Best Stracotto Italian Beef Stew Recipes

STRACOTTO

Steps:

• Place the meat in a fairly snug-fitting casserole pan on a medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, turning with tongs, while you peel the onions, carrots and garlic, trim the celery and fennel, then roughly chop it all to make a soffritto - it cooks low and slow so there's no need to be too precise. Stir into the pan, tie the rosemary and sage together and add, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until starting to caramelize, stirring the veg and turning the meat occasionally.
• Turn the heat up to high, pour in the wine, stir in the tomato purée, and let the wine cook away. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then place a double layer of scrunched-up wet greaseproof paper on the surface. Reduce to a low heat and cook for around 3 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender, turning and basting occasionally. Season to perfection.
• Lift the meat out on to a board, carve it into thin slices, and spoon over enough of that incredible sauce to keep the meat nice and juicy. Toss the rest of the sauce (reduce on the hob, if needed) with freshly cooked tagliatelle, and finely grate over a little Parmesan, to serve. Double win.

STRACOTTO (ITALIAN BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
• In a saucepan over high heat boil the red wine for 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• In a casserole dish over high heat brown the beef in the olive oil.
• Add red wine, stock and remaining ingredients.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover and place in the oven.
• Turn the heat down to 160 degrees celsius and cook for 2 hours.
• Take beef and pork out of the pan and set aside.
• Strain liquid into a bowl and cool slightly.
• Discard herbs. Place carrot, celery and garlic in a blender and puree until smooth, adding enough of the reserved liquid to make a smooth sauce. Return to the pan with the beef.
• Return the pan to the oven for a further 45 minutes or until the meat has fallen apart into the sauce.

STRACOTTO (POT ROAST) WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding more beef broth, as needed.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Using an immersion blender, blend the pan juices and vegetables until smooth. Add the rosemary and thyme. Bring to sauce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

ITALIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a skillet, heat oil at medium-high heat. Add beef cubes in many batches, and brown. Put beef cubes in crockpot.
• Deglaze the skillet. Add onions, garlic and cook 5 minutes or until soften. Add beef stock, wine, tomato paste, tapioca, rosemary and pepper. Bring to boil. Pour mixture in crockpot, add potatoes, carrots, fennel and stir. Cover and cook at low heat 8 to 10 hours.
• When ready to serve, add basil and stir.

NORTHERN ITALIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in batches in hot oil until browned completely, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef cubes to a plate lined with paper towels, keeping skillet over heat and retaining the beef drippings.
• Cook and stir onion, celery, and carrots in the retained beef drippings until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir mushrooms and garlic into the onion mixture.
• Pour red wine into the pan; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the mixture until the wine evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes into the mixture.
• Return beef to skillet with potatoes, basil, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Pour beef stock and tomato sauce over the mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick, 4 to 6 hours.

STRACOTTO

Steps:

• Lemon Rosemary Salt-zest two lemons; in a food processor, combine 2 tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary, 1 large clove garlic and lemon zest; whirl until finely chopped.
• Add 1/2 cup sea salt and pulse once or twice to mix; store in a cool dark place in an airtight glass jar for up to 2 months.
• Stracotto-Preheat oven to 325°.
• An hour before starting to cook, cut the meat into large chunks, about 4 inches square; rinse meat and pat dry with paper towels; set aside to come to room temperature.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven (it should be just big enough to hold meat in 1 layer); tilt pot to coat bottom with oil.
• Spread half the onion slices on bottom.
• Top with meat, sprinkle with the salt, then cover with remaining onions.
• Drizzle with remaining oil over all.
• Cover pot tightly (if your lid isn't a good fit, cover pot with foil, then put lid on top of that).
• Place in oven and cook until meat is literally falling apart, about 3 hours, stirring gently halfway through cooking.
• Remove from oven and drain off fat.
• Break up meat slightly with a large fork or spoon.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.