Stufato di Manzo: Italian Beef & Vegetable Stew
Beef stew was my favorite lunch when I trudged home from elementary school on a cold wet winter’s day. I liked to squash all of the tender ingredients together to form a shepherd’s pie mash-up on my plate that I scooped up with a spoon.
Not so many cold wet days here in the Bay Area during the California drought but I’m making this comforting stew anyway. It’s still one of my favorite dishes. I like to make sure that I have some left over because it is a tasty and quick dish to heat up after a long day when I don’t have the energy to cook.
The beef adds deep flavor to the stew but to be honest I’m in it for the most flavorful ingredients, the vegetables.
You may have noticed that many of my recipes reflect my tendency to eat more vegetables and less meat. Often meat is a flavor agent in the dish not the star. The beef stew is a good example. If you have a paleo at the table just pile that dish up with lots of meat.
Food writer and cook Mark Bittman recently shared his thoughts about more vegetables, less meat in his NY Times article.
Bittman seems to have stirred to pot so to speak with his ribollita recipe, the humble but classic Tuscan vegetable soup.
If you want the real deal, check out my ribollita recipe that I learned from Stefania at North Beach’s fantastic BaoNecci on Green. Her ribollita goes back 5 generations in her northern Tuscany family.
If you don’t have the 2 days to make ribollita stop at Day 1 and enjoy a wonderful healthy minestrone.
Buon appetito!
- 1 pound beef chuck, cut in 2-inch cubes
- 2 carrots, cut half and then in 2-inch slices
- 2 celery stalks, cut half and then in 2-inch slices
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in small cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley, 3 on the stem and roughly chop just the leaves from one
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste (I misspoke in the video and said 3 teaspoons)
- 3 tablespoons EVOO
- 3 cups water
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Trim excess fat from the beef. Cut in 2 inch cubes. Season with some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Lightly dust the beef with flour.
- Quarter the carrots and potatoes then cut them into in 1/2 inch slices. Cut the celery stalk in half and cut into pieces the same size as the carrots and potatoes.
- Put 2 tablespoons of EVOO in an enamel or heavy-bottomed pot. Put the pot over a high flame until the oil starts to ripple then lower the heat to medium-high.
- When the oil is rippling add the beef. Cook the beef and let the beef develop a dark brown crust on all sides. (A fond will form on the bottom of the pot. Those brown bits will eventually melt into the braising sauce and add flavor. Lower the flame if necessary or add a little water so the fond doesn’t burn.)
- Add another tablespoon EVOO if there is not enough fat in the pot to brown the vegetables.
- Add the vegetables and bay leaf to the pot.
- Stir the vegetables to coat well with the oil and cook until they pick up some brown color.
- When the vegetables are done clear a small spot on the bottom of the pan. Make sure it has a coating of oil adding some if necessary.
- Add the tomato paste to the hot spot and cook the tomato paste until it darkens. Stir to coat all of the vegetables with the paste.
- To braise add enough water to just cover the stew. Be sure to scrape up (deglaze) all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. (You can use stock but I don’t think the dish really needs it. You can deglaze the bottom of the pot with 1/4 cup dry red wine to add another layer of flavor. Just cook off most of the wine before adding the braising liquid.)
- Add 3 stems of parsley and stir into the stew.
- Cover the pot and simmer the stew for about 60 minutes.
- Stir the stew occasionally to ensure it does not burn on the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer. The stew should be just lightly bubbling at the edge of the pot.
- Put the lid ajar atop the pot if the stew is not thick enough and simmer for 30 minutes more.
- Braise until the beef flakes when speared with a fork and the vegetables are knife tender.
- Spoon the stew into a bowl and sprinkle a bit of finishing EVOO on top and chopped parsley for color.
- Serve immediately.
Perfect! I am trying to save on propane so I cooked this on our wood stove. It was perfect and warming on this winter’s day! I also baked a batch of Parker House Rolls to go along with it. My wife loved it!
THANK YOU!
Ciao John.
Nice touch cooking this on the wood stove. I’m happy to hear your wife was pleased. I like to dunk my crusty bread in the gravy. Usually my plate is so clean it can be put right back on the shelf.
Keep on cooking. Buon appetito!
John: Do you realize if you continue to do this, I will become 50 Lbs. more! God Bless.
Bill