Come with us as we embark on a culinary time-travel adventure, where flavors of the past and present collide into a “reimagined” dish. This 1859 recipe for “Spiced Beef in the Irish Style” has been created into a present day Irish spice bag. The original historical recipe is listed following the reinvention.
The Irish spice bag is a popular fast food dish in Ireland, particularly in urban areas. It typically consists of a mix of fried or battered meat, fries, and a variety of vegetables such as red and green peppers, and onions. These ingredients are tossed together in a spicy seasoning mix and then served in a paper or foil bag. The spice bag has become a common Irish “street food”, reflecting the multicultural influences from Chinese and Asian culinary traditions.
Simplified Beef Irish Spice Bag Recipe
1 lb beef strips (sirloin or flank steak works
well)
3 large potatoes, cut into fries
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Oil for frying
Spice Mix:
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp allspice,
1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp chili powder, pinch of garlic
In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, ground cloves, allspice, brown sugar, and chili powder. Mix well. Place the beef strips in a bowl and sprinkle half of the spice mix over them. Toss until the beef is evenly coated. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes, or longer if you have time. Heat oil in a deep fryer or large pan to 180°C (356°F). Fry the potato fries until golden and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. In a skillet or wok, heat a little oil over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef strips and stir-fry until they are just cooked through (about 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness). Remove the beef and set aside. In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed, and stir-fry the sliced bell pepper and onion until they are soft but still slightly crisp.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked beef, fries, and
stir-fried vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix over the top and toss
everything together.
Serve immediately, either in a large bowl or in
individual paper bags.
(Original Recipe) Spiced Beef in the Irish Style - 1859
*Editor's Note: The original recipe Below also included an ounce of "saltpetre". this was a preservative used for meats, and is also used for toothpaste and explosives. We do not recommend using it in this recipe. We also recommend that you refrigerate the meat if you do not intend on baking it right away, contrary to the recipe suggestion.
"To a round weighing from twenty to twenty-five pounds, take a pint of salt, two ounces of pepper, two ounces of cloves, one ounce of allspice, four ounces of brown sugar, all well pulverized, and mixed together; rub the round well with it, and lay it in a small tub or vessel by itself. Turn and rub it once a day for ten days. It will not injure if it remain a week longer in the spices, if it should not be convenient to bake it. When you wish to have it cooked, strew over the top of the round a small handful of suet. Be particular to bind it tight round with a cord, or narrow strip of muslin, which must be wrapped several times round to keep it in shape; put it in a dutch-oven, and add three pints of water when it is first put down; keep water boiling in the tea-kettle, and add a little as it seems necessary, observing not to add too much. It will require a slow heat, and take four hours to bake."
-1859 Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts and Hints to Young Housekeepers, Elizabeth Lea
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