Beef a la Mode

Ingredients

• 6-7 lb the thick flank of beef
• a few slices of fat bacon
• 1 teacupful vinegar
• black pepper
• allspice
• 2 clove well mixed and finely pounded
• making altogether 1 heaped teaspoonful
• salt to taste
• 1 bunch savoury herbs, including parsley
• all finely minced and well mixed
• 3 onions
• 2 large carrots
• 1 turnip
• 1 head celery
• 1-1/2 pint water
• 1 glass port wine

Instructions

1. Slice and fry the onions of a pale brown, and cut up the other vegetables in small pieces, and prepare the beef for stewing in the following manner:--Choose a fine piece of beef, cut the bacon into long slices, about an inch in thickness, dip them into vinegar, and then into a little of the above seasoning of spice, &c., mixed with the same quantity of minced herbs.
2. With a sharp knife make holes deep enough to let in the bacon;
3. then rub the beef over with the remainder of the seasoning and herbs, and bind it up in a nice shape with tape.
4. Have ready a well-tinned stewpan (it should not be much larger than the piece of meat you are cooking), into which put the beef, with the vegetables, vinegar, and water.
5. Let it simmer _very gently_ for 5 hours, or rather longer, should the meat not be extremely tender, and turn it once or twice.
6. When ready to serve, take out the beef, remove the tape, and put it on a hot dish.
7. Skim off every particle of fat from the gravy, add the port wine, just let it boil, pour it over the beef, and it is ready to serve.
8. Great care must be taken that this does not boil fast, or the meat will be tough and tasteless; it should only just bubble.
9. When convenient, all kinds of stews, &c., should be cooked on a hot-plate, as the process is so much more gradual than on an open fire.