Transylvanian Garlic Roast Beef
As Vlad once said, "We used to add more garlic..."
Not Dead Yet, Chapter 35 - The Dinner Party
The Science of Cooking was originally published in Hungarian, translated into English by Bence Kovacs and shared online by Glenn F. Gorsuch.
This recipe is from a cookbook called The Science of Cooking, written by the Prince of Transylvania’s anonymous court master chef at the end of the 16th century, about one century after the rule of Vlad Țepeș.
This roast beef is served with a sharp, rich garlic sauce made from egg yolks, vinegar, and the meat’s own broth. The original instructions for the beef itself have been lost, so this version opts for a gently simmered pot roast, preferably still quite rare. Which is fortunate, because when vampires are coming to dinner, serving the beef bloody feels less like a preference and more like good manners.
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3 lbs beef for a pot roast (short loin or tenderloin)
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lard or oil for frying
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1 cup red wine
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salt and pepper to taste
For the garlic sauce:
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3 egg yolks
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3 TBSP white wine vinegar
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3 garlic cloves
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meat broth
1. In a deep saucepan, sear the beef thoroughly in lard or oil to brown it on all sides.
2. Remove the meat from the pan and deglaze the pan with a glass of red wine.
3. Add the meat to the pan and cover immediately. Lower the temperature until the meat just simmers. Check from time to time if there is sufficient liquid not to burn the meat and turn it occasionally, simmering it until your preferred cooking point, anything between ½ hour for very rare meat (we are team Vlad!) to 3 hours for very cooked meat.
4. While the meat is cooking, Peel and crush the garlic and blend it with the egg yolks and vinegar.
5. Once the meat is cooked to your preference, Remove the meat to a serving plate, cover it to keep it warm. (Save the meat broth for the next step)
6. Add 3 TBSP of the meat broth to the garlic sauce and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste
Carve the roast and serve topped with the garlic sauce.
