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By Root 4268 0

olive oil, and a few vegetables. In reading through the recipe you will notice that the vegetables are put in at different stages: the onions first, because they must cook alongside the meat from the beginning, suffusing it with sweetness; the carrots after a while; the celery later yet to keep its sprightly fragrance from being submerged; and at the very last, the peas.

For 4 to 6 servings

Vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1½- to 2-inch stewing cubes

1½ cups sturdy red wine, preferably a Barbera from Piedmont

1 pound small white onions

4 medium carrots

4 meaty celery stalks

1½ pounds fresh peas, unshelled weight, OR 1½ ten-ounce packages frozen peas, thawed

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1. Put enough vegetable oil into a small saute pan to come ¼ inch up the sides, and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is quite hot, put in the meat, in successive batches if necessary not to crowd the pan. Brown the meat to a deep color on all sides, transfer it to a plate, using a slotted spoon or spatula, put another batch of meat in the pan, and repeat the above procedure until all the meat has been well browned.

2. Pour the fat out of the pan, pour in ½ cup of wine, and simmer it for a few moments while using a wooden spoon to loosen the browning residues from the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from heat.

3. Peel the onions and cut a cross into each at the root end. Peel the carrots, wash them in cold water, and cut them into sticks about ½ inch thick and 3 inches long. Cut the celery stalks into pieces about 3 inches long, and split these in half lengthwise, peeling away or snapping down any strings. Wash the celery in cold water. Shell the peas.

4. Choose a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid that can later accommodate all the ingredients of the recipe. Put in the browned meat cubes, the contents of the browning pan, the onions, olive oil, and the remaining cup of wine. Cover tightly and turn on the heat to low.

5. When the meat has cooked for 15 minutes, add the carrots, turning them over with the other ingredients. After another 45 minutes, add the celery, and give the contents of the pan a complete turn. If using fresh peas, add them after another 45 minutes. If there is very little liquid in the pot, put in ½ to ⅔ cup water to help the peas cook, unless these are exceptionally young and fresh, in which case they will need less liquid. After 15 minutes, add a few pinches of salt, liberal grindings of pepper, and turn over the contents of the pot. Continue cooking until the meat feels tender when prodded with a fork. If you are using frozen peas, add the thawed peas when the meat is already tender, and let them cook in the stew for about 15 minutes. Altogether, the stew should take about 2 hours to cook, depending on the quality of the meat. Taste and correct for salt and pepper before serving.

Ahead-of-time note Like all stews, this one will have excellent flavor when prepared a day or two in advance. Reheat gently just before serving.

Meatballs and Tomatoes

For 4 servings

A slice of good-quality white bread

⅓ cup milk

1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck

1 tablespoon onion chopped very fine

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Whole nutmeg

Salt

Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

Fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs, spread on a plate

Vegetable oil

1 cup fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, OR canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped up, with their juice

1. Trim away the bread’s crust, put the milk and bread in a small saucepan, and turn on the heat to low. When the bread has soaked up all the milk, mash it to a pulp with a fork. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

2. Into a bowl put the chopped meat, onion, parsley, the egg, the tablespoon of olive oil, the grated Parmesan, a tiny grating of nutmeg—about ⅛ teaspoon—the bread and milk mush, salt, and several grindings of black pepper. Gently