English Potted Beef Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season the roast with salt and pepper to taste. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the outside of the roast on all sides in the butter. After the roast is browned, add 1/2 cup water to the pan, and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sage, and 1/2 teaspoon of mint onto the roast. Place onion and garlic into the pan if desired, and season with seasoning salt and red pepper flakes, if using.
• Cover the pot, and place the roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours depending on how well done you prefer the meat to be. 2 hours for rare, and 3 for well done. Removed finished roast to a pan to keep warm.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until a smooth paste is formed. Return to medium heat, and season with remaining sage and mint. Stir in the liquid from the roasting pan, and boil, stirring constantly until the gravy is thickened. Remove from heat. Slice the roast and serve with gravy poured over the meat.

Steps:

• In a heavy medium saucepan, simmer the beef in 1/4 inch of water. Stew until very tender, about 2 to 3 hours, replacing water as necessary. Drain, reserving the liquid.
• Pass the cooked stew meat through a meat grinder twice, until it is the consistency of a thick, stringy paste.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Filter the melted butter through clean muslin (cheese cloth), to remove the milk solids.
• In a medium bowl, mix the cooked meat with 3/4 of the strained, melted butter. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg to taste. Stir in desired amount of reserved cooking liquid to moisten.
• Transfer the mixture to sterile containers and top with remaining butter. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Steps:

• Set the oven to 275°F
• Trim the meat, removing all sinews, and cut into chunks.
• Place in an ovenproof dish with a tight-fitting lid.
• Sprinkle over the pepper and nutmeg, then drizzle over the anchovy essence.
• Lastly, lay the butter over the top.
• Cover tightly and cook for at least 5 hours, until the meat is extremely tender (you can put it into the oven a hour or two before you go to bed, then retrieve it when you rise in the morning).
• Once it has been in the oven for a couple of hours (or just before you hit the sack), give it a stir, then cover again and leave it be in the oven.
• Once it is cooked, cool slightly, then place in a food processor and blitz until smooth, pale and light.
• Taste and add salt only if necessary (the anchovy paste will probably have provided quite enough).
• Pack into pots, cover with plastic wrap, and stash in the fridge to solidify.
• The potted beef will keep like this for a day or two in the fridge, but if you wish to keep it longer, for up to a week, seal the pots with clarified butter.

Steps:

• Remove skin and as much fat as possible from meat.
• Cut meat into cubes.
• Place in ovenproof dish with stock or water, clove and mace, season.
• Cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours in oven at 350°F (180°C).
• Drain liquid, remove clove, finely mince or blenderize meat.
• Melt butter, mix half into beef.
• Spoon into sterilized jars, seal with rest of melted butter.
• Refrigerate, use fairly soon.
• Serve on toast or bread.

Steps:

• Trim the meat of all sinew and fat, cut it into 1-inch cubes and put into a stone jar or basin. Season with salt and the spices. Cover with the wine. Cover the jar or basin with foil and stand this in a roasting tim containing boiling water.
• Cook this in a slow oven, 170C/325F/gas mark 3, until the meats fall apart. This could take up to 4 hours. Make sure that you top up the tin with boiling water when necessary. When the meat is ready, drain the juices into a small pan and reduce these until you have only a couple of tablespoons left.
• Put the meat into a blender, or pound it to a paste in a mortar. Beat in the softened butter and the reduced juices. Check the seasoning before filling into little pots or wax cartons.
• Cover with a film of clarified butter.
• Serve as you would a pate.