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Ox Cheek Soup

From Mrs. Beeton's household management (1907).

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A historical recipe

Mrs. Beeton's household management, by Mrs. (Isabella Mary) Beeton (1907).

United Kingdom

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

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Printed in United Kingdom: that says where the book was made, not where the dish comes from.

Ingredients 3 ingredients

  1. 5 quarts of water
  2. 2 onions
  3. 2 carrots

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. 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.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • 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. Ingredients.
  2. — 5 quarts of water, i ox cheek, 2 onions, 2 carrots, I turnip, i strip of celery, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, basil, marjoram, bay-leaf), 12 peppercorns, 4 cloves, 2 blades of mace, 2 ozs.
  3. of butter, 2 ozs.
  4. of flour.
  5. Method.
  6. — Soak the cheek in salt and warm water for 5 or 6 hours, changing it 2 or 3 times.
  7. Prepare the vegetables and cut them into thick slices, melt the butter in a large stewpan, add the vegetables to it, and fry until brown.
  8. Well wash the ox cheek, break the bones into small pieces, and put them into the stewpan ;
  9. also put in the herbs, seasonings, meat and water.
  10. Bring slowly to the boil, skim well, put on the cover and simmer gently for 3 hours, or according to the size of the cheek, strain, return the soup to the saucepan, and bring to the boil.
  11. Mix the flour smoothly with a little cold water or stock, pour it into the soup, stir and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes.
  12. Cut the smaller pieces of meat into dice and add them to the soup, also cut a few dice of cooked celery and carrot.
  13. Season to taste, and serve.
  14. Time.
  15. — About 4 hours.
  16. Average Cost, 2s.
  17. 6d.
  18. Seasonable in winter.
  19. Sufficient for 12 persons.
  20. THYME (Fr.
  21. thym).
  22. — There are numerous species of this aromatic plant, which are native to the temperate regions.
  23. The wild variety in Britain is characterized by its well-known fragrant smell.
  24. The cultivated garden-thyme is indigenous to the south of Europe ;
  25. its young leaves and tops are used for flavouring soups and sauces, and as an ingredient in stuffings.
  26. From the essential oil contained in thyme a flavouring essence is prepared.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Slotted spoon
  • Sieve
Source public domain per archive.org metadata; unverified
Credit

From Mrs. Beeton's household management (1907), printed page 169, digitised by the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/mrsbeetonshouse00beetuoft

What was changed: Read by machine from the book's scanned text into ingredients and method. The title's capitals were tidied; spelling and scanning errors are left as they are.