Spicy Sauce Beef Stew with Peas and Potatoes

Here’s the recipe for a spicy sauce beef stew with peas and potatoes with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 500 g of beef stew
• 400 g of peeled tomatoes or tomato puree
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 200 g of peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 hot chili pepper (or to taste to adjust spiciness)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A sprig of rosemary
• A glass of red wine
• Meat or vegetable broth as needed
• Flour, for dusting the meat

Preparation

1. Start by lightly flouring the pieces of stew. This will help to create a golden crust during browning and will thicken the sauce.
2. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the pieces of meat to brown well on all sides until they are golden.
3. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside. In the same pan, add another drizzle of oil if necessary and sauté the finely chopped onion with the crushed garlic cloves and the chopped chili pepper (remove the seeds if you prefer less heat).
4. After about 2-3 minutes, when the onion becomes translucent, add the meat back, mix well and deglaze with a glass of red wine.
5. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add the crushed peeled tomatoes with a fork or the tomato puree. Add the rosemary sprig, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Partially cover with a lid and let simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, adding hot broth as needed to keep the sauce moist and not too thick.
7. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and cook them in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes or until they are tender but not falling apart.
8. Then add the peas and potatoes to the sauce. Continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes until the peas and potatoes are well integrated into the sauce and the meat is tender.
9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary before turning off the heat.

Serve the stew hot, perhaps accompanied by a piece of rustic bread to soak up the sauce.

Curiosity

The use of red wine in the preparation of the stew not only helps to deepen the flavor of the meat but also aids in tenderizing it during the long cooking process. Furthermore, chili pepper, in addition to adding spiciness to the dish, brings a touch of warmth ideal for colder days.