An Excellent Hash of Cold Beef

Ingredients

• 1 slice butter
• 1 dessertspoon minced herbs
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon flour
• a pinch cayenne pepper
• a pinch mace or nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pint broth or gravy
• 1/2 wine glass mushroom or compound catsup
• as needed cold cooked beef
• as needed bread sippets

Instructions

1. Melt a slice of butter in a thick saucepan over the fire.
2. When it boils, add the minced herbs and onion (or shallots) and shake them over the fire until lightly browned.
3. Stir in the flour, cayenne, mace or nutmeg, and salt, and continue cooking until the mixture is well coloured.
4. Pour in the broth or gravy—three-quarters of a pint or more depending on the amount of meat.
5. Let it boil gently for fifteen minutes.
6. Strain the sauce.
7. Add the mushroom or compound catsup and lay in the cold meat.
8. Keep it at the side of the fire until heated through and on the point of simmering, but do not let it boil.
9. Serve in a very hot dish and garnish with fried or toasted sippets of bread.