Chop the suet very fine; add the flour, and a little salt; mix it up with the milk, knead it till it looks light; take a bowl of proper size, rub the inside with butter, roll out the paste and lay it in; parboil beef steaks, mutton-chops, or any kind of meat you like; season it and lay it in the bowl; fill it with rich gravy, close the paste over the top; get a very thick cloth that will keep out the water; wet and flour it, place it over the top of the bowl; gather it at bottom and tie it very securely; the water must boil when you put it in; when done, dip the top in cold water for a moment, that the cloth may not stick to the paste; untie and take it off carefully; put a dish on the bowl and turn it over; if properly made, it will come out without breaking; have gravy in a boat to eat with it.
The Virginia Housewife (1860).