Gourmet Dishes from Rumania

Traditional winter menus of Rumania rely on root vegetables and such meats as pork and goat. Trust me, goat meat is very good. It can resemble venison or lamb, depending on what the goat has been eating. But today’s main dish recipe features beef, more readily available in our meat departments than goat and less expensive than lamb.

When my late husband and I visited Eastern Europe in the autumn a few years ago, salads were as simple as a little pile of grated carrot or raw beet, or a few slices of pickled beet may be offered. As spring advances, young romaine appears there, shredded coarsely and dressed with olive oil. Vinegar and salt may be added, or not.

This beef stew is easy to assemble, cooks with little attention, and tastes delicious.

RUMANIAN RAGOUT
4 servings
¼ pound smoked bacon, cut in ¼-inch dice
3/4 pound (.75 lbs.) stewing beef cut in bite-size pieces
Dredging flour, see below
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups very coarsely chopped onion
4 carrots cut in 1-inch sections
4 thin parsnips, or 3 larger parsnips with woody cores removed; cut in chunks
4 large crimini mushrooms, chopped

Seasonings:
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
or 1 teaspoon dried crumbled marjoram
½ Tablespoon dried crumbled oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, essential
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water
Dredge the beef pieces in the flour mixture. Put them on a plate. Cut up the vegetables. Assemble the seasonings beside the stove.

In a wide skillet, render the bacon bits. Push aside. Add the olive oil. Brown the beef pieces on all side. Push aside. Stir-fry the mushrooms and onions. Add the carrots and parsnips. Stir. Sprinkle with the seasonings. Add water cover. Bring to a lively simmer, but not a full boil. (That would toughen the meat and make it take so long to cook that the vegetables would practically dissolve.)

Cook on medium low until meat is tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.

DREDGING FLOUR: ½ cup white flour (may be sorghum flour—gluten free). ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, optional, ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper.

Accompany the ragout with a beet or carrot salad.

 BEET SALAD
4 servings
4 leaves romaine or green leafy lettuce
1 medium-size raw beet, well washed
Sour cream or vinegar
Dash sugar, optional
Wash and pat the lettuce leaves dry between clean dishtowels or paper towels. Cut it in wide shreds about 2 inches long. Arrange ina circle around a plate.

Grate the beet. Mix it with sour cream or vinegar to taste, adding sugar if desired.

Pile in the center of the lettuce ring.

PICKLED BEET SALAD: Wash and boil fresh beets until tender. Slip off their skins. Grate or sliver them. Mix with vinegar, salt and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. Chill for several hours or overnight, the longer the tastier.