Brawn of Swyne / Brawn with Mustard — Harleian MS 279 vs. Forme of Cury vs. Good Huswife’s Jewel

Period-inspired brawn served cold with sharp mustard — a fifteenth-century English favorite.

Brawn of Swyne / Brawn with Mustard

Last updated: October 10, 2025

This post compares the medieval dish Brawn of Swyne across three sources: Harleian MS 279 (c.1430), Forme of Cury (c.1390), and the late-Tudor The Good Huswife’s Jewel (1585/1596). You’ll find original texts, plain-English renderings, a contrast table, an authenticity explainer for new cooks, and a concise Harleian-leaning modern redaction.

TL;DR: All three sources agree: brawn (boar/pork) is served cold with strong mustard. Harleian 279 uniquely adds a brief wine soak. Forme of Cury is earlier but near-identical. Dawson’s Good Huswife’s Jewel shows the same dish living on in the 16th century.

1) Harleian MS 279 (c.1430) — “Brawn of Swyne”

Middle English: Brawn of Swyne. Take Brawn of Swyne, and seþe hit; and whan hit is y-sothe, pare hit and lay hit in wyne, and serue hit forth with mustard.

Modern rendering: Boil the pork brawn; when cooked, slice/trim it and lay it in wine; serve with mustard.

• Distinctive feature: the quick wine soak before service.
• Service: cold, thin slices with sharp mustard.
• Text: Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (EETS 1888), p. 25.

2) Forme of Cury (c.1390) — “Brawne of Swyne”

Middle English (abridged): Brawne of Swyne... sethe it and serve it forth with Mustard.

Modern rendering: Boil pork brawn and serve it with mustard (no wine soak specified).

• Text: Forme of Cury (ed. Pegge), p. 95.

3) The Good Huswife’s Jewel (1585/1596) — “Brawn with Mustard”

See my late-Tudor descendant here: Brawn with Mustard (Dawson).

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Compare & Contrast at a Glance

Source	Date	Core Method	Unique Step	Mustard Note
Harleian MS 279	c.1430	Boil → slice → lay in wine → serve cold	Wine soak before service	Rustic wet mustard (seed + wine/vinegar + salt)
Forme of Cury	c.1390	Boil → slice → serve cold	—	Same condiment; simple instruction
Good Huswife’s Jewel	1585/1596	Boil/cure → slice → serve cold	Printed domestic tips; seasonings trend sweeter	Mustard with wine/vinegar; later sugar appears in print culture

What “brawn” really means — and how it was prepared

In period, brawn was cured pork or boar—typically shoulder, neck, or head—put up in salt during autumn for winter feasts. When Harleian says “Take brawn of swyne, and seþe hit,” it assumes the meat is already salted. Boiling softens and reheats the preserved meat for slicing; the wine soak perfumes it; mustard completes the service.

Household records mention both “brawn of boor salte and fresshe” in service. See the Household Ordinances of Edward IV and the Harleian text itself: Harleian MS 279, “Brawn of Swyne”; compare Forme of Cury, “Brawne of Swyne”. A late Tudor descendant appears in The Good Huswife’s Jewel (1585).

1) The basic medieval cure

Plain coarse salt (sometimes a little saltpetre) for a week or more, then gentle boiling and a brief wine soak before service.

2) Aromatic “luxury” cures

Noble kitchens sometimes added peppercorns, cloves, mace, sage, or bay, mirroring salted fish/venison methods: “To Salt Fresh Salmon” and “To Salt Venison” (Harleian MS 279).

3) Preparing brawn today

• If using cured meat: start with unsmoked salt pork, salt-cured ham, or brined shoulder; soak overnight to reduce salt before simmering gently.
• If using fresh pork: a simple brine for 3–5 days under refrigeration (per quart water: 1/4 cup coarse salt, a few peppercorns, 2–3 cloves, 1–2 bay leaves, splash of white wine or vinegar). Rinse, then simmer gently.
• To serve: slice thin, lay briefly in wine (Harleian), and serve cold with sharp mustard.

🕯️ “Lord’s Salt” (optional, elite cure): Some noble households kept a perfumed preserving mix called Lord’s Salt (sal domini): fine salt blended with a little saltpetre and warming spices (pepper, cloves, mace), sometimes with sage or bay. It yields rosy, aromatic brawn for display tables. Ordinary kitchens used plain salt. References: EETS intro (sal domini), Household Ordinances, Liber Cure Cocorum, Boke of Kervynge (1508).

Modern Redaction (Harleian-leaning)

Serves 10–12 as slices with mustard.

• 3–4 lb boneless pork shoulder (or unsmoked salt pork / salt-cured ham; see notes)
• Dry white wine (about 1 bottle; divided: 1 cup for simmering, remainder for brief soak)
• A few whole peppercorns or a pinch of powdour fort; a little salt to taste
• Mustard (period-style): 3 Tbsp mustard seed (coarsely ground), 2–3 Tbsp wine or wine vinegar, pinch of salt

1. If using fresh pork: brine 3–5 days (see explainer). Rinse before cooking.
2. Simmer: Cover meat with water and add 1 cup wine, pepper, and a little salt. Simmer gently until very tender (about 2–3 hours for shoulder; less for cured ham).
3. Chill: Cool and chill under light weight for neat slicing.
4. Slice & soak: Slice thin; lay in a shallow dish with enough wine to scent (10–20 minutes). Drain well.
5. Mustard: Grind mustard seed; wet with wine or vinegar and salt to a thick paste. (For a 16th-c. profile, whisk in a little sugar.)
6. Serve cold with mustard alongside.

🥕 Dietary notes: Naturally gluten-free if mustard ingredients are GF. Contains pork. Substitutions: cured ham or salted beef (period-plausible).

Humoral & Menu Placement

In meat-day first courses (like Russell’s), brawn is a hot & dry food offset by moist wine and mustard. It signals winter plenty and often appears at Christmas or Twelfth Night.

Sources & Editions

• Harleian MS 279 (c.1430), in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (EETS, 1888).
• The Forme of Cury (c.1390), ed. Pegge.
• Thomas Dawson, The Good Huswife’s Jewel (1585/1596), Internet Archive.

Labels: Appetizer, Medieval Finger Food, Pork, Feast Planning, Period Techniques, Medieval, Harleian MS 279, Forme of Cury