Stwed Beeff

I have decided to kick off My Mediaeval Kitchen with a recipe for stewed beef which fared well at my most recent medieval feast.  (Yep that's an 'S' in the title, I like the font, so it stays.) It originates from the Harleian MS 4016, a mid-15th century roll of recipes which, in conjunction with another in the same collection, Har 279, has come to be known under the title "Two Fifteenth- century Cookery-books."  Interestingly Har 4016 is nearly duplicate of a MS in another collection, Douce MS 55, which provides a source for clarification and verification of the recipes. This recipe and the information regarding the quoted MS may be found from multiple sources, the most concise I have found being RecipeWise, which I have cited below.  A modern translation of this recipe with a modern interpretation may also be found at Celtnet.org, a site which has numerous medieval recipes organized by type.

Another cooks version, mine has a richer reddish color

The Medieval Recipe:

The recipe transcribed from the original MS (as shown on Recipewise:)

Stwed Beeff. Take faire Ribbes of ffresℏ beef, And (if thou wilt) roste hit til hit be nygℏ ynowe; then̄ put hit in a faire possenet; caste þer-to parcely and oynons mynced, reysons of corauns, powder peper, canel, clowes, saundres, safferon̄, and salt; then̄ caste there-to wyn̄ and a lituƚƚ vynegre; sette a lyd on̄ þe potte, and lete hit boile sokingly on a faire charcole til hit be ynogℏ; þen̄ lay the fflessℏ, in disshes, and the sirippe there-vppon̄, And serve it forth.

In modern English(as directly translated as I can):

Stewed Beef.

Take fair ribs of fresh beef, and (if you want) roast it until it is nearly (done) enough; then put it in a (good/clean pot)...; cast thereto parsley and minced onions, dried currants, ground pepper, cinnamon, cloves, (red)sandalwood, saffron, and salt; then cast thereto wine and a little vinegar; set a lid on the pot, and let it boil soakingly (a low boil/simmer) on a fair charcoal until it is (done) enough; then lay the meat in dishes and the syrup (broth/sauce) thereupon, and serve it forth.

This is a quite straightforward recipe and doesn't require much in the way of interpretation, the English is relatively modern as some recipes go (see Forme of Cury -preferably the MS-for an example of some fairly heavy middle-English.)

Analysis:

Cooking techniques- essentially a braise.  

• We are searing the beef (by way of roasting) as per the recipe until it is nearly cooked, 
• then we are simmering it in a broth until it is tender.

Special Ingredients- Not much in this one.  My version uses grains of paradise and optionally long pepper or cubeb, which I picked up from other stewed beef or venison recipes, some of which call for powder fort or these items specifically. I intend to write a blog or two about spice blends and will link to them appropriately.

• Sandalwood, which is primarily used for red color, may be all but ignored. A purist can use it, but I find the flavor not worth the trouble.  
• Saffron- pretty readily available, but not cheap. 
• Currants- perhaps specifically Zante currants.

Equipment- 

• for searing/roasting: grill, oven, broiler or cooking fire with roasting spit 
• for simmering: large cooking pot ( 3 qt at smallest), crock pot, or cast iron pot/dutch oven.  See possenet in my notes below.

Modern Recipe:

Stewed Beef

2 lb chuck roast (or short ribs)

3 c red wine (1 bottle)

beef broth to cover (about 1 pt)*

1 Tbsp cider vinegar (or 2 Tbs wine vinegar)

1 small onion, med dice (or smaller if you like)

3 Tbsp dried currants (or substitutes)

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves (1/8 tsp)

1 tsp ground grains of paradise*

1/4 tsp ground cubeb * optional

1/4 tsp ground long pepper * optional

1/4 tsp nutmeg fresh grated*

1/2 tsp ground coriander*

1 Tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)

1 pinch of saffron

1/4 c freshly torn parsley leaves (Italian)

* these ingredients are not originally part of this specific recipe, but are historically and regionally accurate, and are accurate to similar dishes from the medieval period.

