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meatloaf-msg - 6/1/08

 

Period meatloaf-like recipes.

 

NOTE: See also the files: fd-Norse-msg, sausages-msg, minced-meat-art, meat-pies-msg, pork-msg, roast-meats-msg, chopped-meat-msg, sausages-msg.

 

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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

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Thank you,

   Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

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Subject: ANST - Recipe for Finnish Meatloaves

Date: Sun, 01 Feb 98 22:02:42 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

Sael og heil!

 

A number of people have requested the recipe for the Finnish Meatloaves

served at the Candlemas Feast yesterday in Bryn Gwlad.  Therefore I present

it here forthwith...

 

LIHAMMURAKIPPERAS

(Finnish Meatloaf stuffed with vegetables and cheese and wrapped in a sour

cream pastry dough shell)

 

Pastry-wrapped meat dishes are a staple of many cultures, for instance

Welsh pasties, shepherd's pie, the Greek spanikopita, Spanish empanadas,

etc.  Although I have been unable to find documentation for this dish prior

to the late 1600's, the widespread use of similar dishes in every culture

argues for the presence of some similar dish in the medieval period in

Finland.

 

Finnish meatloaf is a rich, high calorie dish suitable for feeding those

performing heavy labor in a cold and marginal environment.  It is also

extremely tasty and a fine treat even for those of us in warmer climes!

 

INGEDIENTS:

--------------------

MEATLOAVES

1 lb ground beef (very lean)

1 lb ground pork (Owen's Country Sausage is good)

1 lb game meat (the Finns like to use hedgehog in this dish,

                venison or other game works well.  Alternately,

                you can just increase the beef and pork to

                1-1/2 lbs each instead.)

4 eggs

1 c. breadcrumbs

1 c. mushrooms, chopped

1-1/2 c. leeks, chopped (onions can be substituted)

2 tbsp. garlic, crushed or finely chopped (3-4 cloves)

1 tbsp. horseradish, finely grated

spices to taste (I usually include salt, pepper, sage, dill, and rosemary)

16 to 20 oz. cooked chopped spinach, wrung dry as possible (I usually use

                two packages of frozen chopped spinach - defrost it, wring it

                out and use it as is.  Note that any vegetable can be used -

                it is more common in Finland to find chopped beets used in

                this dish.)

1-1/2 to 2 cups white cheese, grated (Havarti is best, other swisses, queso

                blanco, mozzarella, etc. will work)

 

CRUST:

2 c. unbleached flour (sometimes I reduce the amount of wheat

                flour by 1/2 c. and include barley, rye, or oat flour

                for a more medieval effect.  You have to be cautious

                doing this as these other flours can be "heavy")

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 c. sour cream

 

DIRECTIONS

--------------------

MEATLOAVES:

1. Combine meats, eggs, breadcrumbs, mushrooms, leeks, garlic,

   horseradish, and spices.  Mix well.

2. Make a flat rectangle of the meat about 1" thick.  (It is a good

                idea to do this on a sheet of waxed paper, so that

                it is easier to roll the meat up later.)

3. Arrange the chopped spinach in a solid layer on top of the meat.

4. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the layer of spinach completely.

5. Start from one side and roll the meatloaf up (as though you were

                making a jellyroll).  If you placed your meat on a sheet

                of waxed paper, you can use the waxed paper to help

                control the meat and to get it to roll neatly. Be sure to

                seal the edges and seams well to prevent the cheese

                from melting out as you cook the loaf.

6.  Place the loaf in a shallow pan and cook at 400 degrees F until the

                meat is cooked through, usually between 45 min to 1 hr.

                (Don't use a flat cookie sheet unless it has a good lip.

                Beacuse of the pork and cheese, usually a lot of fat will

                cook out and the pan needs to catch it.  Also monitor the

                cooking process closely -- the fat can and will smoke badly

                and can catch on fire.)

7. Set loaf aside to cool.

 

CRUST:

1. Combine flour and salt.  Cut in butter to form fine flakes.

2. Add egg and sour cream.  You may also need 1-2 tsp. water to form

                a manageable dough.

3. Turn out onto floured surface and roll into a sheet twice the width of the

               meatloaf and about 4" longer than the loaf.

4. Place the meatloaf in the center of the sheet of dough.  Wrap the dough

                around the loaf.  Dampen the edges at the seams so they

                will seal well.

5. Place the pastry-wrapped loaf in a greased shallow pan (you may have

                yet more fat cook out) with the seam down.

6. Brush the pastry shell with beaten egg. (This helps the pastry brown nicely.)

7. Take any leftover scraps of dough and form decorations for the loaf.

                I usually will make a criss-cross lattice, or else will do

               pictoral scenes using dough cutouts.  Brush the decorations

                with egg also.

