Beef Stew with Peas

Beef stew with peas is a classic, simple and tasty dish. Here are the instructions to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 500 g beef for stew
• 300 g frozen or fresh peas
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery rib
• 300 ml beef broth
• 200 ml tomato passata
• Flour, as needed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Start by cutting the meat into cubes, if not already done, and lightly flouring it.
2. Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery to make a soffritto.
3. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of oil and sauté the soffritto until it becomes translucent.
4. Add the meat cubes and brown them until golden on all sides.
5. Add the tomato passata and cook for a few minutes to let the meat absorb the flavors.
6. Pour in the beef broth to cover everything and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer the stew, covered, for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the meat becomes tender.
7. Add the peas and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
8. Check the doneness of the meat and peas and, if necessary, add more broth or water during cooking.

Trivia

Beef stew with peas is a dish that lends itself very well to being prepared in advance; in fact, the flavors tend to meld better if eaten the day after. It is also possible to vary the aromatic herbs added to customize the taste, for example by using rosemary or bay leaf during cooking. It pairs beautifully with a side of roasted potatoes or with polenta.