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Holidays & Special Occasions

Christmas Spiced Beef

The Quirky Foodster Team

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20 minutes
Prep

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg (3 lb) beef silverside or brisket
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2 bay leaves

Method

  1. Combine brown sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, pepper and crushed juniper berries to make the spice cure.
  2. Rub the spice mixture thoroughly over the beef, place in a dish, cover, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, turning daily.
  3. Rinse the cured beef briefly under cold water to remove excess surface spice.
  4. Place the beef in a large pot with onion and bay leaves, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 3 to 3.5 hours until very tender.
  6. Cool the beef in its cooking liquid, then refrigerate and slice thinly to serve cold.

Introduction: A festive specialty particularly associated with County Cork, spiced beef is cured with a blend of warming spices for days before being slow-cooked, traditionally served cold as part of the Irish Christmas spread.

Cultural Background: A festive specialty particularly associated with County Cork, spiced beef is cured with a blend of warming spices for days before being slow-cooked, traditionally served cold as part of the Irish Christmas spread.

Tips: Turning the beef daily during curing ensures the spice mixture penetrates evenly throughout the meat.

Variations: Some family recipes add a splash of stout to the curing mixture for extra depth of flavor. Not vegetarian; no authentic vegetarian version exists as this is fundamentally a cured beef dish.

Storage: Refrigerate the cooked, sliced beef in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Reheating: Traditionally served cold; not typically reheated.

Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 260 kcal, 10g fat, 4g carbohydrate, 36g protein.

FAQs:

Q: How long does the beef need to cure?

A: At least 5 days, though some traditional recipes cure for up to a week for maximum flavor.

Q: Is spiced beef served hot or cold?

A: It is traditionally cooled and served cold, thinly sliced, as part of the Christmas table.

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