Recipe Manuscript

Baines To Make Beef Royall

Name: Baines To Make Beef Royall
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT2H30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2 kg boneless sirloin of beef; 150 g pork fat (lardo) or thick-cut bacon (for larding); Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 225 g unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 1.5 liters strong beef broth; 3 large onions, sliced; A handful mixed fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, marjoram); 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns; 1 small piece whole mace (or 1/2 teaspoon ground mace); 200 g veal sweetbreads (optional, can substitute chicken tenders or omit); 200 g cooked veal or beef tongue (or omit/substitute beef, optional); 50 g dried morel mushrooms (rehydrated), or use cultivated mushrooms; 50 g truffles (optional, substitute additional mushrooms); 30 g shelled pistachio nuts; 80 g fresh or frozen peas; 80 g button mushrooms; 4 artichoke bottoms (canned or frozen); Lettuce leaves (for garnish); 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into strips; 1 lemon, thinly sliced

1703

From the treasured pages of The Lady Cravens Receipt Book

Written by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1703

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

Baines To Make Beef Royall

"Take a Sirloyne of Beef & bone it, & then beat it very well with a Rowling-pin, then take some large Larde, & season it very well, & then larde your beef, & force it well, then put in half a pound of sweet butterr into your stew pan, make it a fine light Brown, then throw in your beef, & when it is Brown'd very well on both sides, thicken your Butter & fill your stew-pan with strong broth, then put in good store of oynions, some sweet herbs, bay-leaves, whole pepper, a sprig of mace then cover your stew-pan close, & let your meat stew till it be very tender, then have a good ragoue of pallets, & sweetbreads, morells, truffles, pestatia-nutts, portugall pease, musheromes & y Bottoms of Hartechoaks, then pour them over your meat & garnish your dish with force't letice, force't carotts Lemonds & so: else you think fitt"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the old English style—direct, conversational, and oriented toward an experienced cook. Quantities are rarely explicit, as measurement relied on custom and a cook's eye rather than standardized units. Spelling is archaic but phonetically logical ('oynions' for onions, 'rowling-pin' for rolling pin). Punctuation is minimal, resulting in long sentences strung together by conjunctions. The emphasis is on process and overall result rather than strictly timed stages. Garnishing is considered part of the cook's art, leaving room for creativity ('else you think fitt'). Such recipes expected a high level of culinary intuition, as professional and upper-class cooks could choreograph complex, multi-step dishes with confidence and flair.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

The Lady Cravens Receipt Book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

The Lady Cravens Receipt Book (1703)

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

Writer

Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven

Era

1703

Publisher

Coome Abbey

Background

A delectable manuscript brimming with 18th-century English delights, Lady Craven's receipt book whisks readers from luscious cakes and puddings to savory feasts and creamy cheeses. Elegantly organized and sprinkled with recipes from an illustrious social circle, this culinary collection offers a sumptuous taste of aristocratic home economics.

Kindly made available by

Penn State University

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from the manuscript 'The Lady Craven's Receipt Book', compiled by Elizabeth, Baroness Craven, in England between 1702 and 1704. It represents the upper-class English cookery of the late Stuart period—a time when French culinary influence mingled with English traditions. Beef 'royall' is a showpiece dish, intended for grand occasions. Its elaborate use of larded beef, rich sauces, and luxurious garnishes such as sweetbreads, truffles, and artichokes, marks it as food for the wealthy. The recipe's inclusion in a handwritten receipt book (especially one attributing recipes to titled ladies) highlights the role of manuscript cookbooks as both social currency and practical guides for managing grand households. The ornate garnishing, use of ragout, and emphasis on tenderness and luxury ingredients reflect a culinary world on the cusp of modernity, where domestic cooks and their mistresses aimed to impress guests with display as much as flavor.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 18th century, such a recipe would be prepared in a large hearth kitchen, with a heavy cauldron or stew pan placed over the fire, or suspended from a crane. A rolling pin or a wooden mallet would be used to beat the meat for tenderizing. Larding required a special needle-like tool or sharp knife. Cooking was done using direct heat, and the simmering would require careful attention to the fire. Sautéing and browning used great slabs of butter in wide pans. Finishing the dish required large platters for splendid service, and sharp knives for presentation. Many ingredients, like sweetbreads or artichoke hearts, required separate pans and careful timing for individual preparation.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 30 mins

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

4 1/2 lb boneless sirloin of beef
5 1/2 oz pork fat (lardo) or thick-cut bacon (for larding)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
6 1/3 cups strong beef broth
3 large onions, sliced
A handful mixed fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, marjoram)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 small piece whole mace (or 1/2 teaspoon ground mace)
7 oz veal sweetbreads (optional, can substitute chicken tenders or omit)
7 oz cooked veal or beef tongue (or omit/substitute beef, optional)
1 3/4 oz dried morel mushrooms (rehydrated), or use cultivated mushrooms
1 3/4 oz truffles (optional, substitute additional mushrooms)
1 oz shelled pistachio nuts
3 oz fresh or frozen peas
3 oz button mushrooms
4 artichoke bottoms (canned or frozen)
Lettuce leaves (for garnish)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into strips
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

Begin by taking a boneless sirloin of beef, approximately 4 1/2 pounds, and pound it thoroughly with a rolling pin to tenderize.
Prepare thick strips of pork fat (about 5 1/2 ounces) and season them generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Lard the beef by inserting these strips throughout the meat using a larding needle, or by cutting small slits and pushing them in, if you don't have the traditional tool.
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt 8 ounces of unsalted butter over medium heat until it turns a light golden brown.
Carefully brown the beef on all sides for several minutes.
Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the butter, then pour in about 6 1/3 cups of strong beef broth—enough to submerge the beef.
Add 3 large onions (sliced), a handful of mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, and marjoram), 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, and 1 small piece (about 1 inch) of whole mace.
Cover tightly with a lid and simmer very gently for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is exceptionally tender.
While the beef cooks, prepare a ragout: sauté 2 veal sweetbreads (about 7 ounces total, blanched and cut into chunks), a selection of veal or beef tongue (cooked and sliced if available), a handful each (1 3/4 ounces) of morel mushrooms (rehydrated if dried) and truffles (or use more mushrooms if truffles are unavailable), 1 ounce shelled unsalted pistachios, 3 ounces fresh or frozen peas, 3 ounces button mushrooms, and the blanched hearts (bottoms) of 4 artichokes (sliced).
Gently cook these in butter with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of the beef broth for flavor.
Remove the finished beef to a serving dish, mound the prepared ragout over the top, and garnish the platter with lettuce leaves, strips of carrot (both poached and seasoned as 'forcemeat' if desired), and thinly sliced lemon.
Serve hot, as a spectacular centerpiece.

Estimated Calories

800 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and assembling the ingredients, including larding the beef and prepping vegetables, takes about 45 minutes. The beef simmers for 2.5 hours, while the ragout cooks separately during the last hour. The finished dish is quite rich, with around 800 calories per generous serving. This recipe serves 8 people.

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.