8. Bake at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, usually 25 to 30 min.

 

Serve hot or at room temperature.  Cut slices across the loaf to show the

swirled layers.  Serve with a hearty dollop of sour cream mixed with

chopped fresh dill. Since this meatloaf is very rich, an average serving

is based on slices 1" to 2" thick, yielding 18 to 36 servings per meatloaf.

 

SUGGESTIONS:

The meatloaves freeze well (prior to adding the crust)-- it is often a good

idea to make a few and freeze them, then on the day you want to serve the

meatloaf, defrost the meat, add the crust, cook and serve.  This is good

for a quick dinner - set the meatloaf out to defrost in the morning and all

you have to do is prepare and cook the crust.

 

Finnish meatloaf is an outstanding tourney food, as it is good cold.  I

often make many small loaves, 4"x2" or 6"x3" and then the day before the

event add the crusts. They keep in the icechest and can be eaten "on the

go" during the event without further preparation, with or without the

sourcream and dill sauce.

 

A variant on this dish can be made using leftovers, including leftover

meats.  Chop the meat very fine and add extra eggs to bind the loaf.  Any

leftover veggies can be added in the center of the loaf.  This makes

leftovers seem very special!

 

If I am pressed for time, lacking ingredients, or for whatever reason don't

want to make the sour cream crust, I have successfully substituted Bisquick

dough for the shell. It is not as rich or tasty, but still quite good.

------------------------------

At this year's Candlemas Feast in Bryn Gwlad, each course was heralded by a

special performance presentation as the head table was served the dish.

Mistress Mari graciously agreed to make the presentation of the Finnish

meatloaves, performing the following poem to drum accompanyment by Master

Cynric of Bedwyn.

 

BEOLOAF

A presentation poem for the Candlemas Feast in Saxon style

composed and performed by Chieftess Mari ferch Rathyen

 

"Bring meat to us!" the baron bade,

"Our guests to feast with noble fare!"

Like grim Skadi, skillful huntress,

Gunnora dressed and gathered hard weapons,

Hunting the woods for horned stag.

Cruel barbs flew straight and bright blood burst.

Crimson haunches she hauled to larder.

Then flashed the cleaver, cutting and hacking,

Grinding the flesh of the forest king.

Cream from the cow with a look she curdled,

Then finest flour she flung to breadboard,

Punching and pounding the proud dough down.

With cross curses and cookpots flying

At quivering thralls, her quest she completed.

Now find fare from Karelian forests.

We serve before you meatloaves fashioned

In sour cream crust, crowned with gold,

Burnished by fire, food of Finland.

 

------------------------------

I received the following poem about the Finnish meatloaves from Master

Godwin Alfricsson while I was in the process of preparing Finnish

meatloaves to feed 300. I laughed so hard I cried.

 

SIXTEEN LOAVES

by Master Godwin Alfricsson

Sing to the tune of "SIXTEEN TONS"

 

Some people say the SCA's nothin' but fun,

But Gunnora's thinking, "Now WHAT have I DONE!?!"

Candlemas wants her to cook up some food-

SIXTEEN meat loaves, well that ought to do!

 

REFRAIN:

She's baking Sixteen Loaves, an what'll she get?

    Hands all greasy, and a kitchen that's messed.

Featocrat don't bug her or else she won't go...

        she owes her soul to the wood burning stove.

 

When she took up the challenge, she thought three loaves would be fine.

Now they expect her to change water to wine!

Sixteen Loaves, or Water to Wine?

It makes no difference, cause they BOTH suck up time...

 

(refrain)

 

She awoke one morning, near Candlemas eve,

this task that they gave her made her want to heave.

Making Sixteen Loaves is a lot to do-

But they're FINNISH meat loaves

Now she's gotta make the dough too.

 

(refrain)

 

On Candlemas morning (never going to bed),

She picked up the meat loaves (although feeling "dead")

She put them on the wagon and she drove away-

The Feastocrat, wisely, just stayed out of her way.

 

(refrain- revised)

She brought 'em Sixteen Meat Loaves,

What'll she get? Probably an invitation to help clean up the event.

"Fellows don't you call me, because I've got to go-

I'm using my mace to break up that DAMN stove!

----------------------

Enjoy, all!

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: "Mercy Neumark" <mneumark at hotmail.com>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org, stormgengr at yahoogroups.com

Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 08:45:13 -0800

Subject: [Sca-cooks] My first Redaction: Leche Lumbard

 

As promised, I will go over what I ended up doing for Festival of the Rose

with this recipe.  I altered it quite a bit from the original on the day of

the event because I found out that I ran out of ingrediants (I THOUGHT that

it was a full box!).

