[Sca-cooks] Spiced and buttered Beef

[Dragon]

Michael Gunter wrote:

> > I slathered the beef with butter (yes ... the real, unsalted 
> stuff), sprinkled nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, clove, allspice and 
> cardamom over the butter, and threw the whole into the crockpot.> > 
> Was WAY yummy. The housemate announced that the next time his 
> parents join us for dinner, THAT was what we should serve.> > Malkin
>I agree. The end result wasn't "weird" to modern tastes. Perhaps
>the direct broiling of the spices and mellowing of the butter makes
>a flavor difference but the meat doesn't come out tasting like
>pumpkin pie. When I made the beef for the egredouce I kept
>cutting off chunks for me to nibble. No salt was needed either.
>
>I'm going to try this on unsuspecting mundane tastes to see if they
>find it off. But to my taste the sweet spices and butter makes for
>a fabulous steak topping.
>
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Well... steak sauce (that bottled brown stuff like A1 an HP) and a 
variety of barbecue sauces use a lot of these spices in various 
combinations and levels so I don't find this surprising at all.

I use cinnamon in my chili. I add a few whole cloves to any batch of 
stock I am making along with the standard bouquet garni.

I think that the classification of spices as either "sweet" or 
"savory" is an artificial modern construct. Many period recipes used 
"sweet" spices in savory dishes as do the modern cuisines of the 
Middle East, North Africa, India and large parts of Asia.

Conversely, I find black pepper is a wonderful addition to some sweet 
dishes, even salt, bay leaves, chilies and other "savory" spices can 
lend a lot of flavor to sweets.



Dragon

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