Baked Beef Shoulder with Zucchini, Tomato and Hot Pepper

How to prepare and brown the meat

1. For delicious baked beef, it is best to buy a piece of lean, boneless shoulder with as little connective tissue as possible. Don’t take very “old” meat, or it will be tough. You can also use veal, which is softer and more tender. I recommend dark green or yellow zucchini, since the usual pale ones are less dense and may simply fall apart in the finished dish. Whether to add chili and garlic cloves is up to you.

   

2. Prepare the beef: trim off any remaining fat and bones, wash, pat dry with a paper towel and cut into fairly large pieces, so that you can spear them on a fork and bite into them. We usually cut slices weighing 25-30 grams, which is enough.

3. Brown the meat on both sides until a crust begins to form. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan over high heat; you can use olive or sunflower oil, whichever you have. When the oil is hot, add the beef slices.

   

   At the very start of frying, the beef will release liquid, which evaporates quickly, and the surface will begin to brown. This usually takes 4-5 mins. Then carefully turn the pieces with a fork and fry on the other side until a crust begins to form. While the meat fries, get a clay or cast-iron pan ready and transfer the browned beef into it.

   

How to fry the zucchini

1. Cut the zucchini into rounds or half-rounds, about the same size as the meat. Young zucchini don’t need to be peeled.

2. Fry the zucchini until golden. Pour the remaining vegetable oil into the same frying pan, wait until it heats over medium heat, and add the zucchini. If you decided to use chili and garlic, add them together with the zucchini: the pods whole and the cloves unpeeled. Fry the vegetables, stirring with a spatula. While they fry, heat the oven to 200°C.

   

   As soon as the zucchini are golden, transfer them to the pan with the beef and pour in all the remaining liquid.

How to bake

1. Season the meat and vegetables: add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. I also recommend adding 0.5 tsp each of sweet paprika and a dried Mediterranean herb mix: basil, parsley, oregano and so on. Stir the beef with the zucchini.

   

2. Bake the meat with the zucchini uncovered in an oven heated to 200°C for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. The meat will release liquid, which evaporates quickly.

3. Lay the sliced ripe tomato on top, return the pan to the oven and bake until done for another 15-20 mins. Judge by how the tomato slices brown, checking visually. The meat should be easy to pierce with a fork. If you are cooking without tomato, just bake for the same time.

   

Serving

1. Carefully, so as not to burn yourself, move the pan to a board or a large plate and sprinkle the meat with finely chopped herbs; parsley or green onion tops are perfect. You can serve it right in the pan and spoon the meat and zucchini onto plates. Serve your favorite hot or spicy sauce and fresh bread with the dish.