SC - Where's the beef, or, where's the sacrificial lamb?

[rcmann4 at earthlink.net]

And it came to pass on 8 Feb 01, , that Philip & Susan Troy wrote:

> Okay, here goes. Watch out, this is going to get messy. I have never
> studied Spanish to any degree of fluency whatsoever, and never in an
> academic setting at all. Feel free to help nail this puppy up where it belongs.

You missed a few details, but it's a fairly usable rendition.
 
> "Para assar la espalda de la vaca en assador
> 
> Tomaras los pedazos de la espalda de la vaca no mayores que de peso de
> quatro libras, pondraslos debaxo de algun gran pesso con sal molida,
> hinojo, pimienta machada, y un poco de ajo picado, por 
> espacio de quatro horas, luego los pondras en el assador y debaxo de una
> cazuela con un poco de romero, si te pareciere, y unos cascos de
> cebolla, los quales se yran cociendo con la gordura que 
> cayere de lo assado.  Servirlo has caliente con las cebollas y su zumo,
> mesclandole un gustillo hecho de vinagre y mosto cocido, y especias comunes."
> 
> Ver-ry loosely:
> 
> To roast the shoulder of the cow on a spit. 
> 
> You take a piece from the shoulder of a young cow weighing four pounds,

Almost.  There is no mention of the cow's age.  "no mayores que 
de peso de quatro libras" means "no greater than the weight of four 
pounds".

> put it under [algun gran pesso = a heavy weight???] 

some heavy weight

> with powdered salt, hinojo [something about in eyes???], 

Fennel.

>crushed pepper, and a little pricked garlic, 

"Picar" can mean "to prick", but it also means "to mince" or "to 
chop".

> for a space of four hours, then put it on the spit and
> underneath a casserole with a little [romero -- I have no idea], 

Rosemary.

> if you like, and chopped onions, 

"cascos de cebollas" is "skins of onions".  "Cascos" is the same 
word that is used to describe the husks of crushed grapes.  I 
haven't seen it applied to onions before.  I can't think it means the 
papery outer skins, since the onion is served with the sauce.  
Perhaps the next layer in?

> the [quales -- again, no idea] 

quales=which (pl.)

> are [yran -- ditto] cooked with the dripping that will fall from the spit. 

"yran" is an archaic spelling of "iran" -- "they will go".  It adds a 
connotation of continual action.  The literal translation would be 
"chopped onions, the which will go cooking with the fat that will fall 
from the spit".  I'd be inclined to render it something like this: 
"chopped onions, which will be cooking in the fat that fall from the 
spit".

> To serve
> you heat up the onions and the juice, mix with it a flavoring made of
> vinegar and cooked must, and common spices.
> 
> In other words, I think the meat is sort of dry-rubbed with salt and
> other seasonings, then weighted and allowed to sort of macerate for four
> hours, then roasted on a spit over a drip pan in which you make the
> sauce, which will consist of the drippings, onions, vinegar, redcuced
> must, and spices.

Exactly.  I found a few recipes on the web that use a similar 
combination of seasonings, though they omit the pressing with a 
heavy weight part of the process.

> On the other hand, perhaps my grandmother is oiling the cheese window,
> and I must sell your eyes to my angry sister. 

Your grandmother may do what she likes with her cheese window, 
but you can tell your sister that I have never particularly admired 
St. Lucy.

Now let me ask you a question about an area in which I am fairly 
ignorant.  According to the diagrams I've looked at, the shoulder of 
the cow contains various cuts of chuck.  Isn't that a tough cut, 
more suited to stews than to roasts?

> Adamantius


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
now at a new address: rcmann4 at earthlink.net