Spezzatino is one of Italy's classic comfort foods, made by slowly simmering beef and vegetables until they're melt-in-your-mouth tender. It's a hearty meal for the family and, because everything cooks so softly, it's also easy to set aside a portion for babies who are ready for more textured foods.
Spezzatino
4
servings20
minutes2
hoursIngredients
1 lb. 1 beef chuck or beef stew meat
1 1 large sweet onion
2-3 2-3 garlic cloves
3-4 3-4 large organic carrots, chopped large
5-6 5-6 potatoes, chopped large
2-3 2-3 celery stalks, chopped large (optional)
1 1 bag frozen peas
olive oil
salt and pepper
white wine
Directions
- Brown the meat in a large dutch oven on both sides.
- Once browned, remove from pan.
- Add in onion, carrots, celery if using, and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and brown.
- Add garlic and brown but do not burn.
- In the mean time, if using chuck roast, cut it into pieces and return to pan.
- If using stew meat, just return to pan.
- Deglaze everything with a generous pour of white wine.
- Season as you go with salt and pepper.
- Add peas toward the very end of cooking.
- Cover by about a once inch with water.
- Turn heat to low and cook low and slow about 2-3 hours.
- Make sure it does not dry out, if it gets a little dry add more white wine or water and continue cooking.
- Serve with Italian bread.
Notes
- I don't use celery, but feel free to use it if you like it.
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