Baked Beef II is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic layered dish of mashed potatoes, cold beef slices, fried onions and herbs moistened with gravy and topped with mashed potatoes before oven baking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Baked Beef II.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BAKED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).
II.
599. INGREDIENTS.—Slices of cold roast beef, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, 1 teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, 5 or 6 tablespoonfuls of gravy or sauce of any kind, mashed potatoes.
Mode.—Butter the sides of a deep dish, and spread mashed potatoes over the bottom of it; on this place layers of beef in thin slices (this may be minced if there is not sufficient beef to cut into slices), well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a very little onion end herbs, which should be previously fried of a nice brown; then put another layer of mashed potatoes, and beef, and other ingredients, as before; pour in the gravy or sauce, cover the whole with another layer of potatoes, and bake for 1/2 hour. This may be served in the dish, or turned out.
Time.—1/2 hour. Average cost, exclusive of the cold beef, 6d.
Sufficient.—A large pie-dish full for 5 or 6 persons.
Seasonable at any time.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
cold, roast, beef cut into thin slices
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp savoury herbs, minced
6 tbsp gravy or sauce
mashed potatoes, for topping
butter
Method:
Cut the beef into slices (ensure each slice has a little fat)
Melt a little butter in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Scatter the herbs over the top and take off the heat.
Butter the base and sides of a deep dish and spread a layer of mashed potatoes on the base. Cover with thin slices of beef that have been well seasoned with salt and black pepper. Add half the onion and herb mix then cover with another layer of potatoes. Add a second layer of beef, top with the remaining onion mix then pour in the gravy or sauce. Add a final layer of mashed potatoes then transfer the dish to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thorough and nicely browned on top.
Serve from the dish, accompanied by a good gravy and green vegetables.
