Spiced beef

trishasaffron · 15-12-2015 6:38pm #1

OMG! Cooked one last night......steeped it in cooking liquid (guiness and veg mix) overnight.....its supposed to be for sister and her family who arrive from Canada tomorrow but I've almost eaten the whole thing already........it is delicious especially sliced really thinly with mustard. Yum, yum.

lenscap · 18-12-2015 3:15pm

Yep , you can't beat spiced beef. I do mine in the pressure cooker and then it's pick at it when cold, that and a home cooked ham.

the beer revolu · 18-12-2015 5:43pm

Good with mustard, even better with horse radish.

RasTa · 22-12-2015 11:05am

What is it? FXB had a few in the window

the beer revolu · 22-12-2015 12:16pm

RasTa wrote: »

What is it? FXB had a few in the window

It's wet cured beef which is then left in a dry spice mixture to infuse and become spiced beef. Usually boiled like bacon or ham and served cold, sliced thinly.

dudara · 23-12-2015 8:22am

It's utterly delicious. I cook mine in the pressure cooker with white wine, brown sugar, bay leaves & water. Leave to cool in the cooking water for extra tenderness.

I love mine in sandwiches with a hard cheese (like Coolea) and some mustard. Delicious

RasTa · 23-12-2015 12:32pm

Sounds like a thing for Cork people, I'll leave them at it. Might catch some of their diseases.

The Black Oil · 23-12-2015 12:35pm

What's the Christmas connection with this, if any?

Alun · 23-12-2015 12:43pm

I've bought one this year for the first time ever as I've never had it before (I'm English!) I haven't cooked it yet, but I have a vague idea it might be a bit like pastrami, would that be anything close?

dudara · 23-12-2015 2:38pm

RasTa wrote: »

Sounds like a thing for Cork people, I'll leave them at it. Might catch some of their diseases.

Cork and Dublin thing. Don't know how widespread it is elsewhere.

Alun wrote:

I've bought one this year for the first time ever as I've never had it before (I'm English!) I haven't cooked it yet, but I have a vague idea it might be a bit like pastrami, would that be anything close?

Good comparison, not dissimilar

the beer revolu · 23-12-2015 2:46pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

What's the Christmas connection with this, if any?

Dunno why but it was always consumed at and associated with Christmas. In recent years, it's available all year round.

I distinctly remember BBC's Food and Drink show doing a recipe for it back in the late 80s or early 90s so it's not unknown in the UK.

Faith · 23-12-2015 4:40pm

RasTa wrote: »

Sounds like a thing for Cork people, I'll leave them at it. Might catch some of their diseases.

You may only be joking, but that sort of post is not welcome in this forum. Don't post like that again.

pwurple · 26-12-2015 8:32am

The Black Oil wrote: »

What's the Christmas connection with this, if any?

I don't know... I've a few guesses though!

Spices are always traditional and readily available around christmas, in cakes, cloves stuck in oranges, cinnamon all over the place. Why not on meat!

It's very close to the recipe for pastrami. Beef with a wet brine, followed by dry spices. Pastrami was brought around the world by jewish people, as a way of preserving meat before refridgeration. It would be eaten during hanukka, which is very near christmas. I'm guessing there was some cultural integration with the jewish quarter in Cork.

Anyway, wherever it came from, it's flipping delicious and always makes up our christmas brekkie. Thinly sliced Spiced beef on toasted malt bread. NOMS!

dudara · 26-12-2015 9:58am

Finished our first piece last night. Must see where I can get another one today.

pugwall · 26-12-2015 4:23pm

I think it became popular in Cork and Dublin after a Darina Allen cookery show in the mid 1990's.
My family cooked it for the last few years and its delicious. We just boil it in water for 90 mins (1.7 KG).
Must try some other liquid recipes next year like the above recommended.

the beer revolu · 26-12-2015 4:27pm

pugwall wrote: »

I think it became popular in Cork and Dublin after a Darina Allen cookery show in the mid 1990's.
My family cooked it for the last few years and its delicious. We just boil it in water for 90 mins (1.7 KG).
Must try some other liquid recipes next year like the above recommended.

