Venison and mutton are so similar in texture and taste that even
an experienced gourmet has trouble in telling them apart after
marinating—a necessary step for large cuts of wild meats like venison
and boar, which will spoil if not put in an acid (vinegar) solution.
So if you don’t have a friend who hunts, buy a large leg of mutton or
lamb; marinate it in an enamel, glass, pottery, or stainless-steel
container in a solution of four bottles of dark beer or porter, one cup
of malt vinegar, garlic, and spices; cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, sea salt,
peppercorns, juniper berry, bay leaf, fennel, rosemary; thyme, sage,
and just about any dried herb you’ve got. Marinate for about three
days. The morning of your feast remove it, dry it, and stick it full
of cloves. Roast it just like the goose—again about twenty minutes to
the pound—basting it with its own juices and with a reduction of the
marinade.
The cut can be roasted bone in or out; both methods were popular in
1620. If you do take the bone out, make sure to stuff the roast with
bacon, as the loss of its bone tends to dry it out. And the smoky bacon
taste is a positive addition, especially if you are oven-roasting your
lamb. It can also be imparted to a bone-in roast if you make a dozen
half-inch cuts in the tough surface skin and stuff raw bacon in each.
[Illustration: ADRIAEN VAN OSTADE]