A recipe that beautifully demonstrates the affinity that beef and cinnamon have for each other. If you use fresh pearl onions, parboil them for about 30 seconds to loosen the skins, which will make peeling far easier (or use frozen pearl onions; they’re quite good). Serve this over rice or broad buttered noodles. Other cuts of meat you can use here: lamb, pork, or veal shoulder, all of which will cook a little more quickly; boneless chicken thighs, which will cook much more quickly; lamb shanks or short ribs, which will require much longer cooking time.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 large onion, chopped

　　20 pearl onions, fresh or frozen, peeled

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1/2 cup dry red wine

　　1/2 cup chicken or beef stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water

　　2 bay leaves

　　2 cloves

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　One 6-ounce can tomato paste

　　1/4 cup red wine vinegar

　　

Step 1

Put the oil in a skillet or flameproof casserole with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks and turning it only when each side is browned. (The meat can also be browned in the oven; see page 412.) As the meat browns, remove each piece with a slotted spoon and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Pour or spoon off most of the fat and brown the chopped onion lightly over medium heat. Remove and add to the meat. Add the pearl onions and brown them quickly; remove them and set aside separately.

　　

Step 3

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 seconds. Return the meat and chopped onion along with the red wine, stock, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, tomato paste, and additional salt and pepper. Cover tightly and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook for about an hour, or until the meat is fairly tender.

　　

Step 4

Add the vinegar and pearl onions and continue to simmer until the meat is very tender, roughly 30 minutes more. (You can prepare the dish to this point in advance and let sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating, adding a little water if necessary.)

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.