Stewed Ox-Tails

Ingredients

• 2 ox-tails
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves
• 1 blade mace
• 1 teaspoonful whole black pepper
• 1 teaspoonful allspice
• 1/2 a teaspoonful of salt
• a small bunch of savoury herbs
• thickening of butter and flour
• 1 tablespoonful lemon-juice
• 1 tablespoonful mushroom ketchup

Instructions

1. Divide the tails at the joints, wash, and put them into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and set them on the fire;
2. when the water boils, remove the scum, and add the onion cut into rings, the spice, seasoning, and herbs.
3. Cover the stewpan closely, and let the tails simmer very gently until tender, which will be in about 2-1/2 hours.
4. Take them out, make a thickening of butter and flour, add it to the gravy, and let it boil for 1/4 hour.
5. Strain it through a sieve into a saucepan, put back the tails, add the lemon-juice and ketchup;
6. let the whole just boil up, and serve.
7. Garnish with croûtons or sippets of toasted bread.