SPEZZATINO IN UMIDO ALLA VENETA

SPEZZATINO IN UMIDO ALLA VENETA

The Spezzatino in umido alla Veneta or beef stew is an Italian main course recipe, prepared using a stewing cooking method. It is prepared by cutting the meat into small pieces and then browning them together with vegetables and herbs and watered with a liquid such as water, wine, tomato or broth.
The cuts of meat more suited to the beef stew preparation are:

Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck, Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast, Top Round, Round Tip Roast, English Roast, Pot Roast

Venetian Stew

SPEZZATINO IN UMIDO ALLA VENETA

Ingredients

600 g of beef chunks of about 3-5 cm (as explained we use either shoulder or cheeks)

1 onion

2-3 carrots

20 g of butter and a little oil

a glass of red or white wine

2 tablespoons of passata tomato sauce

plain flour

homemade broth

salt, pepper, herbs (whichever fresh herbs you have available)

PREPARATION

• Peel and chop the onion very finely. Peel the carrots and cut into chunks of the same size as the meat.
  

  Chop the onions finely

• Flour your chunks of beef and make sure to remove any excess.
  

  Peel the carrots

• Let’s start by browning the meat with the vegetables. We prefer to use a non-stick high side pan to distribute the meat well and cook at medium-high temperature until it forms a colored crust on the surface, from all sides. This operation can be done dry adding the fat later. We prefer to place the butter and a little oil in the pan and to add the meat and vegetables as soon as the butter has melted and the fat is really hot. Make sure to brown your meat well on all sides. This will help to keep the juices in the meat, producing a tender stew. 
  

  Chunks of fresh beef

• As soon as the meat is nice and brown, add the glass of wine and let evaporate – this will reduce the acidity taste of the meat.
• Add the tomato sauce, cook for 15 minutes.
  

  Venetian Stew on the Hob

• Mix a tablespoon of flour with a little broth, enough to make a smooth paste, with no lumps. Add this paste to the stew and pour enough broth to cover the meat.
• Cook for at least two hours at very low heat. Halfway through cooking add salt and pepper to taste.
• Towards the end of cooking add your herbs and check if you need to add more salt.
• Once the meat is really tender, turn the heat off.
• Serve hot on a bed of polenta.
  

  SPEZZATINO IN UMIDO ALLA VENETA