Ingredients
3lb (1.3kg) topside of beef | ½ (300ml) pint beef stock |
¼ teaspoon powdered cloves | 3 bay leaves (fresh or dried) |
¼ teaspoon powdered mace | 6 juniper berries, crushed |
¼ teaspoon coarsely crushed black pepper | 1 bouquet garni |
¼ teaspoon coarsely crushed allspice | 1 carrot, chopped |
½ dessertspoon dried thyme | 1 stick of celery, chopped |
4oz (100g)moist dark brown sugar | 1 onion, chopped |
4oz (100g) sea salt | 2 wineglasses port |
Method
- Mix powdered and crushed spices and together.
- Stir half this mixture into the sugar.
- Remove any suet from the beef and stand it in a shallow dish. Cover the beef with the mixture. Leave to stand for 24 hours.
- Next day, rub salt, bay leaves and crushed juniper into the meat. Let it steep in this mixture in a cool place for 5 days, turning it every day.
- When ready to cook meat, rinse it and soak it for 1 hour in cold water.
- Dry it well, spread reserved spices over the beef. Put in to a casserole in which it just fits.
- Surround it with the bouquet garni, chopped vegetable, port and stock and cover tightly with a lid.
- Cook in a low oven 150ºC, 300ºF, Gas Mark 2 for 2½ - 3 hours. Allow to cool to lukewarm in the liquid, then take meat our and put it between two plates with a 1lb weight on the top. Leave it pressing overnight.
Next day it is ready to eat. Serve sliced, with pickles and plenty of English mustard.