Beef Ragout

This is an old Italian dish called a peposo because it calls for lots of pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 12 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly cracked (not ground) black pepper
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes in juice (three 14 1/2 ounce cans)
• 1 cup hearty red wine, such as merlot
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Place beef, garlic, pepper, tomatoes, wine and basil in a heavy pot, preferably ceramic or enamel. Bring mixture to a gentle boil on top of the stove. Cover tightly, place in oven and bake for 12 hours. Don't try to bake this in any less time. It takes exactly 12 hours for the meat to fall apart and the pepper to mellow.
3. Taste, and add salt at the end.

Notes

If you double the recipe, double the cooking time - 24 hours instead of 12.

Nutrition

Per serving: calories: 414 (46% from protein, 16% from carbohydrate, 38% from fat); protein: 50g; total fat: 17.1g; saturated fat: 6.5g; cholesterol: 124mg; sodium: 742mg; carbohydrate: 10.2g; dietary fiber: 1.8g

Exchanges: 11/2 vegetable, 1/2 fat, 6 meat