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Beef Spezzatino {Italian Beef Stew} | In Jennie's Kitchen

Beef Spezzatino {Italian Beef Stew}

Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie's Kitchen
Stew is one of my favorite meals on a blustery day. What I love most about this recipe is that there’s no need to brown the meat beforehand, which means less mess and easier clean up. A loaf of crusty bread is a must for sopping up the sauce.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients
  

  • One 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 pounds stew meat cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 5 medium carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons butter 28 grams, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 cup 62 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup 125 ml dry red wine
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 large Yukon gold potato peeled and cubed

Instructions
 

  • Add the tomatoes and their juices to a deep bowl and squeeze between your hands to crush them; set aside.
  • Place the beef and carrots in a heavy-bottomed, deep skillet. Sprinkle the garlic and pieces of butter over the meat and carrots. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Add the bay leaf and turn the flame onto medium-high heat and cook, without stirring for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the wine. Raise the heat to high and bring to a vigorous boil for 15 minutes. Stir in the cloves and tomatoes. Cover the skillet, reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for one hour.
  • Give the stew a stir, and season with the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes, cover the skillet again and continue to simmer for one more hour, until the meat is extremely tender, almost falling apart when pierced with a fork.
  • Remove the bay leaf and toss it. Ladle the stew into deep serving bowls to serve.