To Butchers Who Sell Putrid Meat.

 My last post showed how seriously the authorities took offences involving unsanitary or deceitful food practices in the fourteenth century. I want to give the butchers’ perspective today.

The records of the City of London in 1320, in the time of King Edward II, provide some examples of punishments meted out to butchers who sold putrid meat.

Punishment of the Pillory, for selling putrid meat.

Be it remembered, that in full Husting of Common Pleas, holden on the Monday next after the Feast of St. James the Apostle [25 July], in the I4th year etc., William le Clerk, of Hegham Ferrers, was brought before Hamon de Chiggwelle, Mayor, Nicholas de Farndone, and other Aldermen, with certain putrid and poisonous flesh-meat, unfit for human food. And because such flesh was putrid, and the body had died of disease, it was awarded by the aforesaid Mayor and Aldermen, that the said William le Clerk, in whose possession the said dead body was found, should be put upon the pillory, and the body burnt beneath him.

Punishment of the Pillory, for making a false charge of intending to sell putrid meat.

Be it remembered, that on the Tuesday next before the Feast of St. Laurence [10 August], in the I4th year, Thomas " the Smythe, of Stebenhethe, was brought before Hamon de Chigwelle, the Mayor, Geoffrey de Hertpol, Hugh de Gartone, and other Aldermen, and John de Prestone, Sheriff; for that it was imputed to him by one Nicholas Schyngal that he had bought putrid fleshmeat, and a dead carcass, from Alice la Coureors, to bring into the City for sale.

And the said Thomas says that he never bought such flesh-meat, and as to this he puts himself upon the country, etc.; but he says that the before-named Nicholas Schyngal bought that meat, for sale in the City. And the said Nicholas says that he never bought the said meat, nor has he any knowledge of it, and as to this he puts himself upon the country.

And the jurors, by William de Wrotham, brewer, and the others in the panel named, say upon their oath, that the aforesaid Thomas le Smythe is not guilty of the things imputed to him. They further say, that the said Nicholas Schyngal did buy the said meat, and that he intended selling the same in the City, in deceit of the people. Therefore it was adjudged by the said Mayor and Aldermen, that the said Nicholas should be put upon the pillory, and the meat aforesaid be burnt beneath him. And the said Thomas was to go acquitted thereof.

As the recipe for the day, I give you, from The Forme of Cury (c1395) a recipe for ‘mortrews.’ The name indicates that the meat is ground in a mortar. It is a classical medieval dish of ground pork and chicken, spiced with saffron, ginger and pepper, thickened with eggs – a sort of savoury meat custard.

Morterelys [Mortrews]

Nym [grind] ennyn and porke and seth hem togedere nym the lyre [flesh] of the hennyn and the porke and hakkyth finale and grynd hit al to dust and wyte bred therwyth and temper it wyth the selve broth and wyth heyryn and colure it with safroun and boyle it and disch it and cast theron powder of peper and of gyngynyr and serve it forthe.

OOPS! my error: a commenter notes: "Nym" = to take, not to grind; this receipt starts by boiling the chicken and pork "seth [seethe] hem" together, and then chopping the cooked meats ("hakkyth finale" (hack it finely)) and grynde the cooked meats "to dust". The resulting hash is bound together with eggs and broth, seasoned and boiled up again.