<li>1-2lb stew meat (pork, lamb, beef, or chicken thighs), cubed</li>
<li>2 large onions, finely diced</li>
<li>Some mushrooms (I used a double handful of king oyster), coarsely chopped or sliced</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 28oz can crushed tomatoes</li>
<li>2 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>¼ cup sweet Hungarian paprika</li>
<li>Thyme, sage, or savory to taste</li>
<li>Salt to taste</li>
</ul>
<h3id="mamaliga">Mămăligă</h3>
<ul>
<li>½ cup cornmeal</li>
<li>2 cups water</li>
<li>Dash salt</li>
</ul>
<h2id="process">Process</h2>
<ol>
<li>Lightly salt and then sear stew meat in olive oil. Set aside.</li>
<li>Sauté onions until just starting to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms start to get tender. Add the tomato paste, paprika, and seasonings and stir.</li>
<li>Once the tomato paste heads to a rust color, add the can of crushed tomatoes and half a can of water.</li>
<li>Bring to a boil, stir in the meat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender.</li>
<li>Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and let sit covered while you make the mămăligă.</li>
<li>Mix ½ cup of the water with the corn meal and salt. Bring the other 1½ cups to a boil, then stir in the corn meal mixture and reduce heat to low.</li>
<li>Cook over low, stirring frequently, until it reaches a medium thick porridge consistency. Cover and cook on low for five minutes, stirring once a minute to keep from scorching.</li>
<li>Transfer the cooked polenta to a bowl and stir for 5-10 minutes as it cools. It will thicken considerably.</li>
</ol>
<p>Serve the tocană over the mămăligă in a bowl and top with sour cream and parsley if you’d like.</p>
