Paftey Van Rund Vlees

This recipe, 'Paftey van Rund Vlees,' comes from a 1725 Dutch cookbook, reflecting the hearty and practical cuisine of the Dutch Golden Age. Recipes of this era celebrated robust flavors, preserved meats (like salted or smoked pork), and economical cuts from the animal such as 'offen-bil' (offen or ossenbil being the beef round or rump). Larding, the act of inserting fat into lean meat, was a common practice before refrigeration, balancing flavor and moisture. Dutch cookbooks of this period were aimed at both wealthy households and aspiring middle-class cooks, codifying methods that had likely been passed down orally. The use of spices such as nutmeg reflects the era’s access to the spice trade, a hallmark of Dutch culinary history.

Cooks in the early 18th century would have used a heavy iron or copper frying pan over an open hearth fire, employing a simple meat mallet or heavy rolling pin to tenderize the beef. For larding, a long thin knife or a special larding needle would be used to thread strips of pork fat through the meat. Sealing and finishing the meat could involve a cast-iron pot with a close-fitting lid, or wrapping the meat in parchment or linen to keep it moist as it cooked.