Recipe Manuscript

Lammfleisch Mit Knoblauch

Name: Lammfleisch Mit Knoblauch
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 front quarter of lamb (1.5–2 kg), cut into small pieces; 40–50 g lard or clarified butter (Schmalz); 30–35 g wheat flour (about 3 heaping tablespoons); 400 ml hot lamb, beef stock, or water (enough to cover the meat); 6–8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (or 2–3 shallots as alternative); 100 ml dry white wine vinegar; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

"Lamb Meat With Garlic"

1788

From the treasured pages of Augsburgisches Kochbuch

Written by Sophie Juliane Weiler

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1788

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Lammfleisch Mit Knoblauch

"Man nimmt hiezu ein vorderes Lammviertel, hacket es in kleine Stücke, wäschet es aus frischem Wasser etlichemal heraus, und läßt es eine halbe Stunde im Wasser liegen. Dann machet man zu einem Lammviertel eines guten halben Hühnereyes groß Schmalz in einem Rußhasen oder Kasserol heiß, röstet 3 Löffel voll Mehl gelbbraun darinnen; drücket das Fleisch aus dem Wasser heraus, und thut es zu dem Gerösteten; wendet es etlichemal darinnen um, und gießt dann heiße Fleischbrühe oder Wasser, aber nicht zu viel, daran. Nun schälet man eine kleine Handvoll Knoblauch, schneidet ihn ganz dünne, und thut ihn, nebst einem Glas voll Weinessig und ein wenig Pfeffer, an das Fleisch, läßt es damit eine Stunde kochen. Wann es nicht sauer genug ist, muß man bald mehr Essig nachgießen. Wem der Knoblauch zuwider ist, kann statt dessen Schalottenzwiebeln dazu nehmen."

English Translation

"For this, take a front quarter of lamb, chop it into small pieces, rinse it several times in fresh water, and let it soak in water for half an hour. Then, for a lamb quarter, heat about half the size of a hen's egg of lard in a pot or casserole, roast 3 spoonfuls of flour in it until yellow-brown; squeeze the meat out of the water and add it to the roasted mixture; turn it around a few times, then pour in hot meat broth or water, but not too much. Now peel a small handful of garlic, slice it very thin, and add it, along with a glass full of wine vinegar and a little pepper, to the meat, and let it cook for an hour. If it is not sour enough, you can add more vinegar. If you do not like garlic, you can use shallots instead."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe, like many from its era, is written in continuous prose with little to no separation into neat ingredient lists or precise timings. Instead, it relies on assumptions that the cook has some experience and can interpret a 'good half of a hen's egg' size or a 'small handful' by sight and touch. Spelling reflects late 18th-century German—'macht' for 'macht', 'wäschet' for 'wäscht', and so forth—with words like 'Schmalz' and 'Kasserol' showing period-specific forms. Modern recipe writers would split the steps for clarity and list the ingredients separately, but here, it is all woven into a narrative, with options and substitutes noted for personal preference.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Augsburgisches Kochbuch - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Augsburgisches Kochbuch (1788)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Sophie Juliane Weiler

Era

1788

Publisher

In der Joseph-Wolffischen Buchhandlung

Background

A delightful journey through 18th-century German cuisine, the Augsburgisches Kochbuch serves up a generous helping of traditional recipes and household wisdom, inviting readers to savor the flavors and customs of its era.

Kindly made available by

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe originates from the 1788 'Augsburgisches Kochbuch,' carefully compiled by Sophie Juliane Weiler, an influential female author from the late 18th century Bavarian region. The cookbook reflects the thriving urban household cuisine of southern Germany, where rich sauces, affordable meat cuts, and the emerging use of spices like pepper became common in bourgeois kitchens. Lamb with garlic was a hearty, flavorful dish representing both luxury (meat for the table) and thrift (using every cut of the animal, accentuated by bold flavors like vinegar and garlic to cut through richness). The detailed, stepwise nature of the preparation also reveals the gradual professionalization of cooking, just before the modern recipe format became standardized.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the period would have used sturdy iron or copper casseroles ('Kasserolle') or the sooty 'Rußhasen'—a heavy vessel set directly over an open fire or on a kitchen range for even heating. A sharp cleaver or butcher's knife was essential for breaking down the lamb. Wooden spoons, ladles, and simple kitchen sieves for washing and draining the meat, along with clay or ceramic bowls for soaking, completed the basic toolkit.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

Ingredients

1 front quarter of lamb (3.3–4.4 lbs), cut into small pieces
3–3.5 tbsp lard or clarified butter (Schmalz) (1.5–1.8 oz)
1.1–1.2 oz wheat flour (about 3 heaping tablespoons)
1 2/3 cups hot lamb, beef stock, or water (about 13.5 fl oz, enough to cover the meat)
6–8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (or 2–3 shallots as alternative)
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp dry white wine vinegar (3.4 fl oz)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Begin with a front quarter of lamb (about 3.3–4.4 lbs), hack or cut it into small pieces, and wash several times in fresh cold water.
Let the pieces soak for half an hour, then drain and pat dry.
In a large casserole or heavy-bottomed pot, heat about 3–3.5 tbsp (1.5–1.8 oz) of clarified butter or lard (traditional Schmalz) over medium heat.
Stir in 3 heaping tablespoons (about 1.1–1.2 oz) of flour, and cook gently, stirring, until the flour is a golden brown.
Add the drained lamb to the flour and fat mixture, tossing to coat the pieces evenly.
Gradually pour in about 1 2/3 cups (13.5 fl oz) of hot lamb or beef stock, or water, enough to just barely cover the meat.
Peel around 6–8 garlic cloves (a 'small handful'), slice them very thin, and add to the pot along with 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp (3.4 fl oz) dry white wine vinegar and a good pinch of ground black pepper.
Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour.
Taste after 30–40 minutes and add more vinegar if you like a sharper, more acidic sauce.
If you don't enjoy garlic, swap in 2–3 small shallots, finely sliced, instead.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend some time preparing and cutting the lamb, then letting it soak. Cooking takes about an hour to make the lamb tender and the sauce flavorful. Each serving is based on dividing the finished dish into 6 hearty portions, and the calorie count reflects this.