Smoked Beef à la Hambourg is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic method of preserving and flavouring beef by salting with salt, saltpetre and brown sugar and then smoking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Smoked Beef à la Hambourg.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Smoked Beef à la Hambourg that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
BEEF, SMOKED, A LA HAMBOURG.—Rub the beef with saltpetre and brown sugar, let it lie for three days, strewing common salt over it from time to time, then press it, and hang it in the chimney, burning with green wood, a little juicer wood. This will give it a fine aromatic flavour.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2kg beef, cut into large pieces
600g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp saltpetre (potassium or sodium nitrate)
1kg table salt
Method:
Cut the beef into large pieces then combine the brown sugar and saltpetre in a bowl. Rub this mixture all over the beef then place on a bed of salt in a non-reactive dish. Scatter a little salt over the top then set in the refrigerator for three days. Each day scatter a little more salt over the top.
After this time, remove the excess salt then smoke the meat in a home-made hot smoker. (See the article on making a home-made hot smoker for ideas on how to simply create your own smoker.) In this case use green wood for the smoking (apple wood is particularly good).
