Spezzatino Di Manzo Italian Beef Stew (Printable)

Tender beef cubes slowly braised with vegetables, red wine, and Italian herbs for deep, comforting flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.75 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.25-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 & Pantry

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

→ Herbs & Spices

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

# Steps:

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, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the browned beef and set aside on a plate.
02 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same pot, add the chopped onions, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
03 - Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the paste deepens in color.
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, to cook off the alcohol and concentrate the flavor.
05 - Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the cubed potatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and dried thyme. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened into a rich gravy.
07 - Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls and serve with rustic bread, creamy polenta, or over mashed potatoes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce practically builds itself while you wait, turning cheap beef chuck into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant with cloth napkins.
  • Leftovers the next day are even better because the wine and herbs have all night to get acquainted.
  • It freezes beautifully so you can double the batch and forget about it until a Tuesday when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Do not crowd the pot when searing the beef because steaming instead of browning will leave you with gray meat and no flavor foundation.
  • If you make this a day ahead and refrigerate it the fat will rise to the surface and solidify which makes it easy to scoop off before gently reheating.
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables and cube the beef before you turn on the stove because once things start moving fast you will not have time to prep.
  • The stew is done when a piece of beef pressed with a fork offers no resistance at all, not when the timer goes off, so trust your fingers over the clock.

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