Food and Recipes
Easy beef stew
This is an adaptation of a recipe from Molise, on the Adriatic coast, which calls for goat as the primary ingredient. I find stewing steak, available cheaply at Carrefour, a perfectly acceptable substitute, and add aubergine to provide a more varied texture.
This is an extremely simple recipe, highly recommended as a sure-fire winner if - like me - your cooking skills aren't too impressive. Quantities are flexible and you can experiment with added ingredients without much risk of ruining the result.
Ingredients:
1kg goat meat or stewing steak
1lt red wine
500g tomato salsa (sugo)
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 aubergine
2 laurel leaves
1 sprig of sage
1 bunch of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
The herbs can be varied according to availability and preference.
Method:
Cut the meat into small (1cm) cubes and leave to marinade overnight in the red wine, to which the herbs have been added.
The following day, fry the onion and garlic, add the marinaded meat and wine, then add the tomato salsa. If you have a supply of fresh ripe tomatoes, you can use these, peeled, instead.
Cook over a low heat, sufficient to keep the juices simmering, and stir from time to time to prevent sticking or burning. When much of the juice has gone, add the diced aubergine, then continue cooking until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has boiled away.
Cook's tip
Here's a handy tip: If like me you buy your meat in advance, taking advantage of good deals as you find them, you'll have been keeping your stewing steak in the freezer. To cut it up into cubes as instructed, let it defrost partially but not fully. You'll find that meat is easier to cut while still semi-frozen.