Recipe: Italian stracotto di manzo (slow-braised beef stew)

True autumnal comfort food: deeply savoury, fall-apart beef cooked in wine and aromatics, tossed over pappardelle with a bright gremolata. This recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients

• 1.2–1.5 kg stewing beef, cut into large chunks (I usually buy the runder riblap from Albert Heijn)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g pancetta or streaky bacon, diced
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 500 ml red wine (Chianti, Barolo, or other robust red)
• 400 g tinned tomatoes, crushed
• 400 ml beef stock
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

• Zest of 1 lemon (finely grated)
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced

• 500 g pappardelle
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Pre-heat the over to 150°C.
2. Brown the beef: Pat beef chunks dry with paper towel, season well with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pan, heat olive oil. Brown beef in batches until deeply caramelised on all sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Cook pancetta & vegetables: In the same pot, fry pancetta until lightly crisp. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook 8–10 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze: Pour in the wine, scraping up any brown bits. Simmer 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
5. Build the stew: Add tomatoes, beef stock, herbs, and return the beef (and any juices) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently in the oven at 150°C for about 3–3.5 hours, until the beef is falling apart. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce, if needed.
6. Shred the beef: Discard herb stalks. Using two forks, shred the beef into the sauce (or leave big chunks if you prefer). Adjust seasoning.
7. Make the gremolata: Mix lemon zest, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl.
8. Serve: Cook pappardelle until al dente, toss with some of the stew sauce. Top with the shredded beef, sprinkle generously with gremolata, and add Parmesan if desired.

Notes