This peppery beef stew hails from Florence, home of the best beef dishes in Italy! Don't underestimate it because of its simplicity—it's flavor is anything but simple! While it's traditionally eaten alone, you can serve it atop polenta for a very full and satisfying meal.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2-3.
For this recipe, you will need:
1 lb. (450g) beef stew meat
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh sage, rosemary and thyme, tied into a bundle with cooking twine
1/8 cup (15g) whole black pepper corns
Red wine (use Chianti for the most authentic flavor!), you just need enough to marinate the meat
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with a fork, plus a few spoonfuls of sauce from the can
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt
Begin by marinating the meat. Place it in a large bowl and add the garlic, herbs and pepper corns. Fill the bowl with wine to cover the meat. Set aside and let the meat marinate for 1 1/2 hours.
Add the olive oil into a pot (preferably terracotta) and bring up to medium heat. Pour the meat and marinade (everything!) into the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, a generous pinch of salt, and plenty of ground pepper.
Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered over low heat and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. It should cook for a minimum of 3 hours (the longer the better). Add water as necessary if the sauce thickens too quickly or if you would like to cook it longer.
Serve warm, being careful to avoid the string from the herb bundle of course!
Buon appetito!