After a beautiful sunny day yesterday, well, most of the day, Mother Nature is back to the same ol’, same ol’ in the Pacific Northwest. While other people are persevering and standing at their grills in their rain slickers, I gave in and made a stew. I started out thinking about making a daube, or just a simple vegetable beef soup, and ended up somewhere in the middle crossing Giada De Laurentiis’ Chianti-Marinated Beef Stew with her Short Rib Ragu. Later this week, I’ll see if the leftovers can be morphed into something similar to that ragu.
[slideshow]Salt and pepper the beef. Brown the beef in olive oil over med-high heat in a large dutch oven. It'll likely take two batches. Remove beef and set aside.
Add the pancetta to the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the veg and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the beef broth, wine, tomatoes, herbs and garlic. Add back the beef and its juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours, until beef is tender. Remove the rosemary sprig and shred beef into smaller chunks to serve.
Adapted from Giada at Home and Everyday Pasta