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Extract from an account of the manner and expence of making stewed ox's
head for the poor. by Mrs Shore of Norton Hall in Derbyshire. pp 081-085 dated
29th October 1797
One of the members of the society has been very desirous of the particulars of
the ox-head stew, which is given away at Norton Hall conceiving that they may be
of service. The whole is divided into 52 messes, each mess containing a piece of
meat, a piece of fat, and a quart of soup. The distribution of it has been
continued since October 1792, once a week, and sometimes oftener, from October
to May. The poor people receive it very thankfully, and generally reserve part
of the mess for the second day. The manner of preparing it is as follows - Wash
the ox's head very clean and well, and then put into 13 gallons of water; add a
peck and a half of pared potatoes, half a quartern of onions, a few carrots, and
a handful of pot herbs; thicken it with 2 quarts of oatmeal, and add pepper and
salt to your taste :- set it to stew with a gentle fire, early in the afternoon,
allowing as little evaporation as may be, and not skimming off the fat; but
leaving the whole to stew gently over the fire, which should be renewed and made
up at night. Make a small fire under the boiler at seven o' clock in the
morning, and keep adding as much water as will make up the waste by evaporation,
keeping it gently stewing till noon, when it
will be ready to serve for dinner. The whole is then to be divided into 52
messes; each containing (by a previous division of the meat and fat) a piece of
each and a quart of savoury nourishing soup.
The expence of the materials in the northern counties, where it has been tried,
may be thus stated :-
Ox's head 1s-6d
Potatoes
7.5d
Onions etc
3.5d
Total
2s-5d
This amounts, exclusive of fuel and trouble, to rather more than a half-penny
for each mess, or about 2 pence a gallon; but ib the dearer parts of England,
the articles being purchased by retail the mess may cost as much as 3 farthings
or a penny.
The beef and other bones, and crusts of bread, of the family may be added to the
stew; and will improve the soup, without any additional expence.
Observations.
The above is submitted to the consideration of those house-keepers who have not
yet adopted a similar charity, as a cheap and useful mode of relieving their
poor neighbours, and of gradually teaching them a better system of diet, than
they at present possess. The sum of 2s-5d a week for 7 months (amounting to £3-12s-6d
a year) in the cheap parts of England, and a few shillings more in others, is
the expence of a charity, which may retain on its lists 52 poor persons, and
supply them with the comfort of two meals a week.
This receipt was tried by a gentleman to whom I gave the
receipt, in September last, at Auckland workhouse, and was, as I understand
extremely liked by the poor. Though the expence was very small, yet the quantity
produced being a great deal more than the people of the workhouse could use, the
cottagers near the workhouse were desired to send for messes of it; and had, in
consequence, the benefit of a plenteous and unexpected meal. It is now inserted
in their table of diet, to be made once a week for the benefit of the poor, both
in and out of the workhouse. This dish requires more attention, and more
conveniences for cookery, than are to be found in a cottage. It would be a good
thing if part of every workhouse was converted into a parochial cook's shop, to
furnish the poor, who receive no other relief, with cheap and nourishing dishes,
which they have neither the mens, skill, or inclination to make.
Source:
The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the
Comforts of the Poor. Vol 1 1798 446 pp
Submitted by Alan Longbottom
Page last updated
06 August, 2007 by Rossbret
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10 Stewed Ox Head