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French Beef à la Mode

A historical recipe from Modern cookery for private families, by Eliza Acton (1882).

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A historical recipe

Modern cookery for private families, by Eliza Acton (1882). Project Gutenberg eBook #72482.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 6 ingredients

  1. two ounces of butter
  2. a tablespoonful of flour
  3. a pint of hot water
  4. a bunch of savoury herbs
  5. two small carrots
  6. three moderate-sized onions

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Flour Source of phosphorus · Source of copper · Source of manganese · +1

    Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet

    Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.

  2. Carrot High in vitamin A · Source of vitamin K · Source of potassium

    High in vitamin A · 835 µg per 100 g, 104% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin A contributes to normal iron metabolism.
    • Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes.
    • Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
    • Vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Vitamin A has a role in the process of cell specialisation.

    Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. NIH fact sheet

    Source of vitamin K · 13 µg per 100 g, 18% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
    • Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

    Vitamin K is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. It’s important for blood clotting and healthy bones and also has other functions in the body. NIH fact sheet

    Source of potassium · 320 mg per 100 g, 16% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Potassium contributes to normal muscle function.
    • Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

    Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs potassium for almost everything it does, including proper kidney and heart function, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Carrots, raw”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. (A common Receipt.) Take seven or eight pounds of a rump of beef (or of any other tender joint), free from bone, and skewer it firmly into a good shape.
  2. Put two ounces of butter into a thick saucepan or stewpan, and when it boils stir to it a tablespoonful of flour;
  3. keep these well shaken over a gentle fire until they are of a fine amber colour;
  4. then lay in the beef, and brown it on both sides, taking care that it shall not stick to the pan.
  5. Pour to it by slow degrees, letting each portion boil before the next is added or the butter will float upon the surface and be difficult to clear off afterwards, three quarters of a pint of hot water or gravy;
  6. add a bunch of savoury herbs, one large or two small carrots cut in thick slices, two or three moderate-sized onions, two bay-leaves, and sufficient pepper and salt to season the gravy.
  7. Let the meat simmer gently from four to five hours, and turn it when it is half done.
  8. When ready to serve, lift the beef into a hot dish, lay the vegetables round, and pour the gravy over it, after having taken out the herbs and skimmed away the fat.
  9. In France, half or the whole of a calf’s foot is stewed with the beef, which is there generally larded with thick lardoons of fat bacon.
  10. (For larding, see Chapter X.) Veal dressed in this way is even better than beef.
  11. The stewpan used for either should be as nearly of the size of the meat as possible.
  12. Beef, 7 to 8 lbs.: 4 to 5 hours.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Grill or grill pan
  • Chef's knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Spatula
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Modern cookery for private families, by Eliza Acton (1882). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #72482 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72482). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.