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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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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
Modernised → 1914 (proofread, p. 661)~81% of the text changedremovedadded
250 g oksekjøtt (helst nyslaktet, av lår eller kam). 2,5 dl vann (kaldt). gr. oksekjøt ¼ l. vand 1 knivsodd salt. Tørk kjøttet og skrap det langs fibrene med en skarp kniv.. Legg kjøttmassen knivsod salt Kjøttet tørres, skrapes langsefter trevlerne, haves i en kjele gryte med det kalde vannet kolde vand og saltet, rør om salt, omrøres med en gaffel og legg lokk på. Tillater gaffel, dækkes med lok; tillater tiden det, la det stå en halv time.. Sett kjelen staa ½ time; sæt gryten over svak varme og ilden, visp med to 2 gafler som holdes med baksiden mot hverandre, til kjøttet hinanden, indtil det skifter farge. Hold farve — jo langsommere, des bedre, holdende det hele tiden temperaturen like under kokepunktet (ca. 70–80 °C) – jo langsommere, desto bedre.. Ta kjelen —; ta gryten av varmen og ilden, la den stå staa i nærheten av varmen med lokk på i et kvarter. Sil, fjern alt fett og server lok paa ¼ time. Siles, fettet tages væk. Serveres straks.

Note on Modernised

Mål modernisert (gram, dl). Presiseringer om temperatur (like under kokepunktet, ca. 70–80 °C) er lagt til i trinnene for moderne kjøkken.

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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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