Italian Beef Stew (Spezzatino di Manzo) is the perfect comfort food during those cooler months. Chuck beef is braised until tender in a hearty stew of carrots, celery, mushrooms, and red wine. Herbs like rosemary and bay leaf add additional flavor to this tasty stew that is perfect served with creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or a chunk of crusty bread!
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ pounds chuck roast cubed
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 medium carrots diced
2 large celery ribs diced
8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms sliced
1 cup dry red wine chianti, valpolicella, carbernet, etc
2 cups low sodium beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 large bay leaf
For cornstarch slurry (optional):
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ounce water
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300f and make room on the middle rack for a large Dutch oven. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium-low heat, then add the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mushrooms, turn heat to medium, and continue to cook stirring frequently.
While the veggies are sauteing, pat the chuck roast cubes dry. Once the mushrooms release their water and most of it has evaporated from the pot, season the beef cubes with salt and pepper and add to the pot.
Coat the beef with the veggies and oil. Let the beef cook for 5-10 minutes (it won’t develop much color). Next, turn heat to medium-high and add the wine and cook for 5-7 minutes or until it mostly evaporates and absorbs into the beef. Using a wooden spoon scrape up all of the brown bits while the beef is cooking.
Add the beef stock, rosemary, and bay leaf and stir it all together. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2 ½ hours or until tender. For the last 30-45 minutes braise with no lid to thicken the sauce and add a bit of color to the meat.
Once the beef is tender remove the pot from the oven. If there is too much liquid in the pot use a slurry of cornstarch (see notes) to thicken or cook over medium heat on the stovetop to thicken and reduce the liquid. Once satisfied with the consistency, taste test and make final adjustments to salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread or with polenta or mashed potatoes.
Notes:
– If you want a thicker sauce use a slurry of cornstarch after braising and right before serving. Simply mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 ounce of water. Pour the slurry into the pot while it’s bubbling and stir for 1 minute until sauce thickens. For an even thicker sauce use more slurry.
– Dried mushrooms can be easily substituted for fresh mushrooms. They work great for stews like this.
