Pastissada de Manzo

This hearty dish originated on the peasant stoves of the Veneto. Although those dwelling in the coastal areas naturally preferred fish and shellfish as the major source of protein, inland meat would have occasionally graced the menus. A rich stew such as this one, on top of a mound of polenta, would have stretched a lot further and fed many more mouths. The idea of this quantity of meat feeding just four people would have seemed wildly extravagant only a century ago.