I love stews! To me, they're the best and most comforting meal there is. My Dad was a master stew-maker. His oxtail stew was legendary! The below recipe is called "Tuscan" but I'm honestly not sure why because it's a stew that's similar to many others. I suppose the red wine makes the difference.
I should note here that there are several ways to thicken a stew. Flour is the common way but if you want to avoid the flour, you can remove all the ingredients and, on medium heat, take the time to reduce the fluid until thickened. It can take a while though!
serves 4
- 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt [omit for lower sodium]
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces each) of diced tomatoes, undrained [no salt added]
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven on medium-high heat.
- Add beef in batches; cook until browned on all sides.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil as needed.
- Return beef to Dutch oven.
- Add carrots, onion, Seasoning, and sea salt; mix well.
- Stir in tomatoes and wine
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender
- To thicken the stew, mix flour with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Stir in several tablespoons of the hot liquid from the stew.
- Add to stew.
- Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until stew thickens slightly