Veal Fricassee (Fricandó de ternera)

"Fricandó"  is a traditional Catalan fall dish of veal and a sauce made of onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes and wine, with thyme, rosemary, and fall mushrooms. It is cooked slowly on low heat.

Ingredients:


6  veal steaks
flour
2 onions finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 large carrot sliced
6 ripe grated tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 boxes shiitake mushrooms (for lack of fall mushrooms)
2 boxes oyster mushrooms (for lack of fall mushrooms)


For the picada:


one handful pine nuts
2 slices of fried bread
1 garlic clove
parsley
salt
2 tablespoons chicken stock


Mix all the picada ingredients in a blender or mortar and reserve.


Flour the steaks and sear them in a pan with hot olive oil. When they are brown, remove them from the pan and reserve. In the same pan make the sofrito add the onion, garlic, and carrots and simmer until the onion turns translucent. Then add the grated tomato and as they start reducing add the wine. Cook everything until the mix is reduced. Put the mix in a blender and pureé.


Return the steaks to the pan, add the mushrooms, and put the sofrito (the mix from the blender) on top of the steaks. Let it cook for about an hour on low heat with the lid on or until the steaks are very tender to the touch of a fork. If you need more liquid, add chicken stock. To finish, add the picada and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.