Veal Stew Mountain Style

This particular recipe was collected in the villages of the Apuseni Mountains, in the heart of Romania, and it is famous across the country. It is as simple as it is effective. It is a veal stew, and it is a hearty, though rather heavy, meal.

Ștefan Baciu, 22.01.2017, 14:11

This particular recipe was collected in the villages of the Apuseni Mountains, in the heart of Romania, and it is famous across the country. It is as simple as it is effective. It is a veal stew, and it is a hearty, though rather heavy, meal.

What you need for this recipe is veal, of course, lots of onion and green pepper for the solids, and for the sauce you need sour cream, tomato paste, garlic and fresh parsley. If you want to make it like the mountain people do it, you will make this in a thick cauldron on an open fire or on a wood fired stove.

However, if you dont want to go out in the wilderness for a hearty meal, you can simply use a larger pot at home, if you want to make this dish in the quantities that the mountain peasants do. For instance, in the original recipe, our host made this using no less than 10 large onions. Of course, since this is a simple recipe that does not require great precision for a great taste, you can simply match whatever quantities suit your taste.

Start by chopping roughly the onion, then cutting the veal and the pepper into squares. Set them to sweating into the pot, on low heat, mixing regularly to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking. Separately make the sauce by mixing and bringing to a boil the sour cream, tomato paste, garlic and fresh parsley. Pour it into the stew pot, then leave the heat on for a few more minutes to have the tastes blend nicely.

Enjoy with a thick slice of homemade bread, preferably right out of the oven.