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1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 large leek, cut into thick rounds, washed well in cold water, drained

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup red wine

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 to 5 cups water

1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves

1 large sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig sage

2 cinnamon sticks

Extra-virgin olive oil

Grated orange zest

1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley

Place a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the blended oil. Season the beef aggressively with kosher salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the beef and sear on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan with the beef and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and red wine vinegar, and let them reduce completely away.

Add 3 cups of the water, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous grinding of pepper, the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan. Simmer gently for about an hour. Check and, if the mixture is dry, add another cup or two of water. Keep simmering for 15 to 40 minutes more, until the meat is tender and the braising liquid has reduced to a saucy consistency. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and scatter with a little orange zest and the parsley.

browned beef and aromatics

PORK SOFFRITO WITH SPICY PEPPERS & CABBAGE

HIRINO SOFFRITO ME KAFTERES PIPERIES KAI LAHANO

SERVES 2

This is a quick sauté that combines fruit, crisp greens, tender pork, and flavorful pan juices. It’s fast and furious, so get your mise-en-place together before you start. If you don’t like the heat of pepperoncini, tame it (see “Taming the Brine” at right) or leave it out—but be sure to replace the acidity with a little white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Since you need so much pan space, I’ve given the recipe for two people, but if you have two really big (12-inch) skillets, go ahead and double the recipe. Here, the Garlic Purée acts as an emulsifier to finish the pan sauce, but if you don’t have it, finish the sauce with a little butter.

½ pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch rounds

¼ cup cracked, brined tsakistes green olives, pitted and pulled into pieces

¼ small head savoy cabbage, sliced paper-thin

½ bulb fennel, sliced paper-thin

¼ of a red onion, sliced paper-thin

1 orange, peeled with a knife and separated into pith-free segments

1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped dill

Vinaigrette of your choice, or extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice

Sea salt, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper

All-purpose flour

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers

1 pepperoncini (pickled yellow pepper), sliced

½ cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons Garlic Purée (page 264) or cold, unsalted butter

Caperberries, for garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped dill

Pound each slice of pork between two sheets of plastic wrap to an even thickness of less than ¼ inch.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the next seven ingredients (olives through 1 tablespoon of the dill), for the salad. Toss with about ¼ cup vinaigrette, or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Season with sea salt and pepper and toss well with clean hands.

Season both sides of the tenderloins generously with kosher salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. Place your largest skillet over medium-high heat and add the 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it is hot, add the pork to the pan and sauté for just under 1 minute on each side, until pale golden. Transfer to a platter and reserve. Reduce the heat a little and add the shallot, capers, and pepperoncini and cook until slightly softened.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine; reduce to a simmer and add the 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Reduce liquid by two thirds. Add the Garlic Purée or butter and swirl to