A Good Sauce for Steaks is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic sauce of mushroom ketchup or walnut pickle flavoured with shallots, black peppercorns, allspice and horseradish that is typically served with beef steaks. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: A Good Sauce for Steaks.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
A GOOD SAUCE FOR STEAKS.
516. INGREDIENTS.—1 oz. of whole black pepper, 1/2 oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of salt, 1/2 oz. grated horseradish, 1/2 oz. of pickled shalots, 1 pint of mushroom ketchup or walnut pickle.
Mode.—Pound all the ingredients finely in a mortar, and put them into the ketchup or walnut-liquor. Let them stand for a fortnight, when strain off the liquor and bottle for use. Either pour a little of the sauce over the steaks or mix it in the gravy.
Seasonable.—This can be made at any time.
Note.—In using a jar of pickled walnuts, there is frequently left a large quantity of liquor; this should be converted into a sauce like the above, and will be found a very useful relish.
Pound the spices in a mortar, add the salt, horseradish and shallots then pound to a paste. Combine in a jar with the mushroom ketchup or walnut liquor. Seal with a vinegar-proof lid then set aside to stand for two weeks.
After this time, strain off the liquid and bottle ready for use. Store in a cool, dry, cupboard. This sauce can either be directly poured over your steaks or it can be stirred into your gravy as a flavouring.