Nope.
It was popular in Cork (I can't speak for elsewhere) long before the 90s.
Certainly in the 70s.
Before that, ask someone older!

mneylon · 29-12-2015 8:03pm

It's traditional in Cork and Waterford.
It's become a lot more commercialised over the last few years, so you can often find packs of cold slices in some of the larger supermarkets around the country,

Personally I prefer having spiced beef to turkey

Taboola · 29-12-2015 8:18pm

I tried some of this for the first time over Christmas. Wasn't a fan. I prefer my beef in steak form.

Red Wolf · 29-12-2015 8:49pm

My mother said they used to do it in parts of Belfast a long time ago

Tree · 29-12-2015 9:35pm

The mother picks it up sliced from the deli in the local supervalu on Xmas Eve, every year, as the rest of us aren't keen on it.

iora_rua · 29-12-2015 9:48pm

To me it sounds like ham, full of additives and/or sugar/salt? Can't imagine more than a couple of slices would be a good idea?

RentDayBlues · 29-12-2015 9:54pm

I just can't stomach it at all, my mother in law does it every year, bleh!

The Hill Billy · 29-12-2015 9:55pm

It is brined beef with spices - Water & salt being the main additives, so I can't see what the issue is on that point.

That said, it is very highly flavoured, so you probably wouldn't eat huge amounts in one sitting.

Miaireland · 30-12-2015 2:44pm

I wasn't a fan until a family member made their own this year. It was really lovely. I know our local butcher used to only make it at Christmas but in the last couple of years they supply it all year round. It seems to be more and more to see it on sandwich menus around here.

Day Lewin · 01-01-2016 12:55am

In the Cork area, it is traditionally available as a general thing: in the rest of the country, Christmas only. Just one of those things!

And it's not well known really outside Dublin or Northern Ireland: when butchers used to always spice their own and display it with holly or - more recently - holly printed plastic, LOL!
Even Tesco usually have it at Christmas. F X Buckley do a great one, too: but be aware that there are 2 qualities: Brisket (that's the one that would be more like pastrami) and Silverside (lightly marbled)

Theodora Fitzgibbon gave a recipe for making your own in a book called A Taste of Ireland, published in 1968.
I actually made my own, as a beginner bride, from a Katie Stewart recipe in a book that I bought about 1970 in England: and Elizabeth David mentions it too, as a Christmas dish, in "Spices, salt and aromatics in the English kitchen" : and she also informs us that it may be bought in Harrods. (But, of course!)

It is the BEST thing, slowly simmered and pressed and sliced thin: hot with chicken, or cold, with mustard, in sandwiches - one of the glories of an Irish Christmas.

If you haven't tried it, do.

tickingclock · 01-01-2016 1:11am

Theodora Fitzgibbon gave a recipe for making your own in a book called A Taste of Ireland, published in 1968.

I'm a massive Theodora fan. She was such a talented lady. I have numerous newspaper clippings from her recipes in the paper. I've never tried her spiced beef recipie. When you have a chance could you post it please?

Day Lewin · 01-01-2016 1:27am

@tickingclock - yes, sure.
I've never made hers, mind: but I've made another, several times; and it was always delicious.

Mike Litoris · 08-01-2016 5:04pm

McLaughlans in Ballyfermot used to sell it. I used to be a butcher there many moons ago. Not sure if they still do but it was always in stock and really sold well at xmas and easter.

IIRC it was basically standard corned beef rolled in a spice mix that reeked of cloves. The boss always made it himself so I've no idea what exactly went into it. He always used the Eye of the Round as it gave a nice cylindrical joint. I tried it once and didn't really like it.

Spiced beef

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