Kalderetta Beef Stew

Slow cooking is a technique used to make tough cuts tender. It makes tendons gelatinous, and fatty parts flavorsome. It is a style of cooking that takes hours but results are amazing. 

Kalderetta or beef stew is a perfect example on how good slow cooking can be. Firstly, it uses a fatty section of meat, usually the brisket. The brisket is tough cut from the front side of the cow. Its fat melts into the stew and creates even more flavor. 

Traditionally, this dish is made with stewing onions, carrots, and potatoes. For a different twist, I recommend roasting the potatoes separately to make it crispy. 

Ingredients

2 lbs cubed brisket

1 whole onion

3 carrots

1 bell pepper

1 can liver spread

1 can tomato paste

1 can tomato sauce

beef stock

3 large potatoes (waxy)

Parsley

Smoked paprika

salt and pepper

Caramelize

spread liver spread (pate) over the meat.

First step

I like to caramelize the beef first. To do this, spread the pate on all of the meat. Then brown it in the dutch oven. Do in batches if necessary. Once browned, set aside for later. 

Next

Pour some oil in the pan, and add your chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat off the vegetables. Add tomato paste in the middle of the pan and cookout. 

Finally

Add the meat into the pot, and add equal amounts of beef stock and tomato sauce until it covers the meat. Braise for 3-4 hours. 

Potatoes

Parboil the potatoes. This means to quickly boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes. Take it off, set aside, and allow to dry. 

Add oil to a cast iron pan, and season the potatoes with paprika, salt, and pepper. roast until crispy. 

To plate

Put potatoes first on the plate, lay the meat and vegetables on top of the potatoes, and sauce over the delicious jus.