First things first:  I do not like beef stew.  I don’t like the shitty cuts of meat that are used, I don’t like big hunks of cooked carrots, and I just don’t like the way the whole mess tastes.  So, when I got two pounds of stew meat from Butcher Box, I had to figure out something to do with them that didn’t involve beef stew.  Let me tell you:  it is not easy to find alternatives to beef stew with that shitty stew meat.  But, in looking through the copy of Regional Italian Cooking that I picked up from a thrift store last year, I found this recipe.  I figured it was worth a shot.

A caveat before we get started:  The recipe calls for cardoons, which I couldn’t use here.  This is because I don’t have an Italian market close to me, and I don’t even know when they are seasonally available.  So I used celery instead.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 Lbs. Shitty Stew Beef

5 Tbsp. Lard or Butter

1 Medium Onion, diced

4 Tbsp. Ham Fat, finely chopped

1 Stalk Celery, diced

1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped

Pinch Marjoram

Salt to taste

1 ½ C. Red Wine (optional)

1 Sm. Can Tomato Paste

2 ½ C. Beef Stock

2 Lbs. Celery or Cardoons

Heat the lard or butter over medium heat and sauté the onion until transparent.  Add the ham fat, diced celery, and garlic and cook for two minutes.  Turn the heat down to low and brown the meat. 

Add the optional wine and let it evaporate slowly.  Dilute the tomato paste with the beef stock and add to the pan.

Cover and simmer for about two hours.  In the meantime, cut the celery or cardoons into serving size pieces and boil for a few minutes until tender.  Drain the celery and add to the stew and cook for a few minutes longer.

Serve with a little Romano cheese and lightly toasted sourdough bread.

This stew is…OK.  I mean, I’ll