I started this month off with the influences of Italy in Autumn. The season is delicious with a brisk nip in the air, which craves robust meals and the joy of fullness in life. As we pull out the cozy sweaters and visit pumpkin patches, we also start to find warm recipes that fill us up inside out.
This Autumn, I’m inspired by Italy to bring you an Italian style stew. I’m not so sure that you would see exactly this dish anywhere in Italy, however the ingredients I have used in this recipe are true to an Italian influence. This is a rustic Italian beef stew with red wine gravy, carrots and mushrooms. Generally, no two Italian beef stew recipes are alike because they vary from family to family and region to region. So, I really can’t go wrong here, can I!
Ingredients
3 1 /2 lb chuck roast beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
10 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, diced
3 tbsp flour, all purpose
2½ cups red wine
3 cups beef broth
3 tomatoes diced
4 whole cloves
1 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf
3 large carrots, diced
8 oz. portobella or wild mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large cast iron dutch oven add olive oil and sear the garlic cloves until golden all over. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion to the pan and saute until it starts to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
- Add the beef cubes to the pot with the onions and sprinkle with the flour over the top. Toss to coat well all over and cook for a few minutes.
- Add thyme, bay leaf and cloves to the pot and stir.
- Add red wine and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
- Add the garlic cloves back to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes until the wine has reduced a little.
- Stir in tomatoes, broth, and salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours have passed, carefully add chopped carrots and mushrooms to the stew, give it a gentle stir, cover and cook another 25 to 30 minutes until the mushrooms and carrots are cooked through and the meat is fork tender.
- Serve alongside mashed potatoes or ladle the beef stew into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
I love italian stew and this recipe looks yummy!