Boiled beef is a traditional English dish which used to be eaten by working-class people in London; however, its popularity has decreased in recent years. Traditionally it was the cheaper cuts of meat that were used as boiling would make the meat more tender than roasting. It was usually cooked with onions and served with carrots and boiled potatoes. It was not uncommon for the beef to be salted in a brine for a few days, then soaked overnight to remove excess salt before it was boiled. In other parts of England cabbage replaced carrots.
This dish gave rise to the old cockney song Boiled Beef and Carrots which is still sung in some East London pubs when they have a pianist and singsong night.
Boiled beef is also a traditional Jewish dish served in many homes and Jewish delis alike. It is usually flank steak boiled and served with vegetables, broth, and sometimes matzo balls.
Famous quotes containing the words boiled and/or beef:
“A sentimental aphorism is even more a surprise than a hard- boiled sonnet.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“That night ended the day when history was written in Abilene. August 14, 1865 was the date. That was the end of the first drive on the Chisolm Trail. It was just the first of thousands of such drives bringing beef to the world.”
—Borden Chase [Frank Fowler] (1900–1971)