Ireland: Spiced Beef (March 15, 2008)

At holiday times -- especially the Christmas and New Year's period, but at other times of year as well -- spiced beef can be found in almost every butcher's window in Ireland, often with a red ribbon around it to point up its special status. A cousin of corned beef and second cousin of pastrami, spiced beef is such a mainstay of any butcher's business, and so popular with the customers, that annual competitions are held by such organizations as the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland to determine who makes the best spiced beef, regionally and at the national level. (See the results of the 2007 competition here.)

Most Irish people have been willing to let the butcher do most of the work on this dish, as it's rather labor-intensive. The beef first has to be cut, rolled, and brined. Then after the brining comes a spicing period that can run from several days to a week or more, depending on each butcher's unique recipe.

However, newer and more casual forms of the recipe have started making the rounds. These homebrew versions eliminate the initial brining by simply starting with corned beef, which has already been brined: so they take considerably less time to make. The recipe we've adapted here takes about three days, though you can leave the beef to spice for an additional day or two if you prefer.

Once the spicing period is finished, the beef is cooked by slow simmering, and then allowed to cool. It's served thinly sliced, accompanied by brown bread and butter, and (if you like the black stuff) a pint of Guinness.

Click "read more" for the recipe.

(PS: if you're reading this on Saturday, March 15th, and you're interested in making this dish, you've got just time enough -- if you start early -- to have it ready for dinner on Monday night.)

• 4 lb corned beef, silverside or tail end

• 1 teaspooon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspooons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups Guinness
• Fruit chutney and bread, to serve

First spice the beef. Blend the pepper, spices and sugar thoroughly; then mix in bay leaves and onion. Rub the mixture into the meat. Then put it into a suitable tightly lidded container and refrigerate for at least three days. Each day, turn the meat and rub in the spice mixture well.

When the spicing period is finished: Put the meat into a pan and barely cover it with cold water. Place a tight lid on the pan and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and then simmer very gently for about 3 1/2 hours. At the beginning of the last hour, add the Guinness to the cooking liquid.

When the meat has finished cooking, leave it to cool in the liquid. Remove, wrap in foil, and keep refrigerated until required. It will keep for about one week.

When ready to serve it, slice it very thinly and serve with brown soda bread -- also thinly sliced, and buttered. Other accompaniments that work well: chopped horseradish, or sour cream flavored with horseradish and salt and pepper.

(This recipe is part of the 2008 Festival of Traditional Irish Saint Patrick's Day Recipes at EuropeanCuisines.com. For the rest of the recipes, please check the menu at this page.)

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