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Traditional Italian Spezzatino recipe

As Mother’s Day is coming, we would like to share our traditional Italian Spezzatino recipe with you!

It is not difficult, but rather time-consuming and if you plan to do this a day ahead, you can still watch your favourite TV show while you are making that surprise for your mum!

SPEZZATINO in Italy is similar to what you would know as a stew.

Spezzatino is cooked over good 3h to create tender meat and natural thick gravy sauce. However, you can find a wide variety of combinations.

It can be cooked on the stove or the oven in a casserole dish, an earthenware pot or just a heavy bottom pan. Also, beef can be replaced with topside veal. And instead of peas, you can add different vegetables – mushrooms or roasted peppers cut in strips are very popular.

A long time ago a veal Spezzatino would be served at Italian weddings between the pasta dish and the main course, but it is not in practice any longer.

Let’s start putting together all the necessary ingredients to make this tasty Spezzatino recipe: Spezzatino al Pepperoni Rossi, Vino e Cipolle.

1. Ingredients:

• 2kg boneless beef – we use ramp cut against the grain into 1-inch pieces
• 120ml olive oil
• 1kg finely sliced onions
• 8 cloves of chopped garlic
• 2 bay leaves crushed in small pieces
• Two large handfuls of flat chopped parsley
• large handful of fresh basil
• 1kg of roasted red peppers – skin removed cut into stripes
• 2 cups of good quality dry white wine
• 2-3 cups of beef stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2. Directions:

In a large pot with a heavy bottom heat the oil to med./high, add the meat and brown it for 15-20min until water from the meat has evaporated.

Then add wine and cook it for future 10-15min until alcohol evaporates.

Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, garlic, beef stock and cook for further 10 minutes.

Add onions on the top and do not mix it, covered it and let it cook for a couple of hours with little steering.

Onions will release lots of water and eventually, they will fall apart and create a nice and thick sauce.

With this slow cooking, you are looking to create meat that melts in your mouth.

Add the parsley, basil, peas and leave it covered to rest for 20 min.

Serve it with risotto Bianco or mashed potatoes and red peppers stripes on the top.

and…

Buon Appetito!