Veal Cubes Braised with Onions in the Style of the Bearn

The secret of this simple, tasty family dish is in the cutting of the onions: They must be halved lengthwise and then hand-diced. If they are chopped in any sort of machine, they will end up acrid and mushy. Diced by hand, they retain their body while slowly exuding their sweet moisture. It is this liquid that provides the cooking medium for the cubed lean veal.

The onions and ham slivers are first sweated in a small amount of fat on top of the stove; then the veal and crushed ancho