Recipe Manuscript

How To Pot Beef

Name: How To Pot Beef
Prep time: PTPT35M
Cook time: PTPT6H
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.4 kg beef from the buttock (round), coarsely minced; 450 g bacon, finely chopped; Salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 100 g butter, plus more for sealing (approx. 200 g total); Bunch of fresh sweet marjoram (about 10 g); Water as needed

1694

From the treasured pages of English cookery and medicine book,

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch Snack

Original Recipe • 1694

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

How To Pot Beef

"Take butterck beef beat it in a mortar then to 3 pound of beef put one pound of bacon cutt in small peices till small as you can season it with peper and salt and mix in the bacon with your hand put it in a pot with water and butterr & a bunch of sweet marjorum 6 hours when it is enough put it in a Cloth to draine and then put it in the pot again and fill it up with butterr"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a casual, instruction-first style characteristic of early modern English manuscripts: heavy on process, light on measurement, with scant punctuation. Spelling, such as 'cutt' for 'cut' or 'buttock' for 'round', varies, as standardized spelling was not yet common. Directions depend on the cook's judgment ('enough' or 'as you can'), assuming household familiarity with the processes of meat pounding, seasoning, and preservation under a layer of butter.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

English cookery and medicine book, - Click to view recipe in book

Title

English cookery and medicine book, (1694)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1694

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through late 17th to early 18th-century kitchens, this tome features recipes, culinary wisdom, and mouthwatering secrets from an era where feasts reigned supreme and the art of cooking was celebrated with flourish.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe originates from an English household manuscript dating between 1677 and 1711, a period characterized by elaborate meat preservation techniques before widespread refrigeration. Dishes like 'potted beef' allowed families to preserve precious meat for weeks using salt, fat, and slow cooking, often enhanced by aromatic herbs. The recipe reflects both domestic skills and the evolving taste for spiced, preserved meats popular among the gentry and growing middle class. Sweet marjoram, a favorite in the period's kitchens, hints at increasing herb cultivation in domestic gardens.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, this would be made with a large mortar and pestle for pounding the beef, a heavy iron or earthenware pot for slow simmering, a cloth (such as muslin or linen) for draining, and lidded ceramic pots for storage. An open fireplace or a slow-burning stove would serve as the heat source. The process required patience and hands-on skill, particularly for pounding meat and judging the doneness by texture rather than time or temperature.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

3 lbs beef from the buttock (round), coarsely minced
1 lb bacon, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3.5 oz butter, plus more for sealing (approx. 7 oz total)
Bunch of fresh sweet marjoram (about 1/3 oz)
Water as needed

Instructions

Begin by placing 3 lbs of beef (from the buttock/round) into a sturdy mixing bowl or, for true historical flair, a mortar.
Pound the beef until it is broken down into a coarse mince.
To this, add 1 lb bacon, chopped as finely as possible, and mix thouroughly with your hands.
Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
Transfer the beef and bacon mixture into a large, heavy pot.
Add enough water to just cover the mixture, then dot generously with butter—about 3.5 oz.
Tuck in a small bunch of fresh sweet marjoram.
Over a gentle heat, simmer, covered, for about 6 hours, occaisionally checking to ensure the mixture remains moist (add water if needed).
Once tender, drain the meat in a cloth or fine-mesh sieve to remove excess liquid.
Return the drained meat mixture back into a clean pot or an earthenware terrine, and cover generously with melted butter to seal.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate until set.
Serve sliced, as a preserved meat spread.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend some time chopping and mixing the meat and bacon before it goes in the pot. The cooking takes several hours at a gentle heat, but you don't need to watch it all the time - just check it now and then to be sure it doesn't dry out. One serving contains a good amount of calories because of the beef, bacon, and butter. This recipe makes about 10 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.