Italian Beef Stew Cooking Light Recipes

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• MEAT AND VEGGIES
• Heat the oil in a large and deep skillet (I used a large cast iron skilleover medium-high heat. When the oil is heated up, place the beef into the hot pan. Brown beef until all sides have a nice sear on them (do not stir too much as the beef will not sear properly). Add in the onions, carrots and celery (do not stir too much, or the beef will not brown properly). Toss in the dried herbs, if using.
• Pour the red wine into the pan, scratching the browned bits off the bottom. Add the salt and pepper. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Remove to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
• SLOW COOKER
• Carefully transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add the tomato sauce on top of the meat and veggies. Add in the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Stir it all gently together to make sure the sauce goes to the bottom of the meat and veggies.
• COOK
• Cook the stew on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. Adjust seasoning as needed. Either finish cooking with the lid open (if you want a thicker stew)or keep lid closed if you want it soupier. Before serving, discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig.

ITALIAN BEEF STEW COOKING LIGHT

Steps:

• Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot and saute for 8 minutes, stir occasionally.
• Add garlic, sauting for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.
• Add 1 tbsp oil to pan.
• Place flour in a shallow dish.
• Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour. Add half of the beef to the pan, brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and repeat with the other half of the beef. Remove.
• Add wine to pan and bring to boil-scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (approx. 5 min).
• Place the beef, onion, tomato, and and next 6 ingredients in the pan. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Uncover, add the sliced carrots and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt, basil and parsley-discard the bay leaf.

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.

ITALIAN-STYLE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 mins until softened and turning golden. Tip in the beef strips, pepper, tomatoes and rosemary, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the meat is cooked through, adding some boiling water if needed. Stir through the olives and serve with mash or polenta.

ITALIAN BEEF OR VEAL STEW

Steps:

• In a 6 quart pot, brown the meat with the onions in oil.
• Add the mushrooms, and cook until the juices start to run.
• Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, wine and bay leaf to the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the carrots, potatoes and just enough boiling water to cover the vegetables.
• Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are almost tender.
• Add the green beans and a bit more boiling water if necessary to cover the green beans.
• Continue cooking over medium low heat until all vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well.
• Serve with a good crusty bread.

BRAISED ITALIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.
• Place it in a wide, deep baking pan (like a turkey roaster).
• Preheat the broiler, and put the rack 4" from the heat, or enough room to allow for the pan.
• Put the meat under the broiler and leave the door ajar so the element stays lit.
• Broil for about 15 min, or until a deep brown.
• Turn it over, and broil for 5 min more.
• As the meat cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion, celery, and carrot.
• Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 min, or until softened. If the vegetables begin to burn or stick, turn the heat down.
• Add the garlic to the softened vegetables.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minute.
• Scrape the softened vegetables into the pan with the browned meat.
• Add the wine (or beef broth), tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf.
• Heat oven to 300ºF.
• Cover the pan with foil, and crimp it tightly.
• Bake for 3 hours.
• Remove the pan from the oven, and remove the meat to a serving platter.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce.
• Put the sauce into a blender (or use a hand held immersion blender) to blend the liquid and vegetables into a smooth sauce.
• Cover the meat with the sauce and serve.
• Serve with mashed potatoes. Leftovers freeze well.
• **NOTE: For a GREAT leftover dish. Shred the leftover roast in a skillet with the leftover sauce (like BBQ pork/beef) with two forks. It is easier to do when the roast is warmed. Serve this over the pasta of your choice, we like fettuccine.