Original Receipt from 'Modern Cookery for Private Families' by Eliza Acton (Acton 1845);BRESLAW OF BEEF.
Trim the brown edges from lialf a pound of underdressed roast beef, shred it small, and mix it with four ounces of fine bread-crumbs, a teaspoonful of minced parley, and two-thirds as much of thyme, two ounces of butter broken small, half a capful of gravy or cream, a high seasoning of pepper and cayenne and mace or nutmeg, a small teaspoonful of salt, and three large eggs well whisked. Melt a little butter in a deep dish, pour in the beef, and bake it half an hour; turn it out, and send it to table with brown gravy in a tureen. When cream or gravy is not at hand, an additional egg or two and rather more butter must be used. We think that grated lemon-rind improves the breslaw. A portion of fat from the joint can be added
where it is liked. The mixture is sometimes baked in buttered cups.
Beef,½ lb.; bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; batter, 2 oz.; gravy or cream,½ cupful; parsley, 1 teaspoonsful; thyme, two-thirds of teaspoonful; eggs, 3 or 4, if small; salt, 1 teaspoonful; pepper and nutmeg½ teaspoonful each: bake 1 hour.