Grandma’s beef stew is a simple and traditional main course based on small pieces of meat that are cooked slowly. The secret to a tender and tasty stew is indeed slow cooking, which requires a lot of patience for excellent results. The longer grandma’s stew cooks, the better it becomes. A tasty dish that suits the tastes of the whole family, ideal for Sunday lunch. An evergreen homemade specialty, easy and very tasty. The grandma’s recipe that never goes out of style, the comfort food that comforts us on cold and rainy days. And then, shall we talk about the essential dipping with bread in that thick sauce?
You can also read:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 377.28 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.40 (g) of which sugars 2.20 (g)
- Proteins 35.17 (g)
- Fat 16.46 (g) of which saturated 3.41 (g)of which unsaturated 0.35 (g)
- Fibers 2.41 (g)
- Sodium 3,319.03 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 270 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Grandma’s Beef Stew
- 2.6 lbs beef (chuck or brisket)
- 4.2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 white onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 4 leaves sage
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste flour
- 1/2 chili pepper (small)
What You Need for Grandma’s Beef Stew
- 1 Pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
Procedure for Grandma’s Beef Stew
To make this recipe, it will be necessary to rely on the expertise of your trusted butcher, who will surely give you a nice piece of suitable meat.
I chose beef. I prefer it over veal, because the latter is indeed tender, but not very flavorful, while beef is certainly tastier, but it requires a long cooking time.
Prepare the mince of carrot, onion, and celery. After cleaning, washing, and drying the vegetables, cut them into very small pieces.
Now, cut the meat into pieces, removing the fatty parts, then pass it in the flour. Put part of the oil in a thick-bottomed pan, let it heat up, and brown the meat over high heat, little by little and without overlapping.
Gradually, collect the meat in a dish and continue until it is all done. At this point, pour a little more oil into the pan and add the chili pepper and the minced vegetables, along with the herbs, previously tied together with string.
Stir frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetable mixture has wilted. Add the meat and deglaze with red wine. Wait for it to evaporate.
Dissolve the tomato paste in some hot broth and pour it into the pot. In this case, I used beef broth, which can be replaced with vegetable broth or simply with hot water.
If broth, whether beef or vegetable, is not available, and you don’t want to use plain water, then bouillon cubes can be used. Additionally, if using bouillon cubes, the stew should not be salted.
Salt, if not already done. Cook the meat over moderate heat for about 2 hours, making sure to add more liquid when the previously added one has dried up.
Once cooking is complete, remove the aromatic herbs and serve Grandma’s beef stew, not forgetting to prepare plenty of bread for the essential dipping.
Enjoy your meal!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I store it?
In an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Can I add potatoes?
Sure, but add them to the pot about twenty minutes before finishing cooking.
