The Wages of Sin

I've got one more post about the recipes in The Perfection Stove Company's cook book and that has to do with this section on recipes for sick people and invalids. I know there was a time when people believed that sickness was the consequence of sin. Well, this would be the purgatory: eating gruel and beef tea.

Reading the recipe, I can see that beef tea is really just a beef broth but something about the idea of meat "tea" gives me the willies. I'm not sure what soaking the meat in cold water is in aid of. At first, I was afraid that it was going to be meat sun tea: put the raw meat in there awhile, take it out, and then boil the water. Mmmmm, meat tea.

Beef Tea
Secure 1 lb. steak from top of round; wipe, cut in pieces, removing fat, and soak 15 minutes in 1 pint of cold water. Put meat and water in a glass fruit jar and cover jar. Place in a kettle of cold water, allow water to heat slowly, then cook for 3 hours. Strain, season, and heat again before serving.


I assume the tea is a nice beverage with the arrowroot gruel listed above it.

Arrowroot Gruel

Use 1 t arrowroot to each half cup of boiling water. Mix with cold water to make a thin paste, adding a bit of salt; then add boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Cream or milk may be added if desired.

Arrowroot? The one thing on the planet with less taste than cornstarch, for when you can't even keep your own spit down. Oh wait, let's make it even more like spit by mixing it with cream or milk so it's slimey. There, now you don't have to go to the trouble of puking; it's already in the bowl.