Lucerto

The "round eye" is a boneless cut of meat that looks like tenderloin and although it is tastier, it is rather tough and requires slow and moist heat when cooking it .
The flavor of the meat is enhanced by the herbs, bacon and garlic, whereas the the onions, wine and tomato combined with the juices of the meat makes delicious sauce.

The great thing about this dish is that it is as good cold as it is warm...personally I prefer it cold...and as a sandwich between two slices of crusty bread...mmmm...can't be beaten!

Ingredients:

1 eye round of veal (about 3 lb.). If not available use beef.

4 white onions (about 1 lb.) diced.

1 medium peeled and diced potato

¼ cup of olive oil

½ pint of red wine

10 mint leaves

2 cloves of garlic

2 thick slices of bacon

1 hard boiled egg

1 spoon of tomato paste diluted in a glass of water

salt & pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

few sage leaves

few rosemary leaves

chopped parsley

Method

Choose a pan large 9and deep) enough to contain the meat and the onions.

Pierce the eye round with a sharp and narrow bladed knife and cut a 'tunnel' right through, cutting out a long strip. If you can't manage to go right through, make several holes.

Chop up the bacon, garlic, some parsley, add the hard boiled egg.

Add some of the herbs and stuff the tunnel or holes with this mixture.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour olive oil in saucepan and brown meat on all side.

When the meat is seared, add the diced onions and stir until onions are translucent.

Add diced potatoes.

Add wine, keep stirring and scrape any brown residue stuck at the bottom of the pan, in order to deglaze it.

Add the bay leaves, sage, rosemary and tomato paste diluted in water.

Continue stirring for a minute and add enough water to cover the meat halfway.

Lower heat and cook for about 1 hour- ½ hour on each side- or until it is tender when pierced with a fork.

Every few minutes check pot and turn the meat and the onions, to make sure that they don’t stick to the pan. If it becomes too dry add more water.

When meat is ready, cool it for a few minutes.

Cut the meat into ¼ inch slices, against the grain. Display it in a large dish, overlapping each slice.

At the same time prepare the sauce, using the vegetables left in the pan.

Remove the Bay Leaves

Put the liquid in a blender, blend, then put back on the fire.If is too watery, quickly evaporate over a high heat, if is to dry add some water so that there is enough sauce for serving.

Top meat with the sauce, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

To eat cold, make a sauce of parsley garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil - just blend the three ingredients in a blender and you are good to go.