Spiced Beef (Irish)

This specialty of Cork, where it is particularly associated with the Christmas season, is just what its name suggests: beef (sometimes ox tongue) marinated or pickled in spices, almost always including peppercorns, allspice, and juniper. Salt and sugar, and sometimes vinegar or stout, are added as preservatives. Old recipes always called for saltpeter, later replaced by Prague powder, a sausage maker's concoction of salt and sodium nitrite. If you're going to eat your spiced beef within a week or so of making it, salt and sugar should be sufficient. Serve with a green salad or homemade chutney and soda bread, if you like.

2 Tbsp. whole allspice berries
2 Tbsp. whole juniper berries
2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. treacle or molasses
½ cup sea salt (125 g)
1 (3-4 lb) eye of beef round or brisket, boneless, tied into a compact shape with kitchen twine (1.5-2 kg)
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 carrot, coarsely chopped

Grind the allspice, juniper, peppercorns, and coriander seeds together in a spice mill or food processor until fine. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, treacle, and salt and mix well.

Rub the spice mixture all over the surface of the beef and into any crevices. Put the beef into a nonreactive dish or bowl just wide enough to hold it, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for 1 week, turning it once a day.

Put the onion and carrot in the bottom of a pot wide enough to hold the beef, then put the beef on top of the vegetables. Add enough cold water to cover the beef, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the beef is tender, occasionally skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. (The beef will take 3-5 hours to become tender, depending on the cut and quality of the meat.)

Remove the beef from the liquid, allow it to cool to room temperature, then put it into a nonreactive rectangular pan just big enough to hold it. Cut a piece of thick cardboard so it will just fit over the beef, wrap the cardboard in foil, and put it on top of the beef. Weigh the cardboard down with heavy cans or other weights and return the beef to the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the twine and cut the beef into thin slices.

Makes 10-12 servings.