Spezzatino - Italian Beef Stew
Spezzatino (Italian beef stew) is a slow-cooked stew made from beef, red wine, local herbs, and plenty of root vegetables. It’s a one-pot meal that needs nothing more than a slice of crusty bread and a hungry soul.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 lbs good stewing beef such as chuck cut into 1-1 ½ inch pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 large onions diced or thinly-sliced
- 7 carrots peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 large potatoes cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 3 cups beef broth homemade or canned
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef chunks and toss to coat well being sure all sides of the cubes are covered in flour.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Knock off any excess flour and add the beef pieces without overcrowding and brown, a couple minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongues and continue browning the beef in batches, adding more olive oil between batches.
- Chop the onion into a small dice or in thin slices and add to the empty pan along with a tablespoon more of olive oil, if need be, scraping the pan with a spoon to remove any brown bits stuck to the bottom. Cook until the onion is translucent and soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the wine, vinegar, broth, bay leaf, rosemary and salt (if you are using canned broth, reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and test for seasoning later) and bring to a boil. Return the meat and its juices to the pan and reduce to a very low simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender and fork tender, anywhere from 2-4 hours over the lowest heat possible (cook time will depend on pan and cut of beef). You can also do this in a crockpot or in the oven at a low temperature, around 220° F. Meanwhile, clean and cut the potatoes and carrots. Leave the potato skins on if you prefer.
- When the meat is tender, add the chopped carrots and potatoes, cover again and simmer for another 40 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Add broth or water if the stew is dry.
- Remove the beef and vegetables and reduce the sauce uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened. Finish with 2 tablespoons of butter and test for salt and pepper.
- Return the meat and vegetables into the sauce, gently mix and serve. If you plan on serving later, gently reheat over a very low flame, mixing frequently to prevent it from sticking and burning.
Notes
- Italian beef stew freezes well so don’t be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one meal for another night.
- If the meat becomes dry when cooking, add a bit more water or broth. This can happen depending on what cut of beef you are using or if you decide to add extra vegetables (which I sometimes do when feeding a crowd).
- The amount of salt and pepper you will need to add at the end will depend on what type of broth you used (homemade tends to be less salty while canned will have a high sodium content).
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