BARLEY SOUP.
   116. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of shin of beef, ¼ lb. of pearl barley, a
large bunch of parsley, 4 onions, 6 potatoes, salt and pepper, 4 quarts
of water.
   Mode.—Put in all the ingredients, and simmer gently
for 3 hours.
   Time.—3 hours. Average cost, 2½ d. per quart.
  Seasonable all the year, but more suitable for winter.

          BEEF A LA MODE.
            (Economical.)
   601. INGREDIENTS.—About 3 lbs. of clod or sticking of beef, 2 oz. of
clarified dripping, 1 large onion, flour, 2 quarts of water, 12 berries of
allspice, 2 bay-leaves, ½ teaspoonful of whole black pepper, salt to
taste.
   Mode.—Cut the beef into small pieces, and roll them in flour ; put
the dripping into a stewpan with the onion, which should be sliced
thin. Let it get quite hot ; lay in the pieces of beef, and stir them
well about. When nicely browned all over, add by degrees boiling
water in the above proportion, and, as the water is added, keep the
whole well stirred. Put in the spice, bay-leaves, and seasoning, cover
the stewpan closely, and set it by the side of the fire to stew very
gently, till the meat becomes quite tender, which will be in about 3
hours, when it will be ready to serve. Remove the bay-leaves before
it is sent to table.
   Time.—3 hours. Average cost, 1s. 3d.
   Sufficient for 6 persons.
   Seasonable at any time.

            BEEF A LA MODE.
   602. INGREDIENTS.—6 or 7 lbs. of the thick flank of beef, a few slices
of fat bacon, 1 teacupful of vinegar, black pepper, allspice, 2 cloves
well mixed and finely pounded, making altogether 1 heaped teaspoon-
ful ; salt to taste, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, all
finely minced and well mixed; 3 onions, 2 large carrots, 1 turnip,
1 head of celery, 1 ½ pint of water, 1 glass of port wine.
   Mode.—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. With a sharp knife make holes deep
enough to let in the bacon ; then rub the beef over with the remainder
of the seasoning and herbs, and bind it up in a nice shape with tape.
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. Let it simmer very gently for 5 hours,
or rather longer, should the meat not be extremely tender, and turn
it once or twice. When ready to serve, take out the beef, remove the
tape, and put it on a hot dish. 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. Great care must be taken that this does
not boil fast, or the meat will be tough and tasteless; it should only
just bubble. 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.
   Time.—5 hours, or rather more. Average cost, 7d. per lb.
   Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.
   Seasonable all the year, but more suitable for a winter dish.

          BEEF RAGOUT (Cold Meat Cookery).
   656. INGREDIENTS.—About 2 lbs. of cold roast beef, 6 onions,
pepper, salt, and mixed spices to taste; ½ pint of boiling water, 3
tablespoonfuls of gravy.
   Mode.—Cut the beef into rather large pieces, and put them into a
stewpan with the onions, which must be sliced. Season well with
pepper, salt, and mixed spices, and pour over about ½ pint of boiling
water, and gravy in the above proportion (gravy saved from the
meat answers the purpose) ; let the whole stew very gently for about
2 hours, and serve with pickled walnuts, gherkins, or capers, just
warmed in the gravy.
   Time.—2 hours. Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 4d.
Seasonable at any time.