Italian Beef Stew Recipe

 

I think Italian beef stew is more delicious than a regular beef stew.It was a rainy day yesterday and there is nothing better on a rainy day then a hearty bowl of Italian Beef Stew. Yes, this recipe may seem like it has a hundred ingredients, but a lot of them are just herbs ,most of them you probably already have on hand and a bunch of fresh veggies. I decided to add mushrooms to this recipe as many Italian beef stew recipes call for them. If you don’t like mushrooms, canleave them out, there will still be plenty of other veggies. I think next time I make this I may just be a little lazier and toss it all in the slow cooker (skip the browning), then walk away and come back to dinner. I’m telling you though, this stew is so much delicious,  amazingly filling and I think it’s fair to say it passes as a healthy meal your whole family will love. And the beef, it’s the best part. That slow and low cooking makes it unbelievably tender. I may or may not have spooned a lot of pieces of the beef out of the pot … after I had already finished my two bowlfuls of stew .

Italian Beef Stew

Yield: About 7 - 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

·         3 stalks celery, chopped into 1/2-inch thick pieces

·         4 medium carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch thick pieces

·         1 large yellow onion, diced

·         3 cloves garlic, finely minced

·         5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

·         2 1/2 lbs rump roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces

·         1/3 cup all-purpose flour

·         4 cups low-sodium beef broth

·         1 tbsp red wine vinegar

·         2 cans diced tomatoes

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         1 tsp dried thyme

·         salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         3/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

·         1/2 tsp dried marjoram

·         2 bay leaves

·         1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces

·         8 oz cremini mushroom, sliced

·         2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

·         3 tbsp chopped fresh basil

·         Parmesan or Romano cheese, for serving if you like

Directions

• Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large enameled cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Once hot add carrots, celery and onion and saute until lightly golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour mixture into a heat proof bowl and set aside.
• Place beef in a large resealable bag, add flour and season lightly with salt and pepper. Seal bag and toss well to evenly coat beef in flour. Return pot to medium-high heat, add remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot add beef and cook stirring occasionally until beef has browned. Add 1 cup broth and red wine vinegar and cook, stirring frequently while scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits on bottom, until sauce has thickened. Add remaining 3 cups beef broth, diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, bay leaves, potatoes, mushrooms and sauteed veggie mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer 3 - 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender.
• Stir in fresh basil and parsley. Serve warm sprinkled with Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired.