Take a shin or leg of beef, that has been newly killed; the fore-leg is best, as there is the most meat on it. Have it cut into three pieces, and wash it well. To each pound allow somewhat less than a quart of water; to ten pounds of the leg, two gallons of water. Put it into a large pot, and add half a table-spoonful of salt. Hang it over a good fire, full eight hours before you dine. When it has come to a hard boil, and the scum has risen (which it will do as soon as it has boiled), skim it well; then set it on hot coals in the corner, and keep it simmering steadily, so as to continue a regular heat.

About three hours afterwards, put in a couple of heads of celery, four carrots cut small, and as many onions sliced and fried, with either a very small head of cabbage cut into little pieces, or a large one whole, if to be eaten with the meat, or, if you have any objection to cabbage, substitute a larger proportion of the other vegetables, or else tomatoes instead. Put also in a bunch of herbs, tied up in a thin muslin rag to prevent its floating on the surface. It will require at least eight hours' cooking; remembering to put in the vegetables three hours after the meat, and the turnips only half an hour before it is done. If you wish to send any portion of the meat to table, take the best part of it out of the soup about two hours before dinner; let the remainder be left in the pot till you send up the soup, as by that time it will be boiled to rags, and have transferred all its flavor to the liquid, and must be strained.

Next day, take what is left of the soup; put it into a pot, and simmer it over hot coals for half an hour; a longer time will weaken the taste. If it has been well made, and kept in a cool place, it will be found better the second day than the first.

If your family is very small, and the leg of beef large, it may furnish soup for several successive days. Half the leg may therefore be sufficient, previously breaking to pieces all the bones with a mallet or kitchen cleaver, which, by causing them to give out their marrow, will greatly enrich the soup.

Or :- When a large quantity of any butcher's meat is brought in for the use of the family, the joints will require trimming: take all the parings, adding a slice or two of bacon, beef or mutton bones, with an old fowl, or a rabbit, if you have one. turnip, and all sorts of vegetables, onions, herbs, a few slices of carrot, ketchup, pepper, salt, etc.; put a piece of butter at the bottom of the pan. cover it closely, and put it over a slow fire for a few minutes, shaking the saucepan occasionally. Then pour in boiling water, and let it stew until it is rich; apportioning the water to the quantity of meat. If there be any solid portion of beef, of which the soup is made, let it be taken out previous to the meat being "done to rags," and sent up along with the roots in some of the liquor, thickened and flavored with any piquant sauce: it will form an excellent stew.

These receipts also, are for the standing household dish so well known in France as the pot-au-feu.

Cheap and wholesome potages, in common use among the middling classes in various parts of Europe, are also made in different modes, a few of which are these:-