Slow Braised Italian Beef Stew

Original Recipe

Ingredients

Spice rub

• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stew

• 1.5--2 kg well-marbled beef chuck roast trimmed of large pieces of fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 6 medium cloves garlic finely minced
• 6 ounces tomato paste (1 6-ounce can)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 2 tins tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups low sodium beef or chicken broth maybe more
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary divided
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• About 4 medium-large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices on a diagonal.
• ¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives

Directions

1. Combine garlic salt, onion powder and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Cut the beef into chunks about 1½-2 inches in size, trimming off any large areas of fat. Place the meat in a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic salt mixture over the beef and stir well to coat.
3. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. In a large heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot and shimmering. Add ½ of the seasoned beef and spread to a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until the underside of the beef is well browned. Stir, flipping the meat to the opposite side.
4. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring once to redistribute meat halfway through. Remove meat with a slotted spoon to a large clean plate or bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and repeat the searing with the second half of the beef, adding the second batch again to the plate (or bowl).
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes until softened. As the onions begin to release their juices, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, brown sugar and anchovy paste. Cook, stirring frequently until tomato paste is darkened, about 2-3 more minutes.
6. Add the beef (with any juice that has accumulated in the bowl) back to the pan. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the flour is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the wine, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about one half. Add the tomatoes, beef (or chicken) broth, 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary, capers and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1½ hours.
8. Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots. If there's not much liquid in the pot, add ½-1 cup of additional broth. Return the pot to the oven for another 60 to 90 minutes or until the beef and carrots are nice and tender (check after 60 minutes and every 10 minutes after that).
9. Stir in the olives and the remaining tablespoon of fresh rosemary, cover and allow the stew to sit on the stovetop for 20 minutes before serving.