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Beef Tea, Quick Method

Quick beef tea (meat juice): 250 g of scraped raw beef steeped in 2.5 dl of cold water with salt, heated just below boiling while whisking, left to stand 15 min and strained. Served at once.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 661 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

"Beef tea" is meat juice drawn from raw beef without actual boiling — a classic restorative drink for weak patients. This quick version was intended for cases where one did not have four hours for the long method.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Scrape the meat

    Wipe the meat and scrape it along the grain with a sharp knife.

  2. 2

    Place in cold water

    Place the meat mass in a pot with the cold water and salt, stir with a fork, and put on a lid. If time allows, let it stand for half an hour.

  3. 3

    Steep below boiling

    Set the pot over low heat and whisk with two forks held back to back until the meat changes color. Keep the temperature just below boiling the whole time (about 70–80 °C (175 °F)) — the slower, the better.

  4. 4

    Let stand and strain

    Take the pot off the heat and let it stand near the warmth with a lid on for a quarter of an hour. Strain, remove all fat, and serve at once.

Changes from the original

Measurements modernized (grams, dl). Clarifications about temperature (just below boiling, about 70–80 °C (175 °F)) have been added to the steps for the modern kitchen.

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Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

1914 (korrekturlest, s. 661)1949 (korrekturlest, s. 794)~46% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
250 gr. oksekjøt oksekjøtt ¼ l. vand vann 1 knivsod salt knivsodd salt. Kjøttet tørres, tørkes, skrapes langsefter trevlerne, haves langs efter trevlene, has i gryte med det kolde vand vann og salt, omrøres med gaffel, dækkes dekkes med lok; lokk; tillater tiden det, la det staa ½ stå ¼ time; sæt sett gryten over ilden, varmen, visp med 2 gafler med baksiden mot hinanden, indtil hinnanden — inntil det skifter farve — jo langsommere, des langsommere dess bedre, holdende det hele tiden like under kokepunktet —; ta gryten av ilden, varmen, la den staa stå i nærheten av varmen med lok paa lokk på ¼ time. Siles, fettet tages væk. tas vekk. Serveres straks.

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Frequently asked questions

What is "beef tea" and what is it used for?
Beef tea is a clear meat drink (tea of beef) made without long boiling. In Schønberg Erken's Great Cookbook (1914, p. 661) it belongs to food for the sick, and yields one serving of a restorative drink served at once.
Which ingredients do I need?
250 g of beef, 1/4 liter of water, and a knife tip of salt.
Why must it not boil?
The meat juice should be drawn out slowly without boiling — keep the pot just below boiling the whole time and whisk with two forks (backs together) until the meat changes color. The slower, the better the result.
How long does it take?
If time allows: first let the meat stand for ½ hour in cold, salted water. After heating, the pot is set with a lid near the warmth for 1/4 hour, before it is strained and the fat removed. About 75 minutes in all.

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