> So what is your favorite historical recipe that you tried?

There are a number that get made over and over for various feasts
and events, and a few that actually make it onto my home table with
some regularity.

The one that shows up the most often is probably, "To Stew a Rump
of Beef" from Digbie.
(the whole article is at http://www.panix.com/~nexus/cooking/cc10.shtml)

From Kenelme Digbie
TO STEW A RUMP OF BEEF
"Take a rump of Beef, break all the bones; season it with Pepper and Salt to
your liking; Take three or four Nutmegs, and a
quantity of Mace, beat them grossly; Then take a bunch of very good sweet
herbs, and good Onion cut in quarters. or
Garlicke, as you like it. Put in half a pint of White-wine Vinegar, and one
Pint of good Claret, one handful of Sugar; and a
piece or two of beef Suet or Butter: shred some Cabbage under and over, and
scrape in a pound of good old Cheese. Put all
these into an earthen pot, and let it stand in an oven with brown-bread
four or five hours; but let the pot be covered close
with paste."

To Stew a Rump of Beef, after Kenelme Digbie

a three pound boneless rump roast 1/2 pint of red wine (or more)
a head of green cabbage 1/4 pint of white vinegar (or more)
salt 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp nutmeg
pepper 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp mace
1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp each of basil a bay leaf
rosemary 1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar
savory 1/2 pound cheddar cheese
thyme a clove or two of garlic
mint a couple of Tb of butter
marjoram

Shredd the cabbage a bit with a knife and put half of it in the pot. Sprinkle
the roast liberally on all sides with salt and
pepper and put it on the cabbage. Combine the wine and vinegar and the mace,
nutmeg, garlic, sugar and herbs (adjust them
to your own taste). Pour over the roast. If the liquid doesn't come up maybe a
quarter of the way or more on the roast, add
more wine and vinegar in the same ratio.

Dab the butter on top. Grate the cheddar cheese on and around the roast.
Add the rest of the cabbage.


Make a paste out of flour and either water, egg or both. Seal the lid of your
pot with this paste. Cook at 350 F for at least
four hours. Longer won't hurt it.

When it comes out it should be fork tender and with a nice mellow flavor.




Jeff Berry ,
Alexandre Lerot d'Avigne Whyt Whey, East ( >|
http://www.panix.com/~nexus ) /|
"You're a notch and I'm a legend"-------Alice Cooper
"I don't need TV when I've got T-Rex"------Mott the Hoople