stew too good for kings

stew too good for kings

1½ lb round steak (e g -- use whatever good meat you have)
6 oz red wine (I use a lot more!)
2 Tbs olive oil
¼ lb lean salt pork (or substitute bacon if you have to)
1 lg carrot
1 celery rib
1 lg onion
½ cup canned button mushrooms
12 pitted green olives
2 cups tomatoes
1 bay leaf
½ clove garlic
2–3 sprigs parsley
1/8 tsp black pepper
1½ tsp salt
¼ tsp thyme

Cut the steak into about 1½-inch cubes. Marinate it in the wine and olive oil, covered, in the refrigerator, for 24 hours. I use a large bowl and hold the meat baptized in the marinade by pushing a foil pie plate down on it.

The next day, grate the onion, the carrot, and the celery very fine. Halve the olives. Mince the garlic.

Cut the salt pork into ½-inch cubes and sauté it in olive oil.

Drain the steak (save the marinade) and brown it well in the same oil.

Hold the mushrooms back for now — in the pressure cooker, stir everything else (including the sauté oil, but not the parsley and bay leaf) into the marinade. Mix well. Lay the parsley and bay leaf on top.

Seal the pressure cooker and heat it up to cooking pressure.

Cook the stew for 20 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and run cold tap water over it to reduce the pressure immediately. Open the cooker and remove the parsley and the bay leaf.

Drain the mushroom pieces and add them to the stew.

Seal the cooker and bring it to cooking pressure again, then remove it from the heat immediately and run cold water over it to reduce the pressure.

Serve over rice, pasta, noodles, or potatoes.