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Beef Tea

A clear beef broth made by simmering lean beef with peppercorns and salt in cold water.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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Beef Tea

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut the beef into thin slices and place in a stewpan.

  2. Add the peppercorns and a little salt.

Simmer

  1. Pour the cold water over the beef and bring to a boil.

  2. Simmer gently for three to four hours.

Strain

  1. Strain through a fine cloth or napkin that has been dipped in hot water.

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.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Lean beef
Its meat and connective tissue release flavor and gelatin into the water, giving the broth body.
Peppercorns
Releases aromatic compounds that add a mild, warm pepper flavor to the broth.

The step that matters

Simmer gently for three to four hours. Once the water boils, a gentle simmer keeps the broth clear. A hard boil churns fat and particles into the liquid, making it cloudy and can toughen the meat.

“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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