Carnes Vaccinae
(Beef Casserole)

Origin: Roman      Period: Traditional

Original Recipe

Carnes Vaccinae (from Anthimus' De Observatione Ciborium Epistula)

Anthimus was a Byzantine Greek from the early 6th Century CE who served as an ambassador to the king of the Franks. During this time he wrote a treatise in cookery known as De Observatione Ciborium Epistula (A Little Letter on the Observance of Foods) that reflects both Byzantine and Frankish influences. Though post-Roman Anthimus' recipes reflect the Roman influence and origins of Byzantium and thus it could be argued that Anthimus' recipes do belong in this collection.

Original

De carnibus uero uaccinis uaporatas factas et in sodinga coctas utendum, etiam et in iuscello, ut prius exbromatas una unda mittat, et sic in nitida aqua, quantum ratio poscit, coquantur, ut non addatur aqua, et cum cocta fuerit caro, mittis acetum acerrimum quantum media bucula, et mittis capita porrorum et puledium modicum, apii radicis uel finiculum, et coquat in una hora, et sic addis mel quantum medietatem de aceto uel quis dulcedinem habere uoluerit, et sic coquat lento foco agetando ipsa olla frequenter manibus, et bene ius cum carne ipsa temperetur, et sic teri: piper grana L, costo et spicanardi per singula quantum medietatem solidi, et cariofili quantum pinsat tremissis I. ista omnia simul trita bene in mortario fictile addito uino modico, et cum bene tribulatum fuerit, mittis in olla et agetas bene ita, ut, antequam tollatur de foco, modicum sentiat et remittat in ius uirtutem suam. ubi tamen fuerit mel aut sapa uel carenum, unum de ipsis, sicut superius contenit, mittatur, et in bucculare non coquat, sed in olla fictile meliorem saporem facit.

Translation

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 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 some 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 peppercorns, 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.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 kg diced beef
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek
2 celery sticks
half a head of fennel
125ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
4 or 5 leaves of Spikenard
2 cloves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp peppercorns
80ml red wine
a pinch of pennyroyal
1 tbsp Passum
sea salt to taste

Method:

Cut the beef into 2 cm cubes and fry gently in olive oil until they have browned, then remove from the heat and add to a large bowl. Coarsely chop the celery, leek and fennel and mix this with the beef before adding to a casserole dish. Pour in the vinegar and wine then add enough water to cover the ingredients before placing the covered casserole dish in an oven pre-heated to 170°C for two hours.

Remove the casserole from the oven then grind the peppercorns and cloves in a pestle and mortar. Finely-chop the spikenard and pennyroyal and add these along with the spices, the honey and Passum to the casserole. Season with salt and allow to marinate for 6 hours. Return to the oven and re-heat at 180°C for half an hour.

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