Title: Three Meat Stew with Vegetables (Pichelsteiner)
Categories: Stew German
Yield: 4 Servings

1	tb	Lard
1 1/4	lb	Pork and beef as well as lamb or mutton (mutton gives
		An excellent flavor), cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2	md	To 3 md onions, diced
		Salt
		Freshly ground black pepper
		Crushed marjoram
3	md	Potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1	sm	Celery root, peeled and diced, OR 4 celery
		Stalks, diagonally sliced
1/2	lb	Carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced
1	lg	Leek (white part only), washed and sliced
2	c	Beef stock
		Chopped fresh parsley

Heat the lard in a heavy bottomed pot (or ovenproof 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 sauteed 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 & Schuster/Poseidon Press, New York. 1989 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 8/92

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