ITALIAN BEEF STEW

ITALIAN BEEF STEW image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce or store-bought tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sliced fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil to smoking over high heat in a deep, straight-sided skillet large enough to hold the meat in one layer. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the juices have evaporated and the meat is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the heat down if necessary to keep the meat from browning.) Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 additional minute, and then add the wine. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and bake in the oven until the meat is tender and almost all of the wine has evaporated, about 1 hour. Stir in the tomato sauce and the sage, return the pan to the oven, and continue baking until the meat is soft enough to cut with a spoon, about 1 hour longer. Transfer to a warm, deep platter, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve piping hot.