lamb-mutton-msg – 7/29/06
Medieval lamb and mutton. Recipes.
NOTE: See also the files: organ-meats-msg, rabbit-dishes-msg, sauces-msg, livestock-msg, butchering-msg, roast-meats-msg, roast-pork-msg.
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From: Deb Hense <debh>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval comfort food!!
Date: 5 Oct 1995 16:21:33 GMT
Organization: Microware Systems Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa
I'm sorry I've been out of the loop lately. Angharad/Terry asked for a
specific reference on the molded lamb's leg. I have provided it below. My
original response was given under the impression that the person inquiring
about meatloaf, wanted to introduce someone to period flavored dishes under the
guise of something familiar. Using forcemeats shaped as a meatloaf, would
introduce the person to the flavors of medieval times, while providing them the
comfort of eating something familiar. It would be just another meatloaf,
flavored differently, but tasty nonetheless. The next step would be to
introduce the same recipe in its originally intended form, then inform the
person that it tastes just like the meatloaf they had last week. I do this to
my family all the time and it works like a charm.
I see that it is not Goodman of Paris, but Le Viander, I apologize. When I did
the four course menu for competition, I used both sources for the recipes.
Again, sorry about the mixup.
Kateryn de Develyn
Stuffed Shoulder of Mutton
[212] Stuffed Shoulder of Mutton
Le Viander of Taillevent
Shoulder of mutton should be cooked in a pan on the fire, as well as legs of
mutton or pork - do not overcook them, then let them cool; the meat is taken
off from around the bones and is chopped up very fine, and the meat for
mangonels and towers similiarly; then get pine nut paste, currants, and a large
egg omlette fried in white bacon fat, and cut them into small pieces the size
of large dice, and keep them from burning; take all of these ingrediantes along
with crumbled creamy chees, and put everything into a clean pan or bowl and mix
them thoroughly together. Then you need sheep cauls; spread them out, sprinkle
them with fine spice powder and set the bones on them without the stuffing then
wrap up and pack around the bones, wrapping them withthe sheeps caul and sew
them together with little skewers of wood to keep the meat from falling away
from around the shoulder - as cooks help know how to do.
My version:
1 shoulder of lamb
2 lamb shanks - the shanks had bones in them whereas the lamb shoulder was
boneless.
1 cup pine nuts - crushed fine into a paste. (easy to do as they are very
moist)
1 cup currants
3 egg omlette fried in bacon fat
1 cup shredded mozerella cheese
chicken skin - I used the skin of chicken because I was unable to obtain sheeps
cauls.
Roast the meat, then chop it very fine. Chop the egg omelette into small pieces
and add to the meat mixture. Next mix the pine nuts, currents, and
cheesetogether and add to the meat and egg mixture., Mold the meat mixture to
one of the lamb shank bones. Next, wrap the chicken skin around the molded
stuffing, and sew the chicken skin together using bamboo skewers. Then baked
this stuffed shoulder of mutton until the skin is cooked (approximately 45
minutes at 375 degrees).
From: graydawn at pacbell.net
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: one "pot" meal
Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 14:36:04 -0700
Here's a nice recipe adapted from one of the Gilroy Garlic Cookbooks (if you don't have them, run, do not walk...) It's originally meant to be baked in an oven, but we've done it in a Dutch oven over a campfire and over a propane stove, both worked beautifully.
Lamb Shanks With Barley
Ingredients:
A quantity of lamb shanks (I dunno, how many are you feeding?)
Butter
Olive Oil
30-60 cloves of garlic, peeled
A cup or so of cheap red wine
Rosemary
Barley
Beef or chicken stock
Mushrooms
Butter
Onions
Either: mint jelly, or fresh mint leaves and honey
Melt the butter in a large pot, add the olive oil and brown the lamb shanks.
Remove them from the pot and deglaze it with the red wine. Return the shanks to
the pot, sprinkle with rosemary and add the garlic cloves. Cover VERY tightly (I usually cover the top with foil and then put on the lid, or seal the Dutch oven lid with dough.) and either bake in coals or simmer over stove for about an hour and a half.
