. Eemove the scum as it rises. This is beef tea pure and simple. When a change of flavour is required, it is a good plan to take one pound of meat composed of equal parts of veal, mutton, and beef, and proceed as above. Or, instead of using water, boil a carrot, a turnip, an onion, and a clove, in a pint of water, and when the flavour is extracted strain the Hquid through a fine sieve ; let it get quite cold, and pour it upon the minced meat, soaking and boiling it for the same time Probable cost. Is. per pint. Sufficient for one pint of beef tea. Beef Tea of Mixed Meat.— To some invalids the taste of beef tea is unwelcome ; the flavour is much improved by the following mixture : — Take equal quantities of beef, mutton, and veal, one pound of each, -without fat, put them, cut up in small pieces, to simmer four hours in three pints of water. "WTien boil- ing, skim thoroughly and draw the saucejjan aside, that it may only extract the juices without wasting the liquid. Strain and serve with dry toast in any form. Time, four hours. Cost of meat, about Is. per pound.