Boiled Beef and Carrots
Immortalised by the old music hall song, this is a truly traditional Cockney dish. The length of time the meat is soaked depends on how salty it is; check with the butcher. The greyish colour turns an appetising pink when cooked.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb lean salted silverside or brisket of beef
- bouquet garni
- 6 black peppercorns lightly crushed
- 2 small onions skinned and quartered 8 cloves
- 2 small turnips peeled and quartered
- 2 celery sticks chopped
- 1 leek trimmed, chopped and washed
- 18 small carrots
Instructions
- If necessary, soak the meat in cold water for several hours or overnight, then rinse. Tie up into a neat joint.
- Place the beef in a large saucepan, add just enough water to cover and bring slowly to the boil. Skim the surface, add the bouquet garni, peppercorns, onions, each quarter stuck with a clove, turnip, celery and leek. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for about
- 2 hours.
- Add the small carrots and simmer gently for a further 30 - 40 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Carefully transfer the beef and small carrots to a warmed serving plate and keep warm.
- Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquor, then strain. Boil the liquid to reduce slightly, then pour into a warmed sauceboat or jug.
- Serve the beef surrounded by the carrots, with the sauce handed separately. Accompany with peas and mashed potatoes or dumplings.
Calories: 521 kcal
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Protein: 58 g
Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 164 mg
Sodium: 368 mg
Potassium: 1621 mg
Fiber: 7 g
Sugar: 12 g
Vitamin A: 30827 IU
Vitamin C: 24 mg
Calcium: 104 mg
Iron: 6 mg