Foods of England - Beef Cake

Beef Cake

Meat and Meat Dishes

Left-over cooked beef minced with bacon or ham, herbs and egg. Formed into small square cakes c1/2ins thick and fried in dripping (Acton 1845, Mrs.B)

Original Receipt from 'Modern Cookery for Private Families' by Eliza Acton (Acton 1845);

BEEF OR MUTTON CAKE.
(Very good,)

Chop two pounds of lean and very tender beef or mutton, with three quarters of a pound of beef suet; mix them well, and season, them with a dessertspoonful of salt, nearly as much pounded cloves, a teaspoonful of pounded mace, and half a teaspoonful of cayenne. Line a round baking dish with thin slices of fat bacon, press the meat closely into it, smooth the top, and cover it with bacon, set a plate on it with a weight, and bake it two hours and a quarter. Take off the bacon, and serve the meat hot, with a little rich brown gravy, or set it by until cold, when it will be equally good. The fat of the meat which is used for this dish can be chopped up with it instead of suet, where it is liked as well; and onion, or eschalot, shred fine, minced savoury herbs, grated lemon-peel, rasped bacon, or mushrooms cut small, may in turn be added to vary it in flavour.

Lean beef or mutton, 2 lbs.; suet, 1lb.; salt and cloves in powder, each a dessertspoonful; mace, 1 teaspoonful; half as much cayenne baked 21/2 hours.

Obs: A larger portion of suet or of fat will render these cakes lighter, but will not otherwise improve them: they may be made of veal or of venison, but one-third of mutton suet or of fat bacon should be mixed with this last

Original Receipt from 'Pot-luck; or, The British home cookery book' by May Byron (Byron 1914)

62. BEEF-CAKES (Cheshire) To each pound of cold roast beef, add a quarter of a pound of ham or bacon. Mince very finely, season with pepper, salt, and sweet herbs : add one or two eggs well whisked. Make into small square cakes about half an inch thick; fry them in boiling dripping, drain, and serve with good gravy.

MORE FROM Foods of England...
Cookbooks ● Diary ● Index ● Magic Menu ● Random ● Really English? ● Timeline ● Donate ● English Service ● Food Map of England ● Lost Foods ● Accompaniments ● Biscuits ● Breads ● Cakes and Scones ● Cheeses ● Classic Meals ● Curry Dishes ● Dairy ● Drinks ● Egg Dishes ● Fish ● Fruit ● Fruits & Vegetables ● Game & Offal ● Meat & Meat Dishes ● Pastries and Pies ● Pot Meals ● Poultry ● Preserves & Jams ● Puddings & Sweets ● Sauces and Spicery ● Sausages ● Scones ● Soups ● Sweets and Toffee ● About ... ● Bookshop ●

Email: [email protected]