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Beef Broth

A clear beef broth made by simmering a leg of beef in cold water with salt.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
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Beef Broth

Beef Broth

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut the leg of beef into 4 or 5 pieces and wash in cold water.

  2. Place the beef in a soup kettle and cover with cold water.

Simmer

  1. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

  2. Cover the kettle and simmer for 5 hours, replenishing with boiling water if needed.

Finish and serve

  1. Remove the meat and bones, skim off the fat, and season with salt.

  2. Strain the broth through a wire sieve and serve in a china cup with double baked rusk or crackers.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Leg of beef
Provides the meat, bones and connective tissue that release flavor and body into the broth.

The step that matters

Skimming the foam after the boil. Foam rising during the first boil carries impurities and coagulated proteins that would cloud the broth and taste bitter if left in. Skimming them early keeps the broth clear and clean-flavored.

“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.

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