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 recipe below is called "Tuscan," but I'm honestly not sure why, because it's a stew that's similar to many others. The red wine makes the difference.
There are several ways to thicken a stew. Flour is the standard way, but if you want to avoid flour, you can remove all the ingredients and, over medium heat, reduce the liquid until it thickens. It can take a while, though!
serves 4
- 1 tablespoon 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 one 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 the remaining tablespoon of oil as needed.
- Return the beef to the Dutch oven.
- Add carrots, onion, Seasoning, and sea salt; mix well.
- Stir in tomatoes and wine.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- To thicken the stew, mix flour with one 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 the stew thickens slightly
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