Slow Food

Along with roast chicken, a hearty soup and a fail proof cake, I think stew is a crucial part of any culinary repertoire. Sometimes it’s nice to have a change from the standard school dinner style of stew with those little bits of celery and carrot. This version features meltingly tender meat in red wine with smoky pancetta. A far cry from the school dinner!


Beef and Red Wine Stew with Grilled Polenta

300g/10oz cubes stewing beef
90g/3oz pancetta diced
flour
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1.5 cups red wine
1 cup stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
10 black olives
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped thyme

Preheat oven to 160C/325F. Lightly dust the beef cubes with flour but don’t season so as to keep in the juices. In a stovetop proof casserole dish heat a little olive oil and brown the beef in small batches. Set aside.

Add the chopped pancetta and allow to brown for a few minutes before adding the onion and garlic. When onion is translucent add the red wine. Carefully scrape off any flavour packed bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the herbs, olives, tomatoes and stock and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Return the beef to the pot. Wet piece of baking paper and place it over before popping on the lid- this will keep in the maximum amount of moisture. Cook in the oven for 2 hours. Check to see if meat is fall apart tender and cook further if necessary. Serve over grilled polenta.

Polenta
1 cup polenta
4 cups water

Combine the polenta in a bowl with a little cold water to create a paste. In a large pot boil the 4 cups water and whisk in the polenta. Continue to cook through for 30 minutes while stirring until it comes away from the sides of the pot.

Pour into a tray and allow to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into desired shapes and grill over a skillet or grill pan for a few minutes each side until crisp and warmed through.