English Potted Beef - cooking recipe

Ingredients

500 g/ 1 lb fatless rump steak
3 cups red wine
1 pinch of powdered mace and powdered clove
60 g/ 2 oz butter
salt & freshly ground black pepper
clarified butter, to cover

Preparation

Trim the meat of all sinew and fat, cut it into 1-inch cubes and put into a stone jar or basin. Season with salt and the spices. Cover with the wine. Cover the jar or basin with foil and stand this in a roasting tim containing boiling water.
Cook this in a slow oven, 170C/325F/gas mark 3, until the meats fall apart. This could take up to 4 hours. Make sure that you top up the tin with boiling water when necessary. When the meat is ready, drain the juices into a small pan and reduce these until you have only a couple of tablespoons left.
Put the meat into a blender, or pound it to a paste in a mortar. Beat in the softened butter and the reduced juices. Check the seasoning before filling into little pots or wax cartons.
Cover with a film of clarified butter.
Serve as you would a pate.