I was recently challenged on Instagram to recreate a childhood favorite. I have some really fun memories from childhood, especially when it comes to the kitchen! In fact, I have a few different pictures of myself covered in flour after making my dad’s famous dinner rolls, BUT I knew that I had to recreate my grandpa’s “veal and olives”. My parents, who, funny enough, are vegetarians, made this for Christmas every year when I was a kid. They didn’t use veal, and I actually think I’ve only eaten veal once in my life. Instead they used a combination of pork and beef.
When I decided to reimagine this recipe, I knew it had to be with all beef. I also knew that I wanted to add a little something to go with it, so I added potatoes. One thing I always remember is that we always wanted more sauce with our dinner, so I made a few edits to achieve a saucier dish. My family GOBBLED it up.
Some important notes about this recipe:
Make sure your pan is SCREAMING hot when you add the beef so it browns nicely. Since the beef is cut up into small pieces, you want to get a nice crust on the outside without cooking the inside entirely.
If you can’t find small (and by small, I mean BABY) yukon gold potatoes, you will want to cut your potatoes into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces. Try to make sure they are as even in size as possible, so they cook at the same rate.
If you notice your sauce is evaporating too quickly, add more water. You want to make sure there is plenty of sauce!
Enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think on Instagram @sugarandsalt_co!