Italian Braised Beef Stew with Baby Portobellos
Everything comfort food should be. Rich braised beef stew is kissed with Italian flavors and loads of umami thanks to portobello mushrooms and some Chianti wine. A big bowl of this Italian beef stew makes the ultimate cold-weather Sunday supper.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby portobello mushrooms
- 3 lb top round roast or stew meat cubed
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 T olive oil divided
- 1 T butter
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- ½ cup celery diced (equal to 1 cup whole baby carrots)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups Chianti or your favorite dry full- bodied red wine
- 4 stems fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
- 1 stem stem rosemary large
- 4 sage leaves
- 2 cups beef stock start with 1 cup?
- 1 tsp beef stock base
- 1 T cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the meat generously with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder.3 lb top round roast or stew meat, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Heat a 5 quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium high. Add the olive oil and once shimmering, brown the chuck roast in batches, if needed, on all sides. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove the beef to a plate. Pour off or boil down any water/liquid remaining in the pot.3 T olive oil
- In the same Dutch oven, add the butter and 1 T olive oil. Saute mushrooms until crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, adding extra oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper. and cook for about 3 minutes.1 lb baby portobello mushrooms, 1 T butter, ½ cup onion, ½ cup carrots, ½ cup celery
- Pull the veggies to one side of the pan and use a wooden spoon to stir in and caramelize the tomato paste for about 2 minutes.6 oz tomato paste
- Pour in 2 cups red wine. Raise the heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the beef and the mushrooms back to the pan along with fresh rosemary, 6 cloves peeled garlic, fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves.2 cups Chianti, 4 stems fresh thyme, 1 stem stem rosemary, 4 sage leaves
- Pour over beef stock and stir in stock base. Braise on simmer or low for about 2 hours until meat is fork tender. Simmer a bit longer if the meat needs a bit more time.2 cups beef stock, 1 tsp beef stock base
- Remove the meat, garlic cloves, herbs and bay leaves (discard the herbs).
- Take 1/4 cup of the gravy and place in a small bowl. Mix in 1 T of cornstarch until smooth. Add the slurry back into the stew gravy and continue simmering until slightly thickened. Return the beef back to the sauce.1 T cornstarch
- Serve over creamy polenta or pici pasta.
