Hashed Beef I is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of sliced cold, cooked, beef re-heated in a spiced gravy made from a meat gravy base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Hashed Beef I.
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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
HASHED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).
I.
628. INGREDIENTS.—Gravy saved from the meat, 1 teaspoonful of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoonful of Harvey's sauce, 1 teaspoonful of good mushroom ketchup, 1/2 glass of port wine or strong ale, pepper and salt to taste, a little flour to thicken, 1 onion finely minced, a few slices of cold roast beef.
Mode.—Put all the ingredients but the beef into a stewpan with whatever gravy may have been saved from the meat the day it was roasted; let these simmer gently for 10 minutes, then take the stewpan off the fire; let the gravy cool, and skim off the fat. Cut the beef into thin slices, dredge them with flour, and lay them in the gravy; let the whole simmer gently for 5 minutes, but not boil, or the meat will be tough and hard. Serve very hot, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread.
Time.—20 minutes. Average cost, exclusive of the cold meat, 4d.
Seasonable at any time.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
300ml meat gravy
1 tsp tomato sauce
1 tsp Harvey's sauce
1 tsp mushroom ketchup
70ml port wine (or strong ale)
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp plain flour, to thicken
1 onion, finely minced
6 thin slices of cold beef
Method:
Combine the meat gravy, tomato sauce, Harvey's sauce, mushroom ketchup, wine (or ale), plain flour and onion in a pan. Whisk until smooth then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes then take off the heat, set aside to cool and skim off any fat from the surface.
Bring the flavoured gravy mix to a simmer. Dredge the beef slices in flour then place in the gravy and continue simmering gently for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl. Garnish with sippers of toasted bread then serve.
