Hot Pot.

4 lbs. coarse lean beef, cut up small.
2 good-sized crabs.
½ lb. of streaked salt pork.
Bunch of sweet herbs.
1 onion.
1 bunch of asparagus—the green tops only.
8 Boston crackers.
Cayenne pepper.
Butter for crackers.
6 quarts of water.
Juice of 1 lemon.

Boil beef, herbs and onion together in the water—cooking slowly—three hours. Cool, to throw up the fat, and skim well. Put away half of the liquor with the meat, well-seasoned, for another day. Strain the remainder back into the pot; add the meat of two boiled crabs nicely cut—not chopped—up, and the pork, also boiled and cut into dice; the asparagus-tops, with plenty of seasoning. Stew for half an hour, gently. Have ready in your tureen eight Boston crackers split, laid for five minutes in boiling water, then drained and buttered. Pour the soup over these, cover, and serve, having added the lemon-juice at the last. Send sliced lemon around with it.