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Meat, Italy

Beef Spezzatino with Potatoes

Beef spezzatino with potatoes is an Italian stew for 4 people, ready in 2 hours at an easy skill level for about €3.50 per person. The beef simmers for a long time in red wine and tomato before the potatoes join the pot for the last half hour, which keeps them whole and tender instead of falling apart.

A good Italian stew, spezzatino, beef simmered in red wine and tomato with tender whole potatoes.

Beef Spezzatino with Potatoes
Total time
2 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
500 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Spezzatino is the Italian version of beef stew, a tomato and red wine sauce with vegetables that melt into the meat as it simmers slowly. Braising beef turns very tender after two hours of gentle cooking, and the flour thickened sauce coats every bite without feeling heavy. The finely diced carrots and celery almost disappear into the sauce, they are there to deepen the flavor.

This is a dish for unhurried Sundays, when you can let the pot simmer while you get on with something else. Kids like the soft potatoes and the mild sauce, it is a reliable family dinner that works for everyone at the table. Mon Chou reminds you to add the potatoes only toward the end, so they hold their shape.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Braising beef 900 g

Pantry

  • Red wine 20 cl
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Bay leavesoften in the pantry 2
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Carrots 2
  • Celery stalk 1
  • Potatoes 700 g

Allergens Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Lightly coat the beef chunks in flour and brown them in the oil, in small batches. 10 min

    The flour thickens the sauce and gives the meat a nice crust.

  2. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, and let them cook for a few minutes. 5 min

    Cut the vegetables into small dice so they melt into the sauce.

  3. Pour in the wine, let it reduce, then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and a little water, and cover the pot. 10 min

    Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom before adding liquid.

  4. Let it simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally. 1 h 15

    If the sauce reduces too much, add a little hot water.

  5. Add the potatoes in large chunks and keep cooking until they are tender. 30 min

    Pierce a potato, the knife should slide in with no resistance.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well marbled braising cut, like chuck or shoulder, the fat renders during cooking and keeps the meat moist.
  • Keep the pot covered and the heat very low, a hard simmer dries out the meat instead of tenderizing it.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the potatoes and adjust the salt at that point, the flavors will already be concentrated.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for wild boar or veal for braising, for a more rustic spezzatino, the cooking time stays about the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with whole button mushrooms and chickpeas, and cut the simmering time to 30 minutes.
  • For a quicker kid friendly version, cut the potatoes smaller and add them with the tomatoes, they will cook faster and turn out a bit softer.

What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread for the sauce
  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • A glass of light red wine

Storage

Spezzatino keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and it often tastes even better the next day. It freezes well for up to 3 months, ideally without the potatoes, which do not hold up as well to freezing. Reheat gently in a pot over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make spezzatino ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it the day before up through the simmering step, without the potatoes. The next day, reheat the sauce and add fresh potatoes for the last half hour of cooking.

What cut of beef works best for this stew?

Chuck, shoulder, or shin are great choices, they are braising cuts that turn tender after a long simmer. Avoid lean cuts, which tend to toughen as they cook.

Can you substitute the red wine in this recipe?

You can replace it with beef broth plus a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to keep some acidity. The flavor will be slightly less deep but the texture stays the same.

Why add the potatoes only near the end?

Potatoes cooked too long in a sauce eventually break down and make the stew too thick. Adding them for the last 30 minutes keeps them whole and lets them soak up the sauce without losing their shape.

How long does it take to make a beef spezzatino with potatoes?

Count 2 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a beef spezzatino with potatoes?

About 500 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a beef spezzatino with potatoes cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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