Spezzatino Di Manzo Italian Beef Stew (Print version)
Tender beef slowly braised with vegetables, red wine, and herbs for deep, comforting flavors.
# What goes in:
→ Meats
01 - 1.75 lb beef chuck, cut into 1¼-inch cubes
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
07 - 1 cup dry red wine
08 - 2 cups beef stock
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Herbs & Spices
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Cooking steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the beef cubes on all sides until deeply browned. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside.
02 - Lower the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pot.
03 - Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Continue cooking for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly.
04 - Pour in the dry red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any remaining browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half, approximately 5 minutes.
05 - Return the seared beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the potatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
06 - Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened into a rich gravy.
07 - Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into warm bowls and serve with rustic bread or creamy polenta.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- The sauce practically builds itself while the beef slowly falls apart into the most luxurious texture you can imagine.
- It tastes even better the next day, which means you can make it ahead and spend your evening doing literally anything else.
02 -
- Do not crowd the pot when browning the beef or the meat will steam instead of sear and you will lose that essential caramelized flavor.
- Letting the stew rest overnight in the refrigerator transforms the sauce into something dramatically richer and more complex.
03 -
- Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels before searing because moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
- The stew is done when you can cut through a piece of beef with just a spoon, so trust your fork test over any timer.