Marinade for Mutton, Roebuck-style

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-quart broad stainless-steel or enameled saucepan
• •Heatproof 2-quart measuring jug
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Large bowl for an ice bath
• •Snug nonreactive marinating container

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure the base

   Pour the Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168) into a broad 6-quart nonreactive saucepan. Confirm that you have 2½ quarts before heating. The roebuck-style balance depends on removing exactly two cups from this half-scale quantity, so begin with a measured volume, not an estimate.

2. 2

   Reduce by volume

   Bring the marinade to a steady uncovered simmer over medium heat. Cook until exactly 2 quarts remain, usually 15 to 20 minutes in a broad pan, stirring near the end so the sugar already present in the base cannot catch. Check the volume with the pan's markings or a heatproof measuring jug. If it falls below 2 quarts, ça se rattrape: add enough hot water to restore the proper volume, return it briefly to the simmer, and stop there.

   A narrow pot slows evaporation and makes the timing unreliable. Volume tells the truth, so use the clock only as a reminder to begin checking.
3. 3

   Infuse the aromatics

   Crack the juniper berries just until their skins split, never grind them to powder. Add them to the reduced marinade with the rosemary, wild thyme, basil, and extra garlic. Hold at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. This brief second cooking is the honest home equivalent of incorporating the additions while the larger base is being made, and it preserves their fragrance without rebuilding the referenced preparation.

4. 4

   Strain and chill

   Pass the marinade through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean nonreactive container without pressing on the herbs or berries. Pressing clouds the liquid and can force out bitter juniper dust; if that happens, strain it again through damp muslin. Set the container in an ice bath and stir occasionally until completely cold, then cover and refrigerate below 40°F (4°C). Warm marinade must never meet raw mutton.

5. 5

   Marinate the mutton

   Place a 5 to 6 lb leg of mature mutton in a snug glass, glazed ceramic, stainless-steel, or food-safe plastic container and pour the cold marinade over it. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, turning the meat morning and evening. If the liquid does not cover the meat, choose a smaller vessel rather than adding water, which would undo the concentration you built. Lift out the mutton, dry it thoroughly before browning or roasting, and discard marinade that has touched the raw meat. Reserve any portion intended for a later sauce before the meat goes in.

Chef Tips

• •Juniper should smell of pine, citrus peel, and pepper when crushed. Berries that smell dusty or of nothing will contribute only bitterness, so replace an old jar before beginning.
• •Wild thyme has a finer, more floral fragrance than sturdy garden thyme. If it cannot be found, use the same number of small common-thyme sprigs; the marinade remains sound, though its woodland note will be less delicate.
• •Use this for mature mutton, whose deeper flavour can carry the acid and juniper. Young lamb is more easily overwhelmed and does not need the roebuck treatment.
• •Keep the marinade away from bare aluminum, iron, or unlined copper. Wine and vinegar react with those metals, spoiling the colour and lending the liquid a metallic taste.
• •The instruction to reboil a meat-used marinade every few days belonged to storage without dependable refrigeration. At home, keep the meat continuously cold and discard the used marinade. If sauce is wanted, reserve a clean portion first.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168) in advance and chill it before beginning this variation. The time listed here assumes that finished component is ready.
• •The completed marinade may be refrigerated in a covered nonreactive container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months before it touches raw meat.
• •Begin marinating the mutton 24 to 48 hours before cooking. Turn it twice daily so the concentrated aromatics season every surface evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)