DIRECTIONS
In a food processor or with a chef's knife, mince together the carrot, onion, celery, parsley, garlic, basil, thyme, marjoram, mint, rosemary, and sage. Set it aside.
In an ovenproof 10 1/2x 2 1/2-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and stir in the minced vegetables and herbs and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they soften, but do not let them brown. Transfer the ingredients to a dish and set is aside.
Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
Dry the meat with paper towels; sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and when the oil begins to shimmer, add the bay leaf and meat and sauté, turning the meat frequently to brown it. When there is no more liquid in the pan, raise the heat to high, add the wine and allow it to reduce by half. Lower the heat and pour in the beef broth to cover the meat. Return the vegetable mixture to the pan and stir in the peppercorns and the lemon zest. Cover the pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Peel and core the pears. Dice 2 of the pears, then cover and set them aside. Puree the remaining pear in a food processor or blender until it is smooth. Cover and set it aside.
Stir the pureed pear into the meat mixture. Cover the pan and bake for an additional 1 1/2 hours, adding more broth if necessary. Five minutes before the meat is done, remove the bay leaf and add the diced pears.
Serve immediately. This stew can also be refrigerated for several days.
This recipe is from CIAO ITALIA - BRINGING ITALY HOME by Mary Ann Esposito, published by St. Martin's Press in 2001.
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