Beef Ragoût is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic stew of beef dredged in flour that's fried and then cooked in water and beer with vegetables, lemon zest and gravy. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Beef Ragoût.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Beef Ragoût that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
BEEF RAGOUT.—Take the bone from a rump of beef, cut the flesh into slices, dredge it in flour, and fry it; pour over it a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and a pint of small beer; add a carrot, an onion stuck with cloves, pepper, salt, lemon-peel, and a bunch of sweet herbs. Let it stew for an hour, then add some rich gravy. When the meat is tender take it out, strain the sauce, thicken it with a little flour, add a head of celery ready boiled, and a little ketchup; put the meat in this, and let it simmer up and serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 rump of beef
150g plain flour
150ml water (boiling)
600ml small beer
1 carrot
1 onion, stuck with 4 cloves
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp freshly-grated lemon zest
1 bunch of sweet herbs
250ml rich gravy
2 tbsp plain flour
1 head of celery, diced (boiled until tender)
2 tbsp ketchup
Method:
Bone the beef then cut into slices. Dredge these in flour to coat then fry in butter until golden. Pour over the boiling water and the beer then add the carrot and onion. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and add the lemon zest and sweet herbs. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes.
At this point add the gravy and continue cooking for about 60 minutes more, or until the meat is very tender. Now remove the meat and set aside to keep warm. Strain the sauce into a clean pan and work in the flour until smooth. Stir in the celery and ketchup, bring to a boil and allow to thicken then add the meat, reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat is heated through. Serve immediately.
