Beef Tea from a Victorian Hospital

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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose

#tastinghistory #beeftea

[SoberOKMoments]

I turned 80 this year. My gran was born in the 1880s so she was, in fact, a Victorian. She made beef tea and potted meat and I suspect her own Mum taught her how to make them. Her son, my Dad, made them, too, as do I. My gran lived well into her 90s, so did my Dad, and - well - I'm on my way! I credit the beef tea as one of the items that leads to longevity. 😄

[MissingmyBabbu]

I remember being hospitalized for quite a while after a surgery I had (I've had many). I was on a special diet. Clear liquids (water, tea, juice w/o pulp, and some broths) only. Well, my roommate's mom had made it a habit of bringing him meals. And this was the sweetest lady. When she heard I was going to be allowed crackers and breads, she went and made me a big thermos of homemade chicken stock and brought in these herby matzo breads. I was so happy, and it was so delicious that I cried. I still remember that woman, and it's been over a decade. I think of her any time I have chicken broth or chicken soup or things like it.

[AnonEyeMouse]

Bovril is just comfort food (well drink) for cold nights and the umami flavour makes you salivate, which helps if you have a cold. Also, as a broke student, buttered bread dipped in a cup of bovril could fill the stomach when there was nothing left in the cupboard. Always struck me as a very british thing, so I'm to hear other places had it, too. It's nothing fancy but it's just perfect for wet, cold winter nights.

[PersonalityMalfunction]

During my childhood in Scandinavia, a kind of beef tea was often given to us boys by our mom on winter evenings after playing in the snow all afternoon. It was utterly delicious with a teaspoon of salted butter stirred through just before drinking. A very pleasant memory I haven't thought about for decades! Thank you, Max!

[Tyu]

Beef Tea? Just sounds like a complicated way of drinking beef broth, but I’m for it. Glad I caught this early 🎉

[McDomk]

Love how you mention Bovril as this historic thing, when my mum (who's only in her early 60s) still swears by Bovril tea when you're sick

[MattW-ql]

Not too dissimilar from drinking chicken broth or beef broth, which is still something recommended for sick people

[cocopop]

When i got my wisdom teeth removed a few months ago, I was basically surviving off of yogurt, icecream, etc and didnt have any meat or savory for like 2 weeks. My mom made her beef stew and let me drink the broth (Basically beef tea) and it was the best meal ive ever had in my life it tasted so freaking good lol

[Claymore]

In Scotland we still drink beef tea and eat potted meat (which we call in Scots 'pottit hough'), although our recipes are pretty different. For a start, we use the cheapest cuts of beef like beef skirt, trimmings and oxtails for beef tea.
We slow cook it like you would for a bone broth, adding mostly only salt and pepper but sometimes a wee bit nutmeg. The meat and bones get pan roasted in butter and onions before adding the water for the long, slow cook.
After it's ready it's left to cool on the bunker (again, Scots for counter top), and a thick head of beef dripping/tallow forms. This is removed and kept, then the liquid is either sieved or past through a cloot (cloth), into another pot to be reheated and served. The spent meat is used for pies, bridies, potting etc.
Worth mentioning: this stuff does not seem to have a 'use by date', I've never known it to go off. You can just keep reheating it as and when required. A batch made in November will easily see you thought to February.
Even though pepper is used while cooking, I like to add a dash of white pepper to a hot mug of beef tea which gives it a nice additional lift.

[peter_bazinet]

Beef Tea . . . . . . . . . sounds like bodybuilder gossip.

[aphthakid]

The name "Bovril" was to cash in on the craze for Bulwar Lytton's book "The Coming Race" which featured a mysterious super powered substance call "vril". The book inspired the world's first sci fi convention including winged cosplayers and was absolutely huge at the time.

[MrRugercat]

My mom is 88 and grew up in Czechoslovakia and she used to make beef broth for me when I was younger and sick all the time, though hers was certainly much darker and basically just rich beef soup . She used celery, carrots, and peppercorns in it to flavor it and usually brought me a cup of this. It’s absolutely delicious and occasionally if she had some she would give me bone marrow from beef soup bones which I was crazy for and still am. Very good for you .

[illya]

In Scotland a really traditonal dinner is to boil beef and vegetables. You then have the soup which, is very like this, as the first course and the beef and vegetables along with boiled potato as your main course. And my mum also made potted beef with the meat if there was any left.

[annwest]

I can remember being a child and living back home, we had beef or fish tea when we were sick. Back home in Jamaica we put more than just meat. It is cooked with the bones, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and herbs and spices. It's cooked for quite so time so that you get the highest nutrients out of before it's strained. I still use it this way when I or my family are ill.

[jonathanrichards]

Lots of people have mentioned the British continuing love of Bovril, but nobody has (as far as I scrolled down through 2k comments!) mentioned the close relationship with football. That is, Association Football, or proper football, in case anyone was in any doubt! 😋For many fans, a mug of hot Bovril is a necessary part of going to a match, and there was nearly a riot in Manchester when they stopped serving it at the Etihad a few years ago.
Disclaimer: I am not one who goes to football matches, but I can see how Bovril would make it better...

[Yearofthetiger]

I know I some Asian night markets you can get hot cups of broth that you can drink, they especially recommend bone broth because it has collagen in it which is good for your skin. A few times when I would have stomach problems my roommate either made me boiled water with a bit of salt or heated broth to settle my stomach. It helped!

[PB-trze]

We made something like this in culinary school, the chef instructor told us the "raff" (left over beef) was no longer usable because all the nutrients were removed... so even today that misconception continues.

[aerocarnie]

I'm a US-American who's only ever heard of beef tea in passing, but watching your video and then reading through the scores of comments of people sharing their warm memories of beef tea and Bovril has put me in such a nice and nostalgic mood! Heck, I'm not much for sports, but watching a proper football match with Bovril and a snack sounds really lovely right at this moment!

[SimuLord]

I instantly picture Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec deciding this is his new favorite beverage.

[aliababwa]

adding egg albumen after straining can clarify the "tea" even further :) it's the trick to making consommé