Three Meat Stew with Vegetables (Pichelsteiner)

Heat the lard in a heavy bottomed pot (or oven proof Pyrex casserole or the like).

Lightly sear and mix together the meat cubes and the onions; season with salt, an ample amount of pepper, and a very little bit of crushed marjoram.

Remove two thirds of the meat and onions from the pot and set aside.

Mix the potatoes and vegetables together; spread a third of these over the bottom layer of meat cubes in the pot or casserole.

Sprinkle with salt and a little pepper.

Alternate 2 more layers of meat with 2 more layers of vegetables.

Each layer should be separately seasoned with salt and pepper; the top layer MUST consist of vegetables and potatoes.

Pour in the beef stock.

Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat for just about 2 hours.

Cooking in a 350 degrees F oven is also possible.

You should not stir the stew, but you can tilt the pot back and forth to circulate the liquid and prevent the bottom layer from burning.

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Variations: Savoy cabbage is frequently added to the roster of vegetables, and it tastes delicious.

Sliced kohlrabi would be fine as well.

For a truly gourmet 'Pichelsteiner', 6 to 8 slices of bone marrow should be briefly sautéed with the onions at the beginning, then added to one of the in-between layers of meat.

Doubling of ingredients is advisable.

Pichelsteiner tastes excellent reheated.

Makes 4 servings.

From: THE CUISINES OF GERMANY by Horst Scharfenberg, Simon and Schuster/Poseidon Press, New York.

Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 8/92