I really enjoy a nice beef stew; so hearty and filling. This time I wanted to give my stew an Italian twist, so I used the Italian Stewed Tomatoes and added the oregano and basil. I served it over rice, but I also like to serve over fluffy mashed potatoes sometimes.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil for sautéing
1 white onion, chopped
1 celery heart, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds stew beef cut into 1” cubes
1 cup dry red wine
3 – 15oz. cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, cleaned - quartered or halved
3/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
Directions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drizzle some oil into pan. Add onion and chopped celery; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for another minute or two. Remove from pan.
2. Drizzle some additional oil into the pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season beef salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add some beef to pan – making sure not to crowd too much into the pan at one time. You want the meat to brown, not steam. Sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure until all the meat is cooked.
3. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomato and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and stir in sliced carrot and mushrooms. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.
