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Stock, General

Take one pound of shin of beef, cut it into pieces the size of a walnut, and put these into a delicately-clean stewpan with two-pennyworth of bones broken up small and five pints of cold spring-water. If there are trimmings of meat or poultry in the house they may be thrown into the pot, as also a little bacon-rind which has been first scalded and scraped. Bring the contents of the pan slowly to the boil, carefully remove the scum as it rises, and throw in a spoonful of cold water now and then to assist it in doing so. An onion with a clove stuck into it, a turnip, a carrot, two leeks, a few outer sticks of celery, a salt-spoonful of whole pepper, and a little salt may be added if liked. Draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and let its contents simmer very gently. Keep the saucepan closely covered, excepting when it is necessary to take off the lid for the purpose of skimming. Strain the soup into an earthenware pan, and remove the fat when it forms on the surface. Time to simmer the stock, four hours. Probable cost, 1s. 4d. Sufficient for two quarts of stock.