Spiced beef facts for kids
Packaged/processed spiced beef
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| Type | Salt beef |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Beef |
| Ingredients generally used | Spices, saltpetre, water, beer |
Spiced beef is a special kind of meat, like corned beef. It's made by adding spices and salt to beef. Then, it's cooked by boiling or slow-cooking. This tasty dish is often eaten during holidays, especially Christmas and New Year. It has been popular in England and Wales for over 300 years. However, it first came from County Cork in Ireland. Today, it's still a very important holiday food in Ireland, especially in Cork.
Spiced Beef in England and Wales
Spiced beef has been a popular dish in England and Wales for over 300 years. Sometimes, it was called "Hunting Beef." An old recipe from 1806 shows how to make it. This recipe used saltpetre, salt, and sugar. These were rubbed into the meat for three weeks.
Later recipes added more spices. These included crushed black pepper, allspice berries, and juniper berries. Juniper berries were often used in places where they grew wild. The spices were rubbed into the meat for 9 to 14 days. Then, the meat was cooked slowly in an oven for many hours. Other spices sometimes used were cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, and nutmeg.
Spiced Beef in Ireland
Unlike England and Wales, spiced beef is still a very important Christmas food in Ireland. It's even called mairteoil spíosraithe in the Irish language. Different parts of beef can be used for the Irish version. These include round, silverside, topside, rump, or brisket.
The meat is rubbed with spices, just like in England. Then, it is usually boiled or slow-cooked. Sometimes, it's cooked in water or even Guinness beer. Spiced beef is usually served cold. People often eat it in thin slices with brown bread. It also tastes great with apricot and almond chutney.
A famous writer named James Joyce mentioned spiced beef in his story "The Dead." Even today, you can find lots of spiced beef in butchers' shops in Cork. It's a special treat for the Christmas season. Many people in Ireland feel that Christmas is not complete without spiced beef.
Spiced Beef in Other Countries
Spiced beef is also a traditional holiday dish in many other countries. However, the way it's made can be different. For example, some spiced beef dishes, like pastrami and Sauerbraten, are cured in a liquid called brine. This is different from the English and Irish ways of making it.
