San Giovanni Valdarno: Dusk, Goulash, and Dessert

While picturesque, the Sangiovannese recipe is shy on the quantities people expect when trying a recipe for the first time. Here is a recipe for Goulash from the Alto Adige one can build on; by comparison with it the Stufato Sangiovannese has slightly less paprika and a mixture of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. To serve 4:

• 1 2/3 pounds (750 g) beef -- Sangiovannesi use chuck, cubed
• 4 tablespoons rendered lard
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• The grated zest of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped marjoram
• 1 1/8 pound (500 g) onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• Optional -- reduce the paprika some, and add 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and cloves, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat the lard, and sauté the sliced onions in an oven-proof dish; after 10 minutes add the tomato paste and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Add the broth and the herbs, mix well, and stir in the meat. Salt the goulash lightly, cover it, and transfer it to a 360 F (180 C) oven for two hours. A half hour before it's done add the lemon zest, cumin, marjoram, and garlic. Serve with polenta.

We finished up, as the sun went down, with zuccotto ,and a few cenci.