Scottish beef ham

[boderectium]

What are the blend of spices used to coat Scottish beef ham?

Allspice and the rest?

How is it served for breakfast? With gravy/ onions?

Thanks

[KenR]

I have been trying to get the recipe for a while myself. In Edinburgh it is treated as a Glasgow thing so the butchers here won't touch it, but it really is all over Scotland except Edinburgh... bah and humbug.
If I can't get back home through to Glasgow and pick some up I just sprinkle some ground allspice on as my old butcher in Inverness explained that that was what it was predominantly made from. Its close enough to pretend anyway :-)
Never had or heard of it for breakfast myself, but can't see any good reason why not. It would work quite well with some egg perhaps... and baked beans of course.
Gravy... NEVER!!!! That would destroy all that is good about it. I, and everyone I know, would just fry it in a little oil for a couple of minutes each side and serve. I usually have it with some boiled potatoes and perhaps some green beans, or if I really want to rack up the fat I have it with chips. Also lovely hot in a sandwich... yummm.
Going to subscribe to this and see if anyonoe actually has the correct recipe :-)

[ACB312]

It is not usually served for breakfast. As far as I know the main use is in making beef olives. That is, cut to size to wrap around individual good quality beef sausages and fairly slowly cooked in a casserole. I usually do them on a bed of finely sliced onions which forms a nice gravy. Cheers, Andy

[nickmo]

Probably do you: http://thefoody.com/mrsbmeat/spicedbeef.html

takes two weeks to get the seasoning into the beef.....this is for a roast but slice either before or when cooked, and there you go. Its a preserved beef in 'Jamaican spices' but make sure its properly treated to het he real effect...

There are variations which use brown sugar, maybe varying the cooking times etc - just search - spiced beef recipes - but the key is the saltpetre (potassium nitrate) which is a preserveative used in curing meats. Disclaimer here....use with extreme caution! - buy online here as one source: http://www.sausagemaking.org for example or also at the Natural Casing Company http://www.naturalcasingco.co.uk too and make sure you are ok handling the stuff.

Want to talk to a maker of beef hams? Speak to F Norris & Son, a traditional butchers in Wigtown. Or just go there and buy tons. As a breakfast dish just fry and serve, as any bacon - but as said - no, not gravy............

Hope that helps..

[nickmo]

Meant to add - I picked on Norris's as a butcher that you'll get details off the web but you may find a good reputable butcher will be able to offer the same product near you - especially if you are in Scotland....

[boderectium]

Thanks for the answers so far. I realise that the recipe is a secret to each butcher, but I'm guessing the secret is maybe in the preparation and the ratio of certain spices.

The reason I mentioned gravy, was because I was given a beef ham, egg and morning roll for breakfast.

The beef ham seemed to have come out of a pot which had onions and a very thin gravy...but then I was quite close to Edinburgh!

[skibob808]

i used too eat it for breakfast with bacon eggs black pudding & fruit pudding...yum!!!

[skibob808]

i used to have it for breakfast with bacon eggs black pudding& fruit pudding,etc,,,yum

[pocket]

Im from Prince Edward Island, Canada. We have a beef ham recipe, and I hope it is the same thing you are asking for. You will need:
3-3.5 lb round roast
1/2 cup of coarse salt
1/4 lb brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg.

Sprinkle over meat. Rub it in really well. Over a day or two, all of this will liquify. spoon it over the roast and rub it in for abut fifteen minutes. Rub and turn daily. (store it in the fridge in a covered pan) Rub and turn daily. Do this for nine or ten days, then slice about as thick as bacon. I like to fry it in a cast iron pan, then , after you have taken the meat out of the pan, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, scrape the pan and mix with the water, makes a good "juice" or "gravy". Let me know if this is what you are looking for.

[Lepetitcafe]

I am also looking for the spice recipe for spiced beef ham - I can remember as a child in the Perth area of Soctland eating this for breakfast with fried eggs - I know the beef is cut from the top of the rump - sliced very thinly - then you coat or dust the spices onto the raw meat before frying it. It has the most delicious flavor and a real treat.
I think the specail spice mix consitists of Allspice, Mace, Cinnamon but in the dark as to the quantities etc- anyone out there willing to help!!!

[ian-a]

Pimenta

[agrider]

I just made my Great Great Grandfather's recipe for Scottish Beef Ham. My family has made it off and on through the years. It is kind of complicated and time consuming but well worth it. I had to take my ancestor's recipe and convert it from a whole Beef hindquarter (100+ pounds) to a more manageable 6 pound roast. Here is what we do:

Take one 6 pound Eye of the Round beef roast and rinse and pat dry. Mix one teaspoon salt peter and one cup salt in about two gallons warm water in a big container that preferable has a lid. Put the roast into the brine mixture and weight it down so that it stays submerged in water mixture. Put lid on and place in fridge for 9 days. Turn the roast every day. You will notice that the brine is pulling the blood out of the roast and turning the water pink and murky.

After nine days, take roast out of brine and pat dry. Mix 4 tablespoons ground Allspice and 4 tablespoons ground pepper and rub this mixture into the roast. Massage it very vigorously into the roast until no more of the spices will adhere. Wrap roast in aluminum foil and freeze for at least one to two months.

When ready to eat, slice off the amount of frozen meat you desire to consume. Slice very thinly. Put the remainder back in freezer for later use. Saute the amount you sliced in real butter. Turn and add more butter and a little water and let reduce down several times. Serve the meat and the drippings/gravy over homemade drop biscuits.

Like I said, this was my GGGrandfather's recipe and he was from Ayre, Scotland, so I know it is authentic to that area and our family. Hope this helps!

[sbar175]

agrider - great info -without sounding dense - how do you cut slices off a frozen joint to only use what you need here??

[sbar175]

agrider - fab answer but one thing ( and I may be being dense) how do you cut the requited amount you want to use off of a frozen joint ?

[agrider]

We have an electric meat slicer that thinly slices the roast while still mostly frozen. Then we put the rest back in the freezer. The beef roast I use doesn't have a bone. Hope that helps!

[littlebrosna]

When my mother bought raw beef ham, from any butcher in the Glasgow or surrounding areas where we lived in the 1950's and 60's, the meat had never been marinated. It was cut thinly, fresh from a larger piece of meat. The butcher then rubbed or sprinkled the slices with a spice mix of some kind, (don't know what), and it was always fried in beef fat, served with fried egg, or potatoes and beans. it was a great ,easy dish, and I miss it !

[Meok]

Allspice is just one spice.... it's not a mix of spices although it does have the flavours of several spices.

Allspice should be available in grocery stores in the spice section where you get your salt, pepper, etc etc.

In America and Canada you can buy it in you local grocery store or Bulk Barn if you have one near you but don't buy too much as the same with most spices they are best when fresh.
Just sprinkle it over your beef ham, minute steaks, thin sliced steak or whatever you call where you live in the world and fry it until cooked through.
Can also be used on Pork chops sprinkled on both sides (To your taste, covered + or -)
And yes it's the same spice as the butcher used in Scotland.