Tender beef stew in sauce is the dish I make most often on Sundays: very tender meat and a rich sauce that’s also perfect for pasta. A good soffritto of celery, onion and garlic, a pinch of chili and the meat slowly browned before deglazing with white wine will give you a very tender, flavorful stew.
After adding the tomato pulp, a few bay leaves and a tablespoon of tomato paste to make the sauce even richer, I let it simmer over medium-low heat for at least two and a half hours, or three if I have the time. The meat should become very soft and the sauce should reduce slowly, becoming enveloping and perfect also for dressing a nice plate of pasta.
It’s the classic Sunday dish that pleases everyone and it’s worth preparing ahead: it’s even better the next day, keeps very well in the refrigerator and just needs to be reheated to recover all the homey aromas.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 404.47 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.30 (g) of which sugars 2.26 (g)
- Proteins 42.57 (g)
- Fat 11.76 (g) of which saturated 2.78 (g)of which unsaturated 0.78 (g)
- Fibers 5.95 (g)
- Sodium 3,229.86 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 350 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
- 1 lb 12 oz lb/oz beef (stew meat)
- 3 14 oz cans tomato pulp
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 onion (medium)
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 clove garlic
- chili pepper
- 2 bay leaves bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools
- 1 Food chopper
- 1 Pot
Method
1 Finely chop the celery, carrot, onion and garlic. You can do this by hand with a knife or use the food chopper to speed things up.
2 Put the chopped vegetables into a large pot with a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chili. Sauté over low heat until the soffritto is well golden and fragrant.
3 Add the beef stew meat and brown it well on all sides to seal in the juices and increase flavor.
4 When the meat is nicely browned, deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely.
5 Add the tomato pulp, season with salt, stir and cover with the lid. Let cook over moderate heat for about one hour.
6 After about an hour, lift the lid slightly, leaving a small gap: this will allow the sauce to start reducing slowly.
7 Add two bay leaves and a tablespoon of tomato paste to make the sauce richer and fuller.
8 Continue cooking over low heat until the meat is very tender and the sauce is well reduced. It will take at least two and a half hours, but depending on the cut of meat it may take up to three hours.
9 The stew is ready when the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick and enveloping, perfect also for dressing pasta.
📝 Final notes
Tender beef stew in sauce is the classic Sunday dish that pleases everyone. Slow cooking makes the meat very tender and the sauce thick and enveloping, perfect not only to accompany the stew but also to prepare a rich, flavorful pasta dish.
With the sauce you can dress excellent homemade fettuccine or rigatoni that hold the sauce well. Simply drain the pasta al dente and toss it directly in the sauce for a few minutes.
If there’s any left over, no problem: it keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days in a well-sealed container and, once reheated, remains soft and tasty as if freshly made. In fact, it’s even better the next day.
Tips and frequently asked questions
How long should the beef stew cook?
It needs at least two and a half hours of gentle simmering, but depending on the cut of meat it may take up to three hours. The meat should be very tender and the sauce well reduced.
Can I prepare the beef stew in advance?
Yes, this recipe is perfect to prepare ahead. It keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days and can be reheated without losing tenderness and flavor.
