Beef, Alamode′

Syn. Bœuf à la mode , Fr. The true ‘beef à la mode’ is made as follows; and is not a mere kind of rich stew, such as is daily sold under the name in the ‘cook-shops’ of London:— 1. (M. Alexis Soyer.) Rump, sirloin, or rib of beef (about) 12 lbs. ; lard it through with 10 or 12 long pieces of fat bacon; put it into an earthen pan with a calf’s foot, 4 onions, 2 carrots (sliced), a bunch of parsley, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 cloves, 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 do. of salt, 4 wine-gla fuls of sherry, 4 do. of water, and 1 lb. of streaky bacon (cut into small squares); place on the cover, make it air-tight round the edges with a little flour-paste, and expose it in a moderate oven for about 4 hours. Dish up with the vegetables and bacon placed tastefully round it, the gravy (skimmed) being poured over all. Or it may be eaten cold, in which case the pan should not be opened until the whole has thoroughly cooled. 2. (Mrs Rundell.) Rump of beef (or any part of the beef which will stew well), 3 or 4 lbs. ; trim it, and cut off the fat; add several sorts (according to taste) of sweet herbs chopped very fine, a little shalot, and a great deal of spice (cayenne, white pepper, allspice, cloves, and mace; or mixed spices), and put them, with vinegar, into a saucer that has been rubbed with garlic; add fat bacon cut into long slips; lard the beef regularly on both sides, and rub it over with the herbs and spices; next flour it, and add a small piece of butter, and a pint of water; bake it in an oven until thoroughly ‘done,’ then strain the gravy, and serve it up with pickles on the top. Excellent either hot or cold. Obs. Mi Acton—a high authority in these matters—tells us, that 7 or 8 lbs. of beef, thus treated, takes 4 to 5 hours to dre it properly; and that if a stew-pan be used, it should be as nearly the size of the meat as po ible, the whole being allowed to simmer very gently, and the meat turned when half done. She also states that “veal dre ed in this way is even better than beef;” but, of course, it takes le time in cooking.