Medieval Stewed Beef Ribs with Sauce

Medieval beef ribs with dried fruit and spices

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City/Region: England

Time Period: c. 1450

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Medieval meals were not the rowdy, disorderly affairs you might see in movies, but adhered to a strict set of rules. In fact, observing someone’s table manners was often the quickest way to clock their upbringing. Manners were so important that a lot of instructional books were written on the topic in a time when books were expensive and time-consuming to make.

Then and now, ribs are among some of the least elegant foods to eat, but if you’re up for an etiquette challenge, these ones are really good. They come out wonderfully tender and there is so much flavor going on. The sauce has classically medieval flavors like sweetness and warm spices and dried fruit, and actually is kind of reminiscent of a modern barbecue sauce. Eat them on a trencher for an extra dose of medieval authenticity.

“Stwed Beeff.
Take faire Ribbes of fresh beef, And (if thou wilt) roste hit til hit be nygh ynowe; then put hit in a faire possenet; caste ther-to parcely and oynons mynced, reysons of corauns, powder peper, canel, clowes, saundres, safferon, and salt, then caste there-to wyn and a litull vynegre, sette a lyd on the potte, and lete hit boile sokingly on a faire charcoal til hit be ynough; then lay the flesh, in dishes, and the sirippe there-upon, And serve it forth. ”

— Harleian MS 4016, c. 1450

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Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 lbs (1.5 kg) rack of beef ribs or short ribs
• Fine and coarse grain salt, for seasoning the ribs
• 1/2 cup minced parsley
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 cup (140 g) zante currants
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon red sandalwood powder*
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) wine vinegar
• 2 cups (475 ml) white wine

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. If you’re using a full rack of ribs, remove the thin membrane along the back of the ribs. You can also ask your butcher to do this. Score the back of the ribs and remove any chunks of fat.
3. Set the ribs in a roasting pan and season them with plenty of fine and coarse grain salt. Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. You can also barbecue them on the grill. If you cook them on the grill, don’t cook them all the way because they’ll need to go into the oven later.
4. Meanwhile, mix the parsley, onions, currants, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, saffron, and salt in a bowl. Add the wine and vinegar and stir, then set it aside.
5. After 2 1/2 hours, take the ribs out and place them into a clean pot or casserole dish, cutting them up if needed. You want a dish that fits all of the meat, but only just.
6. Pour the liquid mixture over the meat (it should cover most of the meat if you’re using a properly sized dish), cover, and return it to the oven for another 90 minutes to 2 hours.
7. Serve the ribs forth on a platter with plenty of the liquid left over in the dish. For extra authenticity, use a large slice of stale bread or the trenchers from the channel as a plate.

Notes

• Powdered red sandalwood has a mild flavor and is mostly used to color food red.
• Link to sandalwood: https://amzn.to/40I63x0

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