Ingredients
- 1/4 lb. smoked bacon, preferably slab bacon, but thick-sliced bacon may also be used
- 2 lb. lean beef (such as top round or flank steak)
- 1 c. finely chopped onions
- Additional bacon fat or lard
- 1/4 c. lard or cooking oil
- 1 T. canned tomato puree
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1 +1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. marjoram
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and stuck on a toothpick
- 1 c. beef stock, canned beef broth, or water
- Puliszka, mashed potatoes, or grits
Preparation
Step 1
1. Cut the bacon and beef in strips 2 in. by 1/4 in. by 1/4 in. Fry the bacon in a skillet until golden brown but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a side dish. Fry the onions in the same pan until they turn translucent, adding more fat or lard if necessary. Scrape them into a 2-qt., heavy bottoms, flameproof casserole. Heat 1/4-c of lard or oil in the skillet. Pat the meat dry and start browning it, a handful at a time, in the skillet. Transfer it to the casserole, and when all the meat is browned, stir the tomato puree into the wine and pour it into the pan to scrape up the juices.
2. Add the salt, marjoram, and pepper and simmer for 2 min. The sauce will be quite thick. Pour it over the beef and onions in the casserole and add the clove of garlic. Cover and simmer, stirred from time to time and adding more water if needed to keep the sauce from burning, until the meat is tender -- about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Remove from heat, discard the garlic, and skim as much grease as possible from the sauce. Gradually stir in the beef stock, then simmer for 5 min. and taste for seasonings. Tokany is supposed to have a thick gravy-like sauce: if it is too watery, simmer it another 2 to 3 minutes; if it seems too thick, add a little warm water, a tablespoonful at a time. Stir in the bacon. Just before serving, reheat the tokany and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Tokany can be served from the cooking pot or from a covered bowl. Give each person a generous helping of puliszka or grits and spoon a little sauce and meat over it, putting the rest of the helping aside.