[Sca-cooks] Bourbelier of Wild Pig

[Saint Phlip]

On 9/15/06, Sue Clemenger <mooncat at in-tch.com> wrote:
> Yummmm....
> I wonder about the initial plunge into boiling water, though.  What would be
> the possible reasons for that? A brief sort of par-boiling for a chunk o'
> pig with a fatty coating? Some other reason, more specific to it being from
> wild boar?
> --Maire, curious....

Well, first off, if the translation's correct, it's Wild Pig, not Wild
Boar. There's a significant different between the flesh of the female
and of the (uncut) male of any species, intact males having stronger
flavors (hormones) and tougher connective tissue- that's just the
effects of testosterone.

As far as the plunge into the hot water initially, I'm wondering two
things- first, if it's intended as a mild reduction of its hot and dry
nature, if indeed wild pig was perceived to have those characteristics
(can anybody tell me how pigs rate on the humoral scale?) Secondly,
I'm wondering if the hot water plunge might be intended to solidify
the surface of the roast, to make it easier to work with, insofar as
poking it full of cloves- a technique rather akin to freezing meat, as
we moderns do, so that we might slice it thinner.

Adamantius? Any thoughts?

Yes, folks, I'm deliberately leaving the recipe attached, to make it
easier for commentators to look it over.

> > The recipe is From Cariadoc;s Mescellany):
> >
> > Bourbelier of Wild Pig
> > Menagier p. M-23
> >
> > First you must put it in boiling water, and take it out quickly and
> > stick it with cloves; put it on to roast, and baste with a sauce made
> > of spices, that is ginger, cinnamon, clove, grain, long pepper and
> > nutmegs, mixed with verjuice, wine, and vinegar, and without boiling
> > use it to baste; and when it is roasted, it should be boiled up
> > together. And this sauce is called boar's tail, and you will find it
> > later (and there it is thickened with bread: and here, not).
> >
> > 3 lb pork roast
> > about 60 whole cloves
> > 1/4 t ginger
> > 1/8 t cinnamon
> > 1/8 t cloves
> > 1/4 t grains of paradise
> > 1/2 t pepper (rounded)
> > 1/8 t nutmeg
> > (verjuice)
> > 1 c wine
> > 1/2 c vinegar
> >
> > Preheat oven to 450deg. . Stud roast with whole cloves, baste with a
> > mixture of the remaining ingredients, then put into oven. Immediately
> > after putting it in, turn oven down to 350deg. . Roast meat 1 hour 45
> > minutes (for this size roast), basting every 15 minutes.
> >
> > However, while I noted that the translation of the original says "Long
> > pepper", the redaction says "Grains of Paradise". I'm assuming either
> > will work, and that likely the redaction reflected what was in
> > Cariadoc's and Elizabeth's cupboard at the time (been there, done that
> > ;-)
> >
> > Anybody think there'll be a qualitative difference?
> >
> > And, wondering if this particular mix might be usable as a powdre forte.
> >
> > Anybody?
> >
> > Planning on this for dinner tomorrow night...

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Has anyone seen my temper?
I seem to have misplaced it at Stalag XXXV....