Country Kitchen (c) Jo Moulton

i have told my future husband that in addition to forsaking all others, i intend to bring to our dinner table all my grandmother's recipes. i also promised to always possess a fruity floral scent (with top notes of citrus, quince, blackcurrant, pineapple, and honeydew; middle notes of rose, jasmine, muguet, lotus blossom, and waterlily; and base notes of orris, vetiver, sandalwood, peach, mulberry, and amber) even as i leave the kitchen. in exchange, i expect him to bring me orange juice every morning. 16 ounces, freshly squeezed, without the pulp.

my grandmother's mechado* recipe:
*mechado or beef pot roast is an iberian-influenced tomato-based dish.

ingredients:
3 lbs chuck stew meat cut into 2-inch cubes
2 c water
5 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, halved
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 large laurel leaf
1/4 c soy sauce
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
fish sauce or salt to taste
optional: 1/2 cup red wine (i use Dourthe No 1 Bordeaux Rouge 2001, it is "round and well-balanced, with integrated barrel ageing characters.")

preparation:
marinate the beef in soy sauce overnight. to cook, brown meat in olive oil. in a four-quart pot, combine meat, water, and laurel leaf. cover and bring to a boil. adjust heat and allow to simmer until meat is tender. add tomatoes, tomato sauce, potatoes, pepper and fish sauce/salt. cover and simmer. add wine and reduce sauce. serve with rice. yummy!