Simple Sicilian Beef Stew Recipes

SIMPLE SICILIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and oven to 300 degrees F with racks in lower third and upper third of oven.
• Pat meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to the pan, 1 turn of the pan, melt about a tablespoon of butter into oil and when it foams, add about a third of the meat. Brown evenly on all sides and remove, then repeat with more oil and butter as needed and removing meat to platter or tray as you work. Add remaining oil and butter and when butter foams add the onions, fennel and garlic, bay, citrus and rosemary. Partially cover and soften about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, then stir and add wine. Reduce 2 to 3 minutes, then add beef, stock, semi-dried or sundried tomatoes, olives and chile flakes or paste. Cover and place in oven for about 2 hours until very tender.
• Arrange the Roma tomatoes on a small baking sheet, dress with EVOO, thyme, salt and pepper and slow roast them along with the meat, for 2 hours.
• Serve beef on a platter topped with tomatoes or in shallow bowls atop Polenta or potatoes.
• Heat water and milk in a saucepan to a low boil, then whisk in cornmeal and season with salt and pepper. Cook 35 to 40 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thickened and creamy to taste. Stir in butter to serve.

SLOW-COOKER SICILIAN-STYLE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and half of beef, in a single layer; cook, turning a few times, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Add shallots and wine to skillet; cook, scraping up browned bits, until wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker; stir in tomatoes with their juices, fennel, rosemary, and zest. Cover and cook on high until meat is fork-tender, about 4 1/2 hours.
• Stir in olives; season with salt and pepper. Remove rosemary; serve, with mashed potatoes, orange wedges, and more pepper.

SICILIAN BEEF

Steps:

• Season meat with half the Italian herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
• Sauté meat 2-3 minutes, until browned on bottom. [I also drain the meat].
• Turn over and stir in onion and remaining Italian seasoning. Cook 2 minutes and stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
• Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium low and cook 6-8 minutes, until meat is cooked throughout. [I simmer for 10-15 minutes].

SICILIAN BEEF RAGOUT

Steps:

• Place tomatoes in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Add leaves from 4 branches of the thyme, toss again, then spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in an ovenproof casserole on medium high. Dry meat and sear in several batches to avoid crowding until lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a bowl. Lower heat to medium low. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Add fennel, leeks, shallot and garlic to casserole, stir, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the flour, cook for a moment or two, than add olives, chile flakes and wine. Stir, scraping pan, and bring to a simmer. Add stock. Return meat and its juices to the casserole. Top with branches of rosemary and remaining thyme. Cover and place in the oven. Place the pan of tomatoes in the oven. Cook both for 2 hours.
• Remove the pans from the oven. Check seasonings of meat. Transfer meat and sauce to a serving dish, arrange tomatoes on top and serve together.

SICILIAN STYLE STEAK

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a broiler pan.
• Stir the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, and garlic powder together in a shallow dish such as a pie plate. Pour the olive oil into a separate shallow dish. Dip the t-bone steaks in the olive oil on both sides; allow excess to drip off. Press the steaks into the bread crumb mixture, and place onto the prepared broiler pan.
• Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven until the steaks have cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 15 minutes for medium. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium.

NORTHERN ITALIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in batches in hot oil until browned completely, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef cubes to a plate lined with paper towels, keeping skillet over heat and retaining the beef drippings.
• Cook and stir onion, celery, and carrots in the retained beef drippings until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir mushrooms and garlic into the onion mixture.
• Pour red wine into the pan; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the mixture until the wine evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes into the mixture.
• Return beef to skillet with potatoes, basil, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Pour beef stock and tomato sauce over the mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick, 4 to 6 hours.