Hung Beef. No, 1
Ingredients
Directions
Cure
Cover the beef in coarse sea salt and let it sit for one month, ensuring it is well covered with brine.
Rub a little saltpetre over the beef two or three days before hanging it up.
Dry
Strew the beef with bran or oatmeal to protect it from dust, or wrap it in strong coarse paper.
Hang the beef in the kitchen, away from direct heat, to dry.
Check the drying time regularly, depending on air circulation.
Cook and serve
Soak the beef in water based on its dryness before cooking.
Half boil the beef in simmering water, then roast it.
Do not cut the beef until it is cold.
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
- Beef
- Forms the main body of the dish, becoming firm and concentrated as it cures and dries.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the meat and carries the brine that preserves it.
- Saltpetre
- Helps preserve the meat and keeps its colour during the long curing period.
- Bran or oatmeal
- Forms a dust-protecting coating on the surface while the beef hangs to dry.
The step that matters
Soaking before cooking. Soaking must be matched to how dry the beef has become. Too little leaves it overly salty and tough, while too much washes out flavour. Checking dryness regularly during hanging helps judge this.
“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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