Zurcher Eintopf (Swiss One-Pot Meal)

Zurie's Note:

Swiss cuisine is fairly straight-forward. It is also heavily influenced by French, Italian and German cuisine. Meat is expensive and used sparingly. This is a typical economical hot-pot for 4 persons. The Swiss, by preference, would use veal for this, or the Swiss goat meat they are very fond of, but tender pork would do equally well. Switzerland prides itself on its dairy products -- in the lovely countryside the cows are everywhere! So they use dairy products lavishly, and their veal comes, of course, from the fact that a dairy cow has to calve every year to keep her in milk.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 750 g veal, in small chunks (1 1/2 lbs, and deboned pork neck is a great substitute)
• 2 -3 tablespoons butter
• 3 onions, medium, cut into large chunks
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper, coarse
• 1 small savoy cabbage, cut into wedges (or use cabbage of your choice)
• 6 potatoes, medium, peeled and halved
• 3 carrots, scraped, cut into 3 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• rosemary (or parsley, or any extra seasonings of your choice)

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large pot. When hot and turning colour, add the chunks of meat and fry, stirring. Add the onions and garlic and on lower heat let it steam for 5 minutes or so, on top of the meat.
2. Add cumin, salt and pepper, and put half the cabbage wedges on top. (Do not stir the pot).
3. Add the potatoes and carrots, add seasonings and herbs of your choice, then put the remaining savoy or other cabbage wedges on top.
4. Season again, add the wine and water, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 60 - 75 minutes, until you have a nice stew and tender meat. Can be served in heated soup plates, with chunks of fresh bread and glasses of red wine.
5. (You should not need more liquid, but do check, and add some more wine if necessary).