The roasted bull of the council of the gods
Beef shoulder rubbed with olive oil, salt, and coriander, slow-roasted until it falls apart, then served in large pieces on a board to be shared by hand.
Beef shoulder rubbed with olive oil, salt, and coriander, slow-roasted until it falls apart, then served in large pieces on a board to be shared by hand.
Approach, mortal, and fear nothing: I am the Kindly, the Benign, and my table refuses no one. When my sons assemble in council at the source of the two rivers, it is the bull that is offered to me, for the bull is me. It is rubbed with salt and the oil of my olive trees, laid on the embers until its flesh yields under the finger, and each takes his portion with his own hand. Eat slowly, drink firmly, and know that he who sits at my fire departs satisfied.
- •Bull (beef) shoulder — a fine piece (sacrificial meat)
- •Olive oil — as needed (anointing and cooking)
- •Sea salt — a handful (seasoning and preservation)
- •Coriander seeds — a palmful (flavoring)
- •Cumin — a pinch (flavoring)
- •Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic)
The roasted bull of the council of the gods
Beef shoulder rubbed with olive oil, salt, and coriander, slow-roasted until it falls apart, then served in large pieces on a board to be shared by hand.
Why this dish? El is surnamed "Bull El" (ṯr il) in the Ugaritic texts, and the Canaanite temples offered him bulls. During the banquet of the divine council he presides over, the sacrificed beast is roasted and then shared among the gods: this dish is the very heart of his table.
Approach, mortal, and fear nothing: I am the Kindly, the Benign, and my table refuses no one. When my sons assemble in council at the source of the two rivers, it is the bull that is offered to me, for the bull is me. It is rubbed with salt and the oil of my olive trees, laid on the embers until its flesh yields under the finger, and each takes his portion with his own hand. Eat slowly, drink firmly, and know that he who sits at my fire departs satisfied.
Ingredients (period version)
- Bull (beef) shoulder — a fine piece (sacrificial meat)
- Olive oil — as needed (anointing and cooking)
- Sea salt — a handful (seasoning and preservation)
- Coriander seeds — a palmful (flavoring)
- Cumin — a pinch (flavoring)
- Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic)
Ingredients
- Beef chuck or shoulder — 1.2 kg (meat)
- Extra virgin olive oil — 4 tbsp (anointing and cooking)
- Salt — 2 tsp (seasoning)
- Ground coriander seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Ground cumin — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Garlic — 4 cloves, crushed (aromatic)
Method
- Mix oil, salt, coriander, cumin, and garlic into a paste; rub all over the meat.
- Let rest 1 hour at room temperature for the flavors to penetrate.
- Sear the meat on all sides in a hot Dutch oven.
- Cover, lower heat (or place in a 150°C oven) and braise for 3 hours, basting with its juices.
- Cut into large pieces and serve on a wooden board with barley flatbreads for dipping.
How it was made : At Ugarit, the sacrifice (zabḥu) followed a precise protocol recorded on tablets: the animal was slaughtered, certain parts burned for the deity, the rest roasted on embers or boiled in large bronze cauldrons, then shared among banquet participants. Salt and olive oil were basic seasonings; spices like coriander and cumin are attested in the region.
The contemporary twist : Serve the whole piece on a large split board, sprinkled with coarse salt and a drizzle of raw oil, and let everyone tear off their portion: "the council board."
Sources : D. Pardee, Ritual and Cult at Ugarit, SBL, 2002 · Textes de Ras Shamra (KTU), corpus des rituels sacrificiels ougaritiques
El · Charactorium