Brown the onions and mushrooms in butter in another pot, remove. Brown barley in more butter, add the onions and mushrooms and enough stock to cover. Simmer
gently, adding more broth as necessary until barley is tender (about an hour or
so.) Remove from heat and let stand, covered.
Remove shanks from pot, and strain out the garlic cloves. Add the cloves to the
barley mixture. Bring the pot to a nice boil, scraping off the browned bits, until it thickens slightly. Add the mint jelly, or mint leaves and honey, and cook a bit longer. Turn out the barley mixture onto a large serving tray (for a company) or into plates, place lamb shanks in the middle, and spoon a quantity of the juice from the pot over the shanks.
Fairly simple, extremely yummy, and it's period as far as I know! Pretty cheap,
too, since lamb shanks can usually be found for as little as 99 cents a pound...
Enjoy!
Adellind le Quintain
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 14:35:34 -0500
From: JANINE BRANNON <JANINEB at smtpgw.mis.ssh.edu>
To: sca-cooks at eden.com
Subject: Saracen Sauce
Try this - forwarded with the kind permission of Bertram, BMDL,
Aethelmearc, East.....
BERTRAM'S LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SARACEN SAUCE
LAMB MEATBALLS
1 lb. lean ground lamb
garlic salt
ground pepper
Fill a 4 quart pot three quarters full
with water, add a teaspoon of salt, and
bring to a rolling boil.
Put garlic salt and pepper on the ground
lamb, to taste, and form it into small
balls, about the size of mellon balls.
Place the meatballs in the boiling water
and cook them for 5-10 minutes until they
float or until one that you taste is cooked.
For a large feast, freeze them and reheat
them later, serving them with the Saracen
Sauce described below.
SARACEN SAUCE
2 cups onion soup or beef stock, strained
1 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 ounces currants
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
---------------------------------
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients
down through the food coloring. Bring to a boil
and simmer for 10-15 minutes or longer. When
ready to serve, add the ginger and vinegar and
stir well. Remove from heat and add in the
breadcrumbs, just enough to thicken slightly.
Pour over the lamb meatballs or serve on the side.
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 08:41:24 -0500
From: dangilsp at intrepid.net (Dan Gillespie)
Subject: SC - lamb recipes
>I've never cooked goat. If you have the time to send any recipes for goat
>or lamb, please do. I love lamb, but there are far too few recipes for it
>in my collection. This, by the way, is a request open to the rest of the
>list.
>
>Phlip
Here's 2 recipes from the 1607 Arte de Cozina. The sweet & sour
lamb is quite tasty, but would likely be rather expensive for a feast. I
use lamb shoulder roast because it tends to be the least expensive cut that
I have found. Let me know how you like the recipes!
Antoine
Cap. II. Como se ha de hazer una cauela quajada.
Para hazer una cauela quajada, lo primero se ha de picar la carne muy
bie(n) co(n) tocino, y todas verduras, y hecho esto, se ha de poner a la
lumbre, y desatarla muy bien. y echarle sal, y agraz, vinagre, y especias:
y despues de bien cozida la carne, echala en una cauela con poca lumbre: y
si fueren dos o tres libras de carne, se le echaran quatro huevos. Y se
advierte que quando pusieres la cauela a la lumbre, ha de estar bien
sazonada de sal, y especias, y con poco caldo, y se han de batir los huevos
muy bien, y echarlos por encima de la carne, y no se ha de menear con los
huevos, sino taparla con una tapadera, y echar un poco de lumbre debaxo la
cauela, sobre la tapadera hasta que se quajen los huevos: y luego se puede
partir en pedaos, o sacarla entera, como fuere menester.
