Salt Beef
I love salt beef sandwiches on light rye bread with lots of mustard and some dill pickle on the side.
It’s a fixation that goes back to when I worked in Soho in London. There was still a definite Jewish presence in the area then, and there were a couple of great salt beef places – now closed down, I think.
When Sam and I lived in South East London, we used to go to the 24-hour beigel shop in Brick Lane, in the East End (the one nearer Bethnal Green Road, in case you’re wondering), which did great salt beef sandwiches – in particular, a trip on Boxing Day was almost obligatory to get away from all that Christmas stuff.
Since we’ve moved to Sussex, I’ve drawn a complete blank. The only salt beef is the kind you get from the supermarket 
So imagine my surprise when we walked into Wildman’s Butchers in Portman Road, Worthing to buy this weekend’s joint of lamb, when I saw ‘Salt Beef for Boiling’ – just like joints of gammon or ham, but beef!
I’ve never noticed it there before, and have never seen it anywhere else.
So last night I cooked a small joint – a nice slow boil for an hour or so, as the man recommended. And served it with home-made potato salad, green beans (why? Because we fancied them), and as I couldn’t easily lay my hands on some dill pickles, pickled wild cucumbers and cornichons. Oh, and English mustard.
It was really enjoyable, but this dinner is going to take a bit more work.
The beef was cooked, certainly, but next time I want to make sure I cook it for longer, so it’s starting to fall apart, and the slices rip as I carve them. I’ll also have to plan a visit to London so I can remind myself if Wildman’s salt beef isn’t quite as salty as I’d hoped.
But, whatever way, I’m going to be back to buy some more. Only next time, I’d have either bought or made some light rye bread to go with it. My mouth is already watering.