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Robust Italian Stew: Wine-Braised Beef Over Polenta

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Italy

Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 18 ingredients

  1. 7 pounds beef chuck roast -- 1" cubes
  2. -----polenta-----
  3. 1 32 ounces wh Italian plum tomatoes
  4. 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley -- chopped garlic cloves -- chopped bay leaves
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  6. -----Italian Stew-----
  7. 1/4 teaspoon cloves -- ground
  8. 1/2 cup nicoise olives -- pitted
  9. 3 tablespoons olive oil -- extra virgin
  10. 4 teaspoons rosemary -- chopped red bell peppers -- 1/4" strip
  11. 1/4 teaspoon allspice -- ground
  12. 2 cups cornmeal
  13. 1 cup red wine -- dry
  14. 9 cups water
  15. 1 large onion: minced
  16. 2 1/4 cups beef stock or canned broth
  17. Spice mixture
  18. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon -- ground
Contains Sulphites Read from the ingredients, not verified. Check labels.

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Italian Stew:
  2. Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1/5 of beef and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to bowl using slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining beef in 4 more batches. Reduce heat to medium.
  3. Add onion and Italian parsley to Dutch oven and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and allspice.
  4. Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion and spice mixture. Add red wine and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer mixture 15 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Mix in olives and rosemary. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Add bell peppers, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
  6. Polenta:
  7. Bring water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Continue whisking until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook cornmeal until thick and thoroughly cooked, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes.
  8. (Can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Transfer polenta to metal bowl. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set bowl over large saucepan of barely-simmering water. Stir occasionally.)
  9. Serving:
  10. Bring beef to simmer, stirring occasionally. Spoon polenta into shallow soup bowls. Spoon beef over.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Large pot
  • Casserole pot
  • Saucepan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Slotted spoon
Source Not stated: saved from a website or mailing list, rights unverified
Credit

Source: Bon Appetite, November 1992. Saved from www.grassrootsrecipes.com (http://www.grassrootsrecipes.com/BillWight/Beef_2/BEEF_2.MXP), file Recipes/www.grassrootsrecipes.com/BillWight/Beef_2/BEEF_2.MXP in the Internet Archive item cooking-recipes (https://archive.org/details/cooking-recipes).

What was changed: Read by machine from the mastercook text: title, ingredients and method as written, columns closed up and wrapped lines joined; credit lines kept apart; e-mail addresses removed; an all-capitals title given ordinary capitals. Not rewritten.