Lydias Portuguese Beef Stew Recipes

LIDIA'S INSANELY DELICIOUS ITALIAN BEEF ROASTED IN BAROLO WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250° F. Season the roast with half the salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides, about 8 minutes in all, then remove it to a platter.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook until the onions begin to wilt, about 6 minutes. Add the rosemary, sage leaves, grated nutmeg, peppercorns, dried porcini, and remaining teaspoon salt, and toss all together. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, just until the vegetables soften, stirring frequently and scraping up the browned meat bits on the pan bottom; then lower the heat.
• Push the vegetables to the side, and return the seared roast to the cleared side of the pan. Pour in the bottles of wine and any meat juices that collected on the platter. The roast should be at least half submerged, so add beef stock as needed.
• Cover the pot, and heat until the wine is steaming but not boiling. Uncover the pan, and place it in the oven. After 30 minutes, rotate the roast so the exposed meat is submerged in the braising liquid. Braise this way, turning the meat in the pan every 30 minutes, for about 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. The liquid should not boil; if it does, pour in some cold water to stop the bubbling, and lower the oven temperature.
• After about 2½ hours or so, check the beef. If it is easily pierced with a fork, take the pan from the oven. Remove the meat to a platter, with the carrots and celery. Skim any fat from the braising juices, heat them to a boil, and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Pour it through a sieve set over a clean container. Press the juices well from the strained herbs and remaining vegetable pieces. Pour in any juices from the meat platter, and season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (If you are not going to serve it right away, put the meat and reserved vegetables in the sauce to rest and cool, for a couple of hours or overnight.)
• To serve: Slice the meat crosswise (easiest when it is cool). Pour a shallow layer of sauce into a wide skillet, and lay the slices in, overlapping. Heat the sauce to bubbling, spooning it over the beef, so the slices are lightly coated. Lift them with a broad spatula, and slide them onto a warm platter, fanned out. Heat the carrots and celery in the sauce, too, and arrange them on the platter. Serve, passing more heated sauce at the table.

LIDIA BASTIANICH - BEEF IN SGUAZET (BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Soften the dried porcini about 30 minutes in a cupful of warm water, trim, and reserve the strained liquid.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat, until transparent.
• Add the bones, meat, bay leaves, cloves, salt, pepper and paprika, and sauté 10 minutes longer.
• Add the wine, raise the heat, and cook about 10 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half.
• Add the tomato paste and the porcini.
• Stir slowly and thoroughly, and add the reserved mushroom liquid.
• Simmer five minutes.
• Add half the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the sauce thickens, about two hours.
• As the mixture cooks, add the remaining stock little by little.
• When the sguazet is finished, there should be about 6 cups of thick, chunky sauce.
• Serve with pasta, polenta or rice.

MOM'S PORTUGUESE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Dust the beef with the flour. Place the beef, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper in the stockpot; cook until the beef is brown; season with salt and cook until beef is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, carrot, and paprika; cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato, wine, water, and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.
• Mix in the red potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans; continue to cook until potatoes are easily pierced through with a fork, about 45 minutes.

LYDIA'S PORTUGUESE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Melt butter in a dutch oven and saute beef in butter until brown. Add onions for an additional 3-5 minutes just until translucent.
• Add potatoes and enough water to cover meat and potatoes.Bring to a simmer and cook until meat and potatoes are tender(about 45-60 minutes).
• Add carrots and cabbage last, cook until cabbage is tender.(maybe 20 minutes).
• Add last, salt and garlic salt/powder to taste.

MOOD BEEF (PORTUGUESE BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat.
• Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
• Saute the beef, in batches if necessary so that the pan is not crowded, until well-browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion and green peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and caramelized around the edges, about 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomatoes, water, bay leaf, crushed red pepper and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Return the beef to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
• Add the ditalini to the gravy and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
• Add the parsley. Serve immediately.