Stewed Beef

This is a redaction of Stewed Beef I did for the Seraph, the Barony of Angels Newsletter in 2007.

A recipe for Stwed Beeff.

The original recipe came from Two Fifteenth Century Cookerybooks.  Master Hogge from www.godecookery.com put a redaction onto that site that used 8 pounds of ribs.  I’ve cut it in half so it is more useful for families.

Here is Master Hogge’s (now Huen, 2020) original translation:

Take fair ribs of beef, and if you will roast it until nearly done; then put it in a fair pot; add parsley and onions minced, raisins of Corinth, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, saffron and salt; then add to this wine and a little vinegar; set a lid on the pot and let it boil well on a fair charcoal until done; then lay the fleshe in disshes, and the syrup on to, and serve forth.

My conversion into a modern recipe:

4 pounds of beef ribs (or less if boneless)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 medium to large onion, diced

1 cup currants

½ Tbs each pepper, cinnamon and cloves (or to taste)

few threads saffron

½ tsp salt

1 bottle red wine

¾ cup red wine vinegar.

Roast the ribs in a 250º oven for 2-3 hours, that way the meat is done and the connective tissue has gelatinized.  In and oven safe pot combine the other ingredients.  Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the currants are plum and the onions cooked.

Transfer the ribs and drippings from the roasting pan to the pot with the other ingredients, cover and cook at 400º for ½ hour to 45 minutes to finish everything off and let the beef absorb the flavor of the sauce. 

Place the ribs on a platter and cover with the sauce.  Serve with starchy root vegetables of your choice.