Beef y-Stewyd
Take fayre beef of ŝe rybbys of ŝe fore quarterys, an smyte in fayre pecys, an wasche ŝe beef in-to a fayre potte; ŝan take ŝe water ŝat ŝe beef was soŝin yn, an strayne it ŝorw a straynowr, an sethe ŝe same water and beef in a potte, an let hem boyle to-gederys; ŝan take canel, clowes, maces, graynys of parise, quibibes, and oynons y-mynced, perceli, an sawge, an caste ŝer-to, an let hem boyle to-gederys; an ŝan take a lof of brede, an stepe it with brothe an venegre, an ŝan draw it ŝorw a straynoure, and let it be stylle; an whan it is nere y-now, caste ŝe lycour ŝer-to, but nowt to moche, an ŝan let boyle onys, an cast safroun ŝer-to a quantyte; ŝan take salt an venegre, and cast ŝer-to, an loke ŝat it be poynaunt y-now, & serue forth.
Modern Translation: Take good beef from the ribs and fore quarters, and chop them in good pieces, and wash the beef in a pot; then take the water that the beef was boiled in, and strain it through a strainer, and boil the same water and beef in a potte, and let them boil together; then take cinnamon, cloves, mace, grains of paradise, cubibs, and minced onions, parsley, and sage, and cast then in, and let them boil together; and then take a loaf of bread, and steep it with broth and vinegar, and then draw it through a strainer, and let it be still; and when it is near enough, cast the licour therein, but not too much, and then let boyle once, and cast a quantity of saffron therein; then take salt and vinegar, and cast therein, and look that it be poignant [strong] enough, and serve forth.
From "Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books" (Ab. 1420 A.D.) http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=cme;idno=CookBk;rgn=div2;view=text;cc=cme;node=CookBk%3A6.2
(my own translation)
Beef y-Stewyd:
Method:
- Boil beef ribs (you can roast them first if you wish)
- Add minced parsley and onions, currants, powdered pepper, cinnamon, cloves, saffron and salt (I ommitted saunders and did not bother adding red food colour, could have omitted the saffron as well but did not)
Note: to the pot, I took a hand ful of parsley and chopped it, about three small-medium onions, a handful of currants and spices to taste. I generally enjoy lesser amounts of cloves and salt to pepper and cinnamon and only add very little saffron. - Add a little vinegar, I basically splosh this in and taste (isn't "splosh" a techincal word?
- Cover the pot and let it boil gently until the meat is all cooked (I actually started on the cooking of the meat before adding all the other ingredients)
- Lay the meat in dishes with the sauce over it (it did not say to strain the sauce so I did not bother though it does say "sirippe" so it possibly should be?)
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