Beef Cacciatore

Beef Cacciatore

 

 

Beef cacciatore (just pick a protein) is nothing more than an Italian stew.   In Tuscany, where my grandfather was born, this would not be made with beef but instead, a simpler protein like chicken.  You throw a few things into a crock pot, or make it more traditionally in a heavy stew pot and throw it in the oven.  You add this and that, and it becomes a tender, lovely and inviting dinner.  You can serve it equally over pasta or rice.  I will give you the traditional way my grandmother, Lucy Piermarini, taught me how to make it and also offer you the crock pot version.  Either way, you end up with a delightfully flavored dish.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 lbs. beef

½ lb. of pork fat (cut into lardon shape)
½ lb. of pancetta
1 bitter onion, peeled and chopped
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery (with tops), chopped
1 head of garlic (throw in microwave for 20 seconds).  After garlic cools down, remove peels and crush all the softened garlic with a fork (reserve in a bowl).
3 bay leaves
3 cups of beef stock
1 can (8 oz.) of good tomato paste
1 tsp. of crushed black pepper
1 bottle of good red wine

In a very large stew pot (I use Le Creu

 

set), put a tbl. of extra virgin olive oil.  Over slowest possible heat, sauté the salt pork and the pancetta.  When browned, remove from the heat and place on paper towels to absorb fat.  Set aside the bacon and pork. 

In the same pan, over lowest heat, sauté the onions, carrots and celery until the onions turn translucent.    Remove the vegetables and set aside.  Turn the heat up slightly.  Add the wine and beef stock to deglaze the pan.   Stir for a few minutes until all the brown stuff at the bottom of the pan is now in the liquid. 

 

At this point, everything goes back into the pot and you can throw this in the oven at 200°F for several hours.  Alternatively, at this point, you could transfer everything into a crock pot.

For the crockpot version, simply sauté the pork fat and pancetta and the onion mixture and then throw everything into the crockpot.

To use other proteins, simply substitute chicken stock or white wine for a poultry or pork protein.  For dark meat, use the beef stock and red wine.

The most important thing to remember is that the longer it simmers, the better the flavor.  It also becomes much better if you freeze the remainder of the stew.  

 

My grandmother would have served this with polenta because polenta is less expensive than rice or pasta.  I also love to serve this with orzo.