Spezzatino Di Manzo Italian Beef Stew (Printable)

Rich beef slowly braised with vegetables, red wine, and aromatic herbs for deep comforting flavors.

# What you need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.75 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1¼-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids and Pantry

07 - 1 cup dry red wine
08 - 2 cups beef stock
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Herbs and Spices

11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper, then brown in batches until well-seared on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.
02 - Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
03 - Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the paste has darkened slightly.
04 - Pour in the dry red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any fond. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
05 - Return the seared beef to the pot. Add the potatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and thyme. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
06 - Bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened.
07 - Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with rustic bread or polenta.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce practically builds itself while you go about your day, and it tastes like you spent far more effort than you actually did.
  • It reheats beautifully, making it the smartest thing you can cook on a Sunday and eat all week without getting bored.
  • That moment when the beef finally yields and melts under your spoon is genuinely one of the most satisfying things you will experience in a kitchen.
02 -
  • If you rush the searing step and crowd the pan the beef will steam instead of brown and you will lose that deep caramelized flavor that makes this stew special.
  • This stew is genuinely better on the second day because the flavors continue to develop overnight, so plan ahead if you are serving it to guests.
03 -
  • Take the beef out of the fridge thirty minutes before cooking so it sears properly instead of dropping the pan temperature when cold meat hits hot oil.
  • Keep the simmer as gentle as possible because a hard boil will toughen the meat and you want lazy bubbles, not a rolling one.

Go Back