Chap.2 How to make a "quajada" casserole
To make a thickened casserole, the first step is to chop the meat very fine
with bacon, & all types of greens, & when this is done, set it on the fire,
& loosen it very well. And cast salt, & verjuice, or vinegar, & spices: &
after the meat is well cooked, cast it into a casserole pan with a little
fire: & if there is 2 or 3 pounds of meat, cast 4 eggs to it. Be careful
that when you put the casserole on the fire that it is well seasoned with
salt & spices & a little broth & beat the eggs very well & cast them on top
of the meat & do not stir the eggs, but rather cover it with a lid & cast a
little bit of the fire under the casserole & on top of the lid until the
eggs set up & then you can cut it in pieces or send it out whole or whatever
does the job.
I #2 Quajada Casserole of Lamb
- -1.5 lbs of lamb shoulder roast, deboned, excess fat trimmed & minced
(ground lamb would probably work quite well)
- -1/2 cup of salt pork, trimmed of excess fat & minced
(either ham or bacon would work)
- -1/2 cup green onion, minced
- -1/4 cup parsley, minced
- -2 cups frozen spinach, thawed, drained & minced
- -3 Tbsp wine vinegar, or to taste
- -season to taste with:
pepper, ginger, cinnamon, garlic
- -4 eggs, beaten
Brown the meat & drain excess fat. Add greens & cook 5 minutes, until
they;re wilted. Season to taste with spices & vinegar. Put into a ceramic
casserole dish. Pour beaten eggs on top. Bake 25 -35 minites at 325 degrees.
Cap. XI Como se ha de hazer carnero lampreado.
Para hazer este guisado se ha de tomar el carnero del lomo, pierna, y
echar lo a cozer, sazonandolo del sal; y desque estuviere medio cozido, se
ha de quitar del caldo, y ponerlo en una tabla para q(ue) se escurra del
caldo, y luego se ha de tostar en unas parrillas, y ponerlo en una cauela,
olla: y tomara unas especias y despues de majadas, desatallas con el vino,
vinagre, y esta(n)do desatado, se ha de echar encima del carnero, y no se
le ha de echar mas caldo de quanto cubra el carnero; y a quatro libras,
medio quartillo de miel, y un quarteron de aucar, y este aucar ha se de
hazer polvoraduque, para echar por encima de los platos quando se sirviere a
la mesa. Y ad-viertese que ha de ser este guisado agredulce, con agraz,
vinagre.
Chap 11 How to make sweet & sour lamb
To make this dish, take lamb shoulder or leg & set it to cook, seasoning it
with salt; & when it is half cooked, remove the broth & set it on a board to
drain the broth, later toast it on some grills & set it in a cacerole or an
earthen pot: & take some spices & then crush them, dissolving it with the
wine or vinegar, & being dissolved, cast it on top of the meat, & do not
cast more broth than covers the meat; & for 4 pounds, half a pint of honey &
a quarter pound of sugar, & this sugar make it powdered, to cast on top of
the 2 plates when you serve it to the table. And be warned to to make this
dish sweet & sour, with verjuice or vinegar.
I #11 Sweet & Sour Lamb
- -1 lb of lamb shoulder roast, deboned, excess fat trimmed & cut into chunks
- -2 cups of red wine
- -1/2 cup wine vinegar
- -1/4 cup honey
- -1 Tbsp olive oil
- -2 Tbsp white sugar
- -1/2 tsp each white pepper, cloves & ginger
- -salt to taste
Brown the meat in the oil & add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil &
reduce heat to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, til meat is tender. Before
serving adjust the balance of sweet vs sour to taste. Let the sauce thicken
well. This was well received!
Dan Gillespie
dangilsp at intrepid.net
Dan_Gillespie at usgs.gov
Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 09:48:11 -0500
From: margali <margali at 99main.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Mutton and thanks
> Mutton is a meat I would like to serve sometime but I have never been able to
> get it. ;-) Whenever I ask my butcher about he just laughs and shakes his
> head. The supermarket meat cutter's are , of course, absolutely worthless when
> it comes to 'requests'. Where does one get mutton in N. Central Pa.?
> Is it necessary to go to the livestock auction and buy it on hoof? Any
> tho'ts would be most welcome
> Ras
How about avoiding the auction, and go to a local herder and seeing if
they have any 2 year old culls? that is the age mutton is best at.[it
being the demarcartion between lamb and mutton.]
margali
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 08:43:00 -0800
From: DUNHAM Patricia R <Patricia.R.DUNHAM at ci.eugene.or.us>
Subject: Re: SC - Lamb!!! (and kids)
Another issue with lamb... I have a friend who once explained to me the
butcher's definition of "lamb" vs. "mutton" (over 15 or 18 months old,
or something like that) by the age of the animal... What often gets
sold as lamb is only a few days from its "mutton" "birthday" (because,
of course, that's a larger animal)... If you can cultivate a butcher or
grower who will sell you smaller animals at younger ages (like 8-12
months), it's a whole other ball game as far as tenderness and taste.
The lamb chops I ate at her house (only time) certainly didn't "taste
like wool".
Chimene
Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 16:00:54 EST
From: Mordonnade <Mordonnade at aol.com>
Subject: SC - cooking lamb
I have served a few lamb stews, made up of ingredients I had on the spot, at
encampments, and all were delicious, and well received. But the most
successful lamb dish I have served was simply grilled over an open fire,
rubbed well with garlic, salt, and pepper.
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 23:24:57 +0000
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: Re: SC - cooking lamb
My favorite recipe for lamb is shashlyk (AKA shish kebab)
2 pounds of lamb, cut into cubes, and marinated overnight in the
following mixture:
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Grill on skewers.
(I usually increase the garlic, and I have also used this
successfully with beef.)
Pomegranate juice is available in East European and Middle Eastern
grocery stores. It is tart, though not as sour as lemon juice. I do
not know of any reasonable substitute.
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain of Tethba
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 15:51:34 -0700 (MST)
From: "Jamey R. Lathrop" <jlathrop at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: SC - Lamb and Goat recipe
> I've never cooked goat. If you have the time to send any recipes for goat
> or lamb, please do. I love lamb, but there are far too few recipes for it
> in my collection. This, by the way, is a request open to the rest of the
> list.
>
> Phlip
Good day to all, from Allegra Beati. My version of the following recipe,
from Platina, has been a huge success both in the SCA and even among my
very non-SCA family.
The recipe calls for kid, but I remember seeing something in my studies of
humoural theory in period that lamb is an acceptable substitute for kid.
Boneless leg of lamb is easily obtained in Albuquerque, NM (I get mine at
Costco, the price varying a little throughout the year), and I use that in
this version. Obtaining the baby goat is a problem (unless you want to
order the entire 35-pound critter). I've heard rumors of goat being
traditional to some hispanic festivals here in the Rio Grande Valley, but
I'm unaware of the time of year these festivals take place and which
markets are most likely to carry goat. It's a shame-- I love both goat
and lamb!
I'm sorry that I can only give you the recipe as translated-- I cook like
the recipes read. I'm not a "measuring" cook by any means, although since
starting a cookery group here, I've been making a habit of writing down
procedures and quantities for future reference (and future cooks!) I
suppose that means I'll have to make this dish again soon....
Making the leg of lamb in advance for a camping event is quite simple-- I
wrap the cooked roast in foil, seal-a-meal it, and stick it in the
freezer. I also put the cooked juices in a plastic container, and freeze
them as well. At the event, I allow time for the frozen lamb to thaw, and
then slice it and warm it in a covered dutch oven with the saved juices.
Although I don't have a copy here, I've always used the general
temperature and timetable instructions for lamb as given in _The Joy of
Cooking_.
From _De Honesta Voluptate_, by Platina (Mallinckrodt edition):
KID IN GARLIC
Grease a whole kid or the fourth part of one, with lard and cleaned garlic
cloves; put it on a spit and turn it near the fire. Baste it often with
sprigs of bay leaf or rosemary and the sauce which I am about to describe.
Take verjuice and the rich juice of the meat, the yolks of two eggs well
beaten, two cloves of garlic wel