Italian comfort food at its delicious best, served over polenta instead of pasta.
Ingredients
Wine-Braised Beef:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1” cubes
- 1 large onion, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 10-oz cans beef broth
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
- ¼ cup gravy flour
Polenta:
- 9 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups cornmeal
Directions
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown beef on all sides, stirring occasionally. Transfer beef to bowl. To juices remaining in Dutch oven, add onion and parsley. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, bay leaves, spices, salt and pepper. Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion spice mixture. Add Merlot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 10 more minutes. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add bell pepper, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Mix 1 cup water with ¼ cup gravy flour and stir into beef. Stir and cook until slightly thickened. Serve over polenta.
Polenta Directions:
Bring water and salt to boil in large heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Continue whisking until mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, Cook until thick and thoroughly cooked, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with Wine-Braised beef.
