Classic Italian Veal Spezzatino Recipes

CLASSIC ITALIAN VEAL SPEZZATINO

Steps:

• Mix cornstarch, paprika, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Pat veal chunks dry and toss them with cornstarch mixture to coat.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add veal pieces to the pot, one by one, and brown on all sides. Set aside leftover cornstarch.
• Reduce heat slightly and add onion, carrot, celery, and red chile pepper; cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and wine. Deglaze pot using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Add potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and bay leaf. Stir and cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until veal is fork-tender, potatoes are cooked, and liquid has thickened, about 1 hour. Add some water from time to time to keep the stew from burning, but don't let it get soupy. Add leftover cornstarch if the stew needs thickening at the end.

SPEZZATINO DI VITELLO ALLA SALVIA (ITALIAN BRAISED VEAL WITH SAGE)

Steps:

• Over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the shallots, and cook slowly, stirring constantly, until they are translucent. Remove shallots and set aside.
• Lightly dredge veal pieces in flour. Add to the pan, and cook over medium heat until well browned.
• Add sage leaves and wine and mix well. Return the shallots to the pan, and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the wine cooks down too much, add a little water to the pan.
• Just before serving, taste and add salt if necessary and desired.

SPEZZATINO DI MANZO (ITALIAN BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Heat a sauce pot medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
• Add 2 tablespoon oil to sauté pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.
• Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Put the meat and the wine reduction in the sauce pot with the vegetables and return to the heat . Add tomato and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and parsley.
• Serving suggestion : Serve the beef stew over corn meal or Italian Polenta with generous amount or grated parmesan cheese.
• Paring wine: Rosso Montalcino, Chianti Cassico , Barbaresco delle langhe, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo.

ITALIAN VEAL STEW WITH POTATOES | SPEZZATINO RECIPE

Steps:

• With the help of a small food processor, chop the celery, carrot and onion into small pieces and set aside. Then with a sharp knife, cut the veal into 3 cm (1 inch) pieces.
• Flour the pieces of meat and shake them to remove excess flour. Keep them aside. In a large casserole, make a soffritto with the extra virgin olive oil and the chopped vegetables. Cook over low heat until softened and golden, about 2 minutes.
• Add the floured pieces of meat. Cook over high heat for 3 minutes, turning them from time to time until browned all over. Then add the dry white wine. Mix and let it evaporate completely over high heat.
• Add a couple of ladles of hot stock and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat. Let the veal stew cook for about 30 minutes over very low heat, taking care to stir it from time to time. While the veal is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into fairly regular pieces of about 4 cm (1 1/2 inch).
• Now add the potatoes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the rosemary. Then add a ladle of hot stock.
• Add two tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir and cook for another 45 minutes. During the cooking, don't stir very often or you risk flaking the potatoes. They must be soft, but still intact. Remove the sprig of rosemary before serving. Italian veal stew with potatoes is ready. Serve it hot

VEAL STEW WITH SAGE AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• In a deep skillet, sauté the shallots in the oil and butter over medium-high heat until translucent but not browned. Dip the pieces of veal in the flour, coating them on all sides and shaking off excess flour. Add to the skillet, together with the sage leaves, and brown well on all sides. (If all the meat won't fit into the skillet at one time you can brown a few pieces at a time, but dip them in the flour only when you are ready to put them in the skillet.) Transfer the meat to a warm platter when browned. Turn up the heat to high and add the wine to the skillet and boil briskly for about 30 seconds, scraping up and loosening any residue in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the browned meat, salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for about 1 hour, turning and basting the meat from time to time, adding a little warm water if necessary. The meat is done when it is tender at the pricking of a fork. Serve immediately. Marcella notes that the stew can be prepared earlier and re-heated. We served the veal stew with red quinoa.

ITALIAN VEAL STEW (SPEZZATINO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Pat the veal dry using paper towels and season on all sides with salt and pepper. If preferred you can use a meat mallet to tenderize each piece before seasoning.
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to an oven proof pot with a lid (such as a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot) and set on medium-high heat. Add the veal to the pot in a single layer and allow it to brown on all sides.
• Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside. Add in remaining 2 tbsp oil along with onions, carrots, celery, and sauté until fragrant. Add in the sliced garlic along with the oregano and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the veal back to the pot and sprinkle the flour over it. Mix the flour into the meat and veggies and allow it to cook for one minute.
• Add 1/4 cup stock to deglaze the pot. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Add the mushrooms if using, and top with remaining chicken broth. Pour in enough so that the veal is barely covered.
• Add the bay leaves along with any other herbs you like (such as thyme, rosemary, or sage), and crushed tomatoes. Mix to combine all ingredients and then cover the pot and place it into the preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the sauce is thickened and the meat is fall apart tender.
• Remove the pot from the oven and stir your stew. Ensure you remove the bay leaves and any other spices that aren't edible (such as thyme sticks). Your sauce should be thick like a gravy. If not, you can add 1-2 tsp of potato starch into the pot and stir to thicken your sauce. Taste your stew and adjust salt and pepper seasoning to suit your personal taste or finish with additional flavor boosts (see notes).
• Serve your stew by itself or with some crusty bread, polenta, couscous or mashed potatoes. Bring any leftovers to room temp before storing in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.