Beef Tea
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beef
Quickly scorch one side of the beef over coals.
Cut the beef into very fine pieces.
Place the beef in an earthen bowl and pour in the tepid water.
Cover with a saucer and let it stand for 2 hours near the stove.
Strain and squeeze the mixture through clean linen.
Heat and season
Put the juice in a thick pie dish on the back of the stove.
Stir steadily for 5 to 10 minutes, ensuring it doesn't exceed 150°F (65°C).
When the color deepens to butternut or walnut shade, season with a little salt.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fresh beef
- Provides the meat juice that gives the tea its flavor and color.
The step that matters
Keep the juice below 150°F (65°C). Above this temperature the meat proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture, and the juice turns cloudy and loses its delicate flavor. Gentle, steady stirring keeps the heat even.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More beef tea recipes
You might also like
Indian Spiced Potato Soup with Tofu and Spinach448 recipes
Clear Carrot and Bottle Gourd Soup65 recipes
Mock Bisque Soup51 recipes
Cream of Asparagus Soup42 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.