Procedure:

1. Season the chuck roast with salt & pepper, some of your grains and some of the coriander. Let rest covered at room temperature while heating up a grill ( charcoal is preferable) or oven broiler if you have no grill, or getting a fire ready: hint- cook with coals not flames.  (DO NOT leave meat out of refrigeration more than a total of 4 hours- this creates a high risk of bacterial growth, not to mention general funkiness, and the FDA says it isn't safe.  If you want to risk your own gut, fine, just don't risk someone else. Be safe, be sanitary.  I know what I would or wouldn't eat by look and smell, but I would never serve something that has been time-temp abused to anyone else.)
2. Sear the meat on all sides at a high temperature (450-500 degrees F) I like to take it off as soon as it has a nice sear on the outside, but you could cook it until it is about medium rare and have good results.
3. Let the meat rest for a few minutes then cut into about 1 inch cubes. Reserve juices. Short ribs may be left intact.
4. Heat your pot and cast your beef thereto.  Cast therein the onion, currants and spices, but not saffron.  Allow onions to begin to cook and brown.  Deglaze with vinegar and beef juices. (I like to caramelize my onions a bit first, use oil or butter for this or throw a fattier piece of the beef in first; putting the spices in with the onions really helps their flavors to bloom.)
5. Cast thereto the wine, if your pot is good and hot it should boil.  Cast therein beef stock or (shudder) water enough to cover it.
6. Bring it to a boil but keep enough liquid to just cover the beef.  As soon as it boils cover your pot and reduce the heat to allow a slow simmer, cook until it is done. a few hours at least. The longer you cook it the more tender and flavorful your beef.  dutch oven should be set in good coals with some on top or hung over good coals with room to move it to slower coals if they are too much. Get it simmering and just slowly replace coals on and around (or under) it to keep the heat consistent.
7. When done add saffron and allow sauce to reduce some, add parsley, and serve beef in its own juices. (We don't want the saffron or parsley to over cook. This way the saffron has a chance to flavor the sauce well without getting cooked out during the long slow cook.)

Yeah, I got all medieval with my wording, but you understood right?  Just having some fun and showing how little the language has really changed.  With some basic etymology  knowledge of a few different letters and abbreviations and the occasional squint at a scribe's odd penmanship, most people can pretty easily understand the language.

NOTES:

