Italian Beef Stew Braised in Red Wine and Tomato Sauce
Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy with the rest of the wine.
Great beef, great wine, tomatoes, and herbs. That’s the essence of this Italian stew. Usually when browning meat for a stew or braise, it’s good to do only a little at a time, to not overcrowd the pan and lower the temperature too much. In this recipe however, a different technique is used, and all the beef can be browned at once. The meat will release a lot of its water, which will be cooked away, leaving the meat receptive to the flavors of the wine and tomato sauce. Once the meat browns, add onions and garlic, then some tomato paste, and then deglaze the pan with red wine. Bring to a boil, braise for an hour, add tomato sauce, and braise for another hour or so. The beef will be fork-tender, the sauce rich and satisfying. A nice green salad and some good crusty bread to soak up the sauce would round the meal out just fine.
In this method it doesn't matter how crowded the pan gets with the meat.
A lot of water will be released, and then the beef will basically be boiled in its own moisture until it evaporates, and the meat browns.
When the moisture dries up, add onions and garlic, then some tomato paste.
Cook out the tomato paste for a minute or so, then add a cup of red wine. I used a nice fruity Tuscan Sangiovese/Merlot blend.
After an hour, add tomato sauce.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce or store-bought tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sliced fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the oil to smoking over high heat in a deep, straight-sided skillet large enough to hold the meat in one layer. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the juices have evaporated and the meat is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the heat down if necessary to keep the meat from browning.)
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 additional minute, and then add the wine. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and bake in the oven until the meat is tender and almost all of the wine has evaporated, about 1 hour.
Stir in the tomato sauce and the sage, return the pan to the oven, and continue baking until the meat is soft enough to cut with a spoon, about 1 hour longer. Transfer to a warm, deep platter, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve piping hot.
