Brawn en Peuerade (Medieval Meat in Spiced Sauce)

Tender stewed spiced meat and onions with bright yellow saffron sauce

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City/Region: England

Time Period: c. 1430

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It’s a well-circulated myth that medieval cooks spiced meat heavily in order to hide the fact that the meat had gone bad. And it is, indeed, a myth. Amongst the many reasons why this doesn’t hold up is the fact that in medieval Europe, spices were expensive, and if you could afford to use a lot of them on your meat, you could afford not-spoiled meat. Dishes like this one, which uses five different spices and saffron, which has always been expensive, would be only for the wealthy.

This dish has the classic medieval flavors of warm spices and vinegar, and I really enjoyed it. The meat and onions are tender, the sauce is a beautiful bright yellow, and it’s quite unlike anything we typically eat today.

“Brawn en peuerade
Take might broth of Beef or Capon, and then take clean fresh meat, and seeth it, but not too much; And if it be fresh meat, roast it, but not too much, and then cut it in pieces, and cast it into the broth; And then take whole onions, and peel them, and then take vinegar thereto, and cinnamon,...then take cloves, mace, and powdered pepper, and cast thereto, and a little saunders, and set it on the fire, and let boil till the onions and the meat be cooked enough, and not too much; then take liquor made with bread and vinegar and wine…and cast thereto saffron to make the color bright, and salt, and serve it forth.”

— Harleian Ms. 279, c. 1430

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Ingredients:

Meat

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 lbs (1 kg) beef roast or pork shoulder, cut into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1-2 quarts (1-2 L) chicken or beef broth, enough to cover the meat and onions
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine vinegar
• Several small onions, or pearl onions if you like
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground mace
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sandalwood*

Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) white wine
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey vinegar or white wine vinegar**
• A large pinch saffron, crushed
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs made from stale bread
• A small pinch salt

*This is just for color, so if you don’t have food-grade sandalwood, you can leave it out.

**I had some honey vinegar in the cupboard, so I used it and it was fantastic, but white wine vinegar will do.

Instructions:

1. For the meat: Heat a large pan over high heat, then add the oil. Add the meat and cook for a few minutes, turning a few times, just so that the meat gets browned.
2. Heat the broth and vinegar in a large pot over medium-high heat. While that heats, peel the onions and cut off the top ends. When the broth is steaming, add the meat and onions. You want enough broth to cover the meat and onions, so add more if you need to.
3. Bring the pot to a simmer, then stir in the spices. Feel free to add more spices as you like. Bring the pot to a gentle boil and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the meat and onions are nice and tender.
4. For the sauce: Combine the wine and vinegar in a small saucepan. Add the crushed saffron and let it steep for 5 minutes.
5. After the 5 minutes, stir in the breadcrumbs. Place the pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Take the pot off the heat and then pass the sauce through a sieve. Put the sauce back in the pot and set it over low heat. Let it simmer for a few more minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
7. To serve: Take the meat and onions out of the pot (use the broth as you like). Reheat the sauce if it’s cooled, then serve the meat and onions forth with the sauce on the side.

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