 

I'll talk about the test subject one, since I ended up using more of the

original stuff.  Also, I wasn't sure what powdour gylofre (cloves) was until

AFTER I made the first batch.  I referred to the godecookery redaction when

I didn't know what the original was, and they mentioned rosemary...so I

figured that was what powdour gylofre was (wrongly so)  Ah well.  The first

loaf came out spicy-sweet with the pepper and rosemary mixed with the dried

fruit.  I actually liked it better than the second time.

 

Here is the basics:

http://www.godecookery.com/incrd/incrd.htm#007

 

Leche Lumbard - from Forme of Cury:

 

66. Leche Lumbard. Take rawe pork and pulle of the skyn, and pyke out =FEe

synewes, and bray the pork in a morter with ayron rawe. Do =FEerto sugur,

salt, raysouns coraunce, dates mynced, and powdour of peper, powdour

gylofre; & do it in a bladder, and lat it see=FE til it be ynowhgh. And whan

it is ynowh, kerf it; leshe it in liknesse of a peskodde; and take grete

raysouns and grynde hem in a morter. Drawe hem vp wi=FE rede wyne. Do =FEerto

mylke of almaundes. Colour it with saundres & safroun, and do =FEerto powdour

of peper & of gilofre and boile it. And whan it is iboiled, take powdour

canel and gynger and temper it vp with wyne, and do alle =FEise thynges

togyder, and loke =FEat it be rennyng; and lat it not see=FE after =FEat it is

cast togyder, & serue it forth.

 

Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary

Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme

of Cury). London: For the Early English Text Society by the Oxford

University Press, 1985.

 

Gode Cookery translation: Take raw pork and pull off the skin, and pick out

the sinews, and pound the pork in a morter with raw eggs. Do there to sugar,

salt, currants, minced dates, and powder of pepper, powder cloves; & do it

in a bladder, and let it boil til it be done. And when it is done, carve it;

slice it in the likeness of a peaspod; and take great raisins and grind them

in a morter. Blend it with red wine. Do there to milk of almonds. Color it

with sandlewood & saffron, and do there to powder of pepper & of cloves and

boil it. And when it is boiled, take cinnamon powder and ginger and mix it

up with wine, and do all these things together, and look that it be rennet

(coagulated); and let it not boil after that it is cast together, & serve it

forth.

 

 

Artemesia's Redaction:

 

Meatloaf --

 

1 Lbs Ground Pork

1 Egg

4 Tbs currants

1/2 little box raisens

6 Large dates, pitted and minced

1/4 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/8 tsp black Pepper

1/8 tsp salt

 

Sauce --

 

2 cups Almond Milk

1/2 cup Red Wine

1/2 little box of raisens

3 strands of saffron

1/8 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/8 tsp ginger

 

For meatloaf:

 

1.  Take all of the ingrediants and mix them up in a bowl together.  Try to

get a consistant mixture so that all the fruit and spices are distributed

evenly.

 

2.  Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and form meat mixtures into a shape

(if you want to see the original directions for peaspod, please go to the

website stated above). Mine was a sun.  I tried to keep it no thicker

(height) than an inch and a half so everything cooked evenly.

 

3.  Put in oven at 350 degrees for roughly 35 minutes.  I orginally made a 2

pound batch, which I left in for 40 minutes, which was a little too long for

my tastes (turned a little dry).  It should be a light golden brown.

 

Sauce:

 

1.  Place in saucepan everything but the ginger and rosemary.  Bring to

boil, then bring down tempurature to a simmer.  Allow to boil down for at

least 20 to 30 minutes.

 

2.  Near the end of the simmering, add ginger and rosemary.  Because mine

didn't thicken, I added about 1 tablespoon arrowroot, but when I did it the

second time, it thickened...so go figure.

 

Plating the Meal:

 

1.  Clean the excess fat off of the meatloaf and then put in the center of a

large plate.

 

2.  Pour sauce around the loaf (not over).

 

3.  Serve it forth.

 

When I cook I do fudge the measurements depending on the taste as I cook it.

  I realize that the first time I added a lot more pepper than noted above

because I like pepper. Also, I don't like wine sauces, so I added more

almond milk to balance off the wine flavor.  You can change things where you

see fit.

 

--Artemesia

 

 

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:39:22 -0700

From: "Anne-Marie Rousseau" <dailleurs at liripipe.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Meat mixtures

To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

Ramequin of flesh from La Varenne is basically a hamburger or meatloaf object...

 

--Anne-Marie

 

<the end>



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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org