Cow's meat however, steamed and cooked in a casserole should be eaten, in a gravy. First, it should be put to soak in one water, and then it should cook in a reasonable quantity of fresh water, without adding any water as it cooks, and when the meat is cooked, put in a vessel about a half mouthful of vinegar, and put in the heads of leeks and a little pennyroyal, parsley root, or fennel, and let it cook for an hour; then add honey to half the quantity of the vinegar, or sweeter according to taste. Then let it cook on a slow fire, shaking the pot frequently with the hands, and the sauce will well season the meat. Then grind: pepper fifty grains; costum and spikenard, a half solidus each; cloves, one tremissis. All these grind well in an earthen mortar, add a little wine, and when well ground, put into a vessel and stir well, so that before it is taken from the fire it may warm up a little and put its strength into the gravy. Moreover, where there is honey, or must, or caroenum, put in one of these as it says above, and do not let it cook in a copper kettle, but in an earthen vessel; it makes flavor the better.
Anthimus, De observatione ciborum, Reims ~515
De carnibus uero uaccinis uaporatis factis et in sodinga coctis utendum, etiam et in iuscello, ut prius exbromatas una unda mittas, et sic in nitida aqua quantum ratio poscit coquantur, ut non addatur aqua, et cum cocta fuerit caro, in uaso mittis acetum acerrimum quantum mediam buculam, et mittis capita porrorum et pulegii modicum, apii radices uel feniculi, et coquatur in una hora, et sic adddis mel quantum medietatem de aceto uel quam quis dulcedinem habere uoluerit, et sic coquas lento foco agitando ipsam ollam frequenter manibus, ut bene ius cum carne ipsa temperetur. et sic teris: piperis grana L costum et spicam nardi per singula quantum medietatum solidi, et cariofili quantum pensat tremissis I. ista omnia simul trita bene in mortario fictili addito uino modico, et cum bene tribulatum fuerit, mittis in ollam et agistas bene, ita ut antequam tollatur de foco, modicum sentiat et remittat in ius uirtutem suam. ubi tamin fuerit mel aut sapa uel caroenum, unum de ipsis, sicut superius continetur, mittatur, et in buculari non coquatur, sed in olla fictili meliorem saporem facit.
Beef which has been steamed can be used both roasted in a dish and also braised in a sauce, provided that, as soon as it begins to give off a smell, you put the meat in some water. Boil it in as much fresh water as suits the size of the portion of meat; you should not have to add any more water during the boiling. When the meat is cooked, put in a casserole about half a cup of sharp vinegar, some leeks and a little pennyroyal, some celery and fennel, and let these simmer for one hour. Then add half the quantity of honey to vinegar, or as much honey as you wish for sweetness. Cook over a low heat, shaking the pot frequently with one's hands so that the sauce coats the meat sufficiently. Then grind the following: 50 pepper corns, 2 grammes each of costmary and spikenard, and 1.5 grammes of cloves. Carefully grind all these spices together in an earthenware mortar with the addition of a little wine. When well ground, add them to the casserole and stir well, so that before they are taken from the heat, they may warm up and release their flavour into the sauce. Whenever you have a choice of honey or must reduced either by a third or two-thirds, add one of these as detailed above. Do not use a bronze pan, because the sauce tastes better cooked in an earthenware casserole.
Quelle w.o.; Lady Clotild of Soissons (SCA); Stefan's Florilegium
Katja Orlova, SCA
Robin Carroll-Mann, Cathy Harned, rec.food.cooking