A fairly quick stew—some would call it fricassee, but that term is so widely used as to be meaningless—that gives you loads of uncommon flavor for very little work. Great with polenta (page 529), which you must call mamaliga in this instance. Other cuts of meat you can use here: pork shoulder.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless veal, from the shoulder or round, cut into roughly 1 1/2-inch chunks

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 large onions, roughly chopped

　　1 tablespoon sweet paprika, or to taste

　　1/2 cup white wine, stock, or water

　　1 bunch of fresh dill

　　1/2 cup sour cream

　　

Step 1

Put a large skillet with a lid over high heat and, a minute later, add the butter. Add the meat in one layer to be sure it browns (if you use the larger amount of meat, you may have to cook in batches; it’s worth the effort). Cook, undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the meat browns but does not burn and sprinkling the meat with salt and pepper as it cooks, until the meat is nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir, then brown a little more, another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reduce the heat to medium.

　　

Step 2

Add the onions and paprika, along with some more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and any bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan are released, about 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and stir. Add the liquid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cut the dill leaves from the stems, chop, and set aside. Tie the stems in a bundle, and add to the pot. Cover, adjusting the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but not violently, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender. (You can prepare the dish to this point and let sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.) Meanwhile, chop the dill leaves.

　　

Step 3

Uncover, remove the bundle of dill stems, and discard; stir in the sour cream. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chopped dill, and serve.

　　

Veal Stew with Pickles

Step 4

I ordinarily cannot stand dill pickles in cooked dishes, but I find this one irresistible. Along with the sour cream, stir in about 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles or cornichons and 1 tablespoon strong mustard, such as Dijon.

　　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.