Spiced Corned Beef.
6 pounds of the plate piece of beef.
1 pint of coarse salt.
3 pints of water.
3 dozen whole allspice.
2 dozen whole cloves.
This is a cheap and savory dish for luncheon and tea. Put the water and salt in a stewpan and set on the fire. Stir frequently until the water boils, and then skim carefully. Take from the fire and set away to cool. Remove the bones from the meat by slipping a sharp knife between the flesh and bone and cutting the meat from the bone. Place the beef in a stone jar or earthen bowl, and when the brine is cold pour it over the meat. Cover the dish and set it away in a cool place for six or eight days. At the end of that time remove the meat and wipe it. Spread it on a board and sprinkle the spice over it. Roll up and tie firmly. Place this roll in a kettle and cover it with boiling water. When the water begins to boil, (it will at first be somewhat cooled by the meat,) skim it carefully; then set the kettle back where the water will just bubble for six hours. At the end of that time take the beef from the kettle and place it on a large dish. Put upon it a tin pan and weights, (two bricks will be sufficient,) and set away in a cool place. The meat should be cut in thin slices when served.
In New York many of the marketmen salt and spice beef for their customers. If one can get a plate piece of corned beef that has not been too long in brine, it will answer just as well as a fresh piece, and save the housekeeper the trouble of corning it. Almost any marketman will willingly remove the bones for a customer.