Ragù di manzo al siciliana con cous-cous (Serves 8)

I ate this in Siricusa on the southern-eastern tip of Sicily and never forgot it.  It is an incredible marriage of the Roman, Moorish and Greek influences of this incredible city.

STEW:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 kg of cubed beef (chuck or pallet is fine as this will cook for a long time, but you can pull off a quickie version by using tenderloin)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 0.5 kg of Mirepoix (equal parts onion, carrot and celery chopped finely)
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and rough-chopped (crushed with a heavy object before chopping - important to release the natural oils)
• 3 cups of dry white wine
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 3 cans of whole Italian tomatoes (Pastene are my favorite)
• 2 cups of green olives - the fresher the better (try a greek or lebanese maret - they usually have the best quality olives)
• 1 tbsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp (or to taste) sea salt
• 1 tbsp groung black pepper
• 6 whole fresh bay-leaves (if you can't find fresh, use 4 dried)
• 1 good handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

    Start by taking your beef and putting it out on a bunch of paper towels.  Drying your beef is the key to getting good caramelization and flavour.  (This is one of the great secrets to a good steak by the way...)    Once patted down, roll your beef chunks in the flour.  Get a dutch oven or a good-sized pot nice and hot.  Drop in half the olive oil and the butter and then brown your beef cubes.  Only do 1/3 of the beef at a time or you will chill your pot and lose your heat.  Remove each batch of beef to a plate lined with paper-towels to soak the excess oil.  You only need to get the outside of the chunks good and toasted - you are not trying to cook the beef.

    Once your last batch of beef is out, you want to throw your mirepoix and garlic into your pot.  Keep the heat up high and don't worry about the black sticky mess at the bottom - it's all flavour!  Dump the rest of the oil and butter and stir frequently until the veggies are softened up.  Now for the magic - dump in the wine and stir like mad, scraping up all those yummy bits off the bottom.  Don't stop until the bottom of the pot looks clean.

    Now put back in your beef along with the chickpeas and olives.  Once it's boiling vigorously you can add your tomatoes one can at a time and your tomato-paste.  (TIP:  If you really want a rustic experience, crush each tomato in your hand, one at a time...be at one with the food!)

    Once this cauldron of deliciousness is bubbling, dump in all your spices except for the parsley - that is for serving time.  Give the pot a good stir and turn your heat down to low.  Simmer 1 hour for tenderloin, 2 1/2 hours for chuck or pallet.

BASIC COUS-COUS

• 3 cups couscous
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

    In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and stir. Add couscous and remove from heat immediately.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes.  Fluff the cous-cous with a fork - it should be light, not gummy.  (http://mideastfood.about.com/)

 SERVE IT UP
    Ladle a good wad of stew onto a bed of cous-cous, and then sprinkle with fresh-chopped parsley.  Enjoy with a good Sicilian Nero-d'Avola wine!