Cheap, Clear Gravy Soup

Ingredients

• 10 pounds shin or leg of beef
• 3 quarts cold water
• 1.5 ounce salt
• 0.5 teaspoonful peppercorns
• 8 cloves
• 2 blades mace
• faggot of savoury herbs
• 2 small carrots
• 1 root celery heart
• 1 mild onion
• 0.5 ounce sugar
• 1 small tablespoonful soy
• 2 small tablespoonfuls Harvey's sauce or mushroom catsup
• 1 thick slice lean ham
• 1 pound neck of beef
• 1 pint water

Instructions

1. Have the butcher cut 5–6 pounds from the thick fleshy part of the shin or leg of beef, and divide the knuckle so that the whole lies compactly in the cooking vessel.
2. Pour 3 quarts of cold water into the vessel with the beef.
3. Bring slowly to a boil, then skim well as directed for bouillon.
4. Add the salt, peppercorns, cloves, mace, faggot of savoury herbs, carrots, and celery heart; include a mild onion if you wish.
5. Let the whole stew very gently for 4 hours.
6. Probe the larger piece of beef; when tender, lift it out for serving.
7. Continue simmering the soup for 2–3 hours longer.
8. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
9. When completely cold, clear off every particle of fat from the surface.
10. Heat about 2 quarts of the soup.
11. When it boils, stir in the sugar, soy, and Harvey's sauce (or mushroom catsup in equal quantity to the soy).
12. Optionally add a thick slice of lean ham and an additional pound of neck of beef with an extra pint of water to enrich the soup.
13. Serve the boiled meat with brown caper sauce, hot horseradish sauce, sauce Robert, or sauce piquante, made with the liquor in which it was boiled.
14. Boil down the fragments of beef with fresh vegetables to make broth.