Meat Casserole
From Libre del Coch by Rupert de Nola. Translated by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain.
124. CAZUELA DE CARNE You must take meat and cut it into pieces the size of a walnut, and gently fry it with the fat of good bacon; and when it is well gently fried, cast in good broth, and cook it in a casserole; and cast in all fine spices, and saffron, and a little orange juice or verjuice, and cook it very well until the meat begins to fall apart and only a little broth remains; and then take three or four eggs beaten with orange juice or verjuice, and cast it into the casserole; and when you wish to eat, give it four or five stirs with a large spoon, and then it will thicken; and when it is thick, remove it from the fire; and prepare dishes, and cast cinnamon upon each one. However, there are those who do not wish to cast in eggs or spice, but only cinnamon and cloves, and cook them with the meat, as said above, and cast vinegar on it so that it may have flavor; and there are others who put all the meat whole and in one piece, full of cinnamon, and whole cloves, and ground spices in the broth, and this must be turned little by little, so that it does not cook more at one end than the other. And so nothing is necessary but cloves and cinnamon, and those moderately.
1 t
 Ground Ginger
1/2 t
 Ground Nutmeg
1 t
 Grains of Paradise
15 - 18
 Threads Saffron
1 C
 Bitter Orange Juice
2 T
 Olive Oil
1/2 t
 Ground Cinnamon
2
 Cloves Ground
2
 Eggs
4 C
 Beef Broth
3 lbs
 Beef (chuck)

Put 1/2 C of orange juice into a cup and add saffron, ginger, nutmeg, and crushed Grains of Paradise - mix well. Cut beef into walnut sized chunks. Use a large oven proof covered pot (like a dutch oven). Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place pot on the top of the stove and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Bring olive oil up to heat but do not allow to smoke. Add beef chunks and stir to sear on all sides. Add the orange juice/spice mixture and beef broth. Stir in well and then allow to come to boil. Once boiling, cover and move to oven. Cook for approximately 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Drain off all but 1/2 inch of juices (reserve for a sauce if desired). Add the cinnamon and cloves to the eggs and beat well. Temper egg mixture with the beef juices and then add egg mixture to the pot, whisking well. Bring the pottage back up to heat but just to a simmer. Just before you will serve add the remaining 1/2 C of orange juice, bring to heat and stir well.