There's a widespread myth that medieval people used spices to cover up the taste of rotten meat.
The whole story traces back to one book. In 1939, a scientist named J.C. Drummond published The Englishman's Food and suggested that medieval recipes were so heavily spiced because the meat was frequently tainted. No evidence. Just an assumption. One sentence in one book published 85 years ago.
People whose entire experience of meat starts in a supermarket should not be talking like authorities on this.
I grew up in a hunting community. "Gamey" tasting meat (tainted game iow) was commonplace--and often purposeful. To this day some still hang gamebirds to "age" (controlled decomposition). Same for meat--ever heard of "aged" meat? that is controlled decomposition. Meat has been hung out "tenderize" for ever. /1
Global Museum
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