• MEAT: I have chosen chuck roast for this recipe because it is excellent for this cooking method, is far better priced than short ribs- which have skyrocketed in recent years, and I was cooking for about 70 people, so portioning ribs would have added an element of difficulty due to the nature of the feast I was doing.
• WINE: The wine you choose for this recipe holds critical influence over the flavor. When you slow cook with wine many of the subtle flavors are lost, and the stronger flavors are intensified.  Choose based on the dominant flavors, because that is what will really come through. I recommend a blend, which usually will have a smooth easily palatable flavor and will be somewhat inexpensive. Some period recipes call for Greek wine- a St. George would do well I think.  A merlot, burgundy (pinot noir) or malbec would do ok for this recipe, but they may get a little bitter, don't be afraid to just get a "red."  I'm sure the French would want you to use Burgundy- which is good with beef- if you have ever had boeuf bourguignon you know.  Something with good color but not super dark, with a fruitier, just slightly on the dry side works well. Perhaps a Beaujolais that isn't so nouveau anymore.  Cheap jugs or boxes are just fine, table wines, and blends work well, a somewhat flat but pleasant flavor is a perfect choice.  The flavors of this recipe are strong, don't expect subtleties to come through.  Choose how dark and strong you want the wine to be by how strong you want the sauce to be.  Remember that you need it to work with the fruitiness from the currants, too sweet or too rich of a wine may not fare well.
• SPICES: The following three "peppers" may be found on the internet or in some stores (a tiny local natural foods co-op has them in my area- follow the hippies)-  the brand Frontier carries them in grinders in a series called "peppers of the world" I believe.  Currently they are about $7/jar- which is not bad at all for the amount you get- if you can find them bulk- even better.
• Grains of paradise- also known as alligator pepper (I think that is a Louisiana thing...) is related to cardamom (both of which are part of the ginger family- but dont taste like ginger), and it has a very subtle flavor, with a slightly aromatic peppery heat at the end.  Subtle, but present. 
• Long pepper- it is pepper much like black pepper, its close relative, a long narrow cone shaped fruit with tiny seeds. it is dried like black pepper and tastes slightly woodsy and a bit hotter than its black cousin.
• Cubeb- or tailed pepper- is a relative of black pepper, but a little more distant than piper longum, it has a peppery taste as well but a bit camphorous, sometime described as slightly citrusy, piney, and bitter.
• Coriander- the seeds- not the leaves (cilantro.) It has a lovely slightly citrus like flavor. I recommend trying it on any meat you cook- it is unbelievably universal. Try it baked on cod sometime with a little s&p and garlic with lemon juice and white wine... no greasy tartar needed on that piece of fish...
• Saffron- EXPENSIVE- you can get a jar of McCormick for about $13. that is enough for 5 or 6 of this recipe if you stretch it.  I found mine bulk at my local co-op for 5.79 for slightly less saffron.  
• Cloves are POWERFUL.  Beef holds up well against them but they can get way too strong very quickly. A tiny pinch will do just fine.
• CURRANTS:  A subtle fruity but slightly tart berry.  Though the term used could be interpreted to mean just dried currants, the original recipe actually may call for Zante currants which were known as raisins of Corinth and are actually a raisin, coming from a seedless grape rather than from shrubs like true currants (Ribes.)  You are unlikey to find zantes, especially not for a decent price, though SunMaid does produce them. I believe they cost around $55/lb.  A happy correction for the price of zante currants- Though I had never seen them at a better price than I mentioned before, I found a 10 oz. box for $2.58.  To be honest, I much prefer true currants.  Again, my hippie co-op comes through for me with packages of bulk dried currants. Some chains that carry a decent selection of dried fruits have them. I'd bet Whole Foods does.  Substitutions- think small dried berries. American gooseberries are a close match - and in finding a reference to them I have discovered that they are in fact closely related to currants, likely information that I had buried in the back of the botanical section of my mind. Raisins would be ok- white more so than red, lingonberries wouldn't be a huge stretch, and you could go for boysenberries or wild blueberries for a nice if slightly different flavor profile.  You could even go for wild American grapes (though they are very tart and seedy.) Golden raisins are your easiest substitution but I highly recommend seeking out currants or gooseberries- the tartness and subtle differences are so worthwhile if you are into flavors.
• POSSENET-  A possenet is a solid metal, some say tri-footed  pot, much like a dutch oven though I would speculate higher walled.  They were clearly designed with or to be used with a lid. It is clearly distinguished from a sauce pan, or a typical brass pan (not to say one couldn't be made of brass,) and probably should not be mistaken for the more modern posset, which is possibly a descendant form.  Recipes frequently instruct the cook to place in on, as opposed to "ouer" the coals, which is consistent with it being footed, thick walled metal, as thin walls or ceramics would over heat or unevenly heat and crack. Some recipes and inventories I have read have referred to ones made of silver or pewter or to them having a sort of conic shape to the vessel itself- which is interesting considering how it would affect the application of heat.  

Citations:  

• RecipeWise : http://recipewise.co.uk/harleian-manuscript-4016
• The remainder of information found is personal knowledge resulting from some years of research and experience.  I have provided specific links within the blog to allow readers to confirm and further research the information I have given, the majority of them leading to Wikipedia.org which I find to be a good general source of information which may then be verified by more specific study, and one to
• Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/19741/American-gooseberry, mainly because Wikipedia was too imprecise to actually have any information about American gooseberries. 
• Cornell University actually provides better information about Ribes : http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/gooseberries.html
• On the possenet-  I do not have specific sources for my information, though I do recall reading a will from late period I believe, which listed assets and provided a clear distinction which supports my assertions that the possenet was not a saucepan, nor thin walled, brass, or short walled.  I have also come across a number of recipes and inventories which clearly distinguish the possenet from brass pots, kettles and chafers.   I recall reading an excerpt from Oxford English Dictionary, a contemporary edition, though probably a few decades old at this point, which essentially defined the possenet as being a metal boiling pot with a handle and feet.  The nature of the word and perhaps a faint memory suggests to me that word stems from old French.  Wikipedia was useless except to reiterate that the posset may be related to the possenet via a preparation of similar name which I have read about before, but didnt deeply explore yet.  

Product links:
Dutch ovens:
I often like the Lodge stuff. They make a nice 3-footed dutch oven
A lot of variety at Amazon
A few good options and good prices from major retailers: Target  Walmart

Spices:
A great source for a number of bulk spices, but watch the price on some things... Spice Sage
Saffron: Amazon Frontier bulk Frontier
Cubeb: Amazon
Long pepper: Amazon
Grains of Paradise: Amazon Frontier

And if you're into organized spices this site is pretty cool: Spicecubed.com