To make Collar'd Beef is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic dish of brined beef flank that's filled with spices and suet, rolled, cooked in wine then pressed over night before being served cold and sliced with mustard. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make Collar'd Beef.
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Original Recipe
To make Collar'd Beef (from Hannah Woolley's Queen-like Closet 1670)
3. To make Collar'd Beef.
Take a good Flank of Beef, and lay it in Pump water and Salt, or rather Saltpeter, one day and one night, then take Pepper, Mace, Nutmegs, Ginger, and Cloves, with a little of the Herb called Tarragon, beat your Spice, shred your Tarragon, and mingle these with some Suet beaten small, and strew upon your Beef, and so rowl it up, and tie it hard, and bake it in a pot with Claret Wine and Butter, let the pot be covered close, and something in the pot to keep the Meat down in the Liquor that it may not scorch, set it into the Oven with Houshold bread, and when it is baked, take it out, and let it cool, then hang it up one night in the Chimney before you eat it, and so as long as you please.
Serve it in with Bay Leaves, and eat it with Mustard and Sugar.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2kg piece of beef flank
250g salt
2l water
2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely shredded
75g shredded suet
100g butter
600ml red wine
flour and water paste to seal
Method:
Dissolve the salt in the water. Place the beef in a large dish, pour over the brine, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for a full 24 hours.
After this time, drain the meat, wash off any excess salt and pat the meat dry. Combine the spices, tarragon and suet. Scatter this over the inside of the beef. Roll the beef up to enclose the suet and spices then tie securely with string. Sit this in a casserole dish and pour over the wine. Add enough water to just cover the meat then dot over the butter.
Seal the lid with the flour and water paste then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the oven and take out of the wine. Sit the meat between two plates, put heavy weights on top and press down over night. Serve the pressed beef cold when sliced and serve garnished with bayleaves and accompanied by mustard and brown sugar.
