English Spiced Beef

Ingredients

• 6 lbs joint of beef
• 3 ounces light brown sugar
• 1 ounce black peppercorns
• 1 ounce juniper berries
• 1 ounce allspice berry
• 4 ounces sea salt
• 1/4 ounce saltpeter

Recipe

• 1 saltpeter is a necessary preservative when curing meat and also adds a pleasing red color otherwise the beef will turn out a murky grey.
• 2 rub the meat all over with the sugar and put it in a pot with a lid for 2 days. leave it in a cool place, turning and rubbing the meat occasionally with the sticky liquor that develops.
• 3 crush the peppercorns, juniper and allspice with a pestle and mortar and mix with the salt and saltpeter.
• 4 rub this mixture well into the meat and leave it in the pot for a further 9 days. turn the meat and rub the pickling mixture into the flesh daily.
• 5 when the pickling is complete, remove the beef and rub off any excess spices adhering to the surface. do not rinse it.
• 6 wrap the meat in cooking foil [the victorians used suet] and put into a large ovenproof pot. add about 10 fl oz water, cover the pot with a double layer of foil and fit the lid on tightly.
• 7 preheat the oven to 275 deg f.
• 8 bake the meat slowly allowing 45 min per lb.
• 9 when the meat is cooked, remove the pot and set aside until it is quite cold.
• 10 unwrap the meat, drain off any excess liquid and place on a board.
• 11 cover with foil, put a weight on it and leave for at least 24 hr.
• 12 carve the meat into thin slices and serve with anything from good mustard to pickled kumquats.