Carbonado

Now for the manner of Carbonadoing, it is in this sort; you shall first take the meat you must Carbonado, and scotch it both above and below; then sprinkle good store of salt upon it, and baste it all over with sweet butter melted...

Touching the toasting of Mutton, Venison, or any joynt of Meat, which is the most excellentest of all Carbanadoes, you shall take the fattest and the largest that can possibly be got (for lean meat is less of flavour, and little meat not worth your time :) and having scotcht it and cast Salt upon it, you shall set it on a strong fork, with a dripping pan underneath it, before the face of a quick fire, yet so far off that it may be no means scorch, but toast at leasure; then with that which falls from it, and wiht no other basting, see that you baste it continually, turning it ever and anon many times and so oft that it may soak and brown at great leasure, and as oft as you baste it, to oft sprinkle Salt upon it, and as you see it toast, scotch it deeper and deeper, epecially in the thickest and most fleshy parts where the blood most resteth, and when you see that no more blood droppeth from it, but the gravy is clear and white, then you shall serve it up either with Venison sauce, with Vinegar, Pepper, and Sugar Cinnamon, and the juyce of an Orange mixt together, and warmed with some of the gravy.

-- Gervase Markham, The English Housewife, 1615

To serve 8:

8 steaks
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp sugar
juice of 1-2 oranges

To serve 40:

40 beef steaks
1 block butter
2 tablespoons salt
1 tblsp cinnamon (to taste)
pepper to taste
3 tblsp sugar (to taste)
juice of 7 oranges

Score steaks criss-cross style at intervals of about 1/2", almost cutting through to the other side.

Fry steaks, basting liberally with butter/salt mixture.

When done with a batch, remove pan from heat and add sauce ingredients. Mix well with pan juices. Return to heat, bring to boil, and serve sauce poured over steaks.

Carbonado

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