Welcome to what we hope will be a weekly post of a recipe that will be inspired by where we are traveling or living at the time. Luckily for the both of us we will be hanging out in Umbria, Italy for the next three months, so we will be cooking up some of the best food on the planet (our opinion and probably all of Italy’s too).
Umbria is the green heart of Italy, carpeted in lush forest, olive groves and vineyards. Rich in game, mushrooms and truffles, not to mention spectacular wine. It is a place that begs for a slow cooked meal and a crackling fire during the colder months. With November coming to an end the nights are chilly and we look forward to a meal that’s hearty and satisfying.
So this week I was inspired by our new accommodations with its little wood stove and still lush rosemary, bay and sage bushes to make a classic Italian beef stew or “Spezzatino di Manzo alle Cipolline”.
Many recipes for stew will ask you to first dredge the beef in flour before you brown it but I strongly disagree because it does not allow you to brown the meat well which in turn allows you to develop that deep rich flavour as the stew cooks.
Browning the meat on all sides, in small batches, is the most important step in any stew recipe. I, instead, add the flour to the vegetables when I sauté them after the meat. It makes a huge difference and it’s a technique that works well in other dishes like beef curry or soups.
After the high heat searing is done it’s time to turn the heat down and fill your house with delicious aromas as the stew cooks barely at a simmer, low and slow, until the meat is super tender and the flavours meld together into something wonderful. It’s slow cooking at its best and calls for a glass of robust red wine and a hunk of fresh bread to mop up the gravy. Tutti a tavola!
- 2 pounds stewing beef or boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 6 or 8 cipollini onions, peeled and left whole
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 ribs of celery, cut in 1/2 inch dice
- 1 small bulb of fennel, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 1/4 cup sifted unbleached flour
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (San Marzano are the best)
- 1 cup of beef broth
- 1 tablespoon, fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon, fresh chopped sage
- 1 Bay leaf
- Fresh chopped Italian parsley to garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- To start, season the beef well with salt and pepper
- Over high heat brown all sides well in small batches in olive oil. Do not over crowd the pan or the beef will steam instead of sear and brown
- Remove each batch to a warm plate
- When done turn the heat down to medium high
- Add the carrot, celery, fennel and cipolline with a touch more oil if needed and sauté until they start to take on just a little colour
- Add the red wine and cook it down until the pan is almost dry again
- Sprinkle (don't dump!) the flour evenly over the vegetables, stirring and cooking for 3 or 4 minutes
- The mixture will get thick but keep stirring and making sure not to burn or scorch the bottom of the pan
- Pour in the stock and continue to stir
- Add tomatoes, still stirring while the mixture starts to come to a simmer and thicken
- Return the beef to the pot with any juices on the plate and add the potatoes
- Turn the heat down to medium low and add rosemary, sage and bay leaf
- Turn the heat down to low or barely a simmer and cover it with a lid (I sometimes put the whole pot in a 325F oven instead) and cook it for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork tender and the gravy is dark and thick
- Check for salt and pepper before serving in a warm bowl sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.
With snow predicted for Wednesday (after a high of over 70 degrees Fahrenheit today (wassup with that?), beef stew might be just what the doctor ordered and I can use a good recipe. Did you really cook yours on a wood stove? Is it difficult to control the temperature on one of those? Are you house-sitting in Umbria? Sorry about all the questions. How nice that you get to settle in for long enough to really get a feel for the place.
Suzanne, yes we are in Umbria for 3 months, we made part of the recipe on the gas stove and then continued to cook it on the wood stove with a small fire for a few hours. It’s delicious, we hope you like it.
What a great tip about not dredging the meat, but adding the flour to the veggies instead! Love these hearty stewed combinations. Looks yummy.
Umbria is one part of Italy I haven’t been to, but it looks lovely. And how wonderful to have a warm stew to come home to!
This is our first time in Umbria and we love it so far.
What a lovely place to find yourselves in and enjoy the many delicious foods the country is famous for. I’m especially fond of soups and stews (my comfort foods) no matter what the season and I love reading recipes as well as learning new cooking tips. Looking forward to more recipes and photos of this region.
Thanks Anita, we have plenty of recipes and photos coming your way.
Umbria is one part of Italy I haven’t been to either, but have it on the list! The food pictures look amazing!!
This stew recipe sounds and looks delicious. Perfect for the cooler days ahead.
This looks just my type of recipe. Wholesome and very tasty. Thanks for sharing. I shall definitely give it a go! I’ve written a foodie post this week too.
Thanks Johanna, let us know how you like it. will check out your post now.
It’s snowing on the east coast of the U.S. today and that beef stew looks absolutely amazing! I’ve printed out the recipe.
Let us know how it turns out for you.
I have book marked this recipe, it just looks amazing!!!! Great for our upcoming Greek winter nights.
We hope you enjoy it, you could even make it in a slow cooker if available,
I haven’t heard of Umbria, Italy, but it looks just as lovely as the other places I’ve visited there. The SPEZZATINO DI MANZO ALLE CIPPOLINE looks awesome and I love how it’s cooked on a real stove top. I would have to leave out the meat being a vegetarian, but I’m sure it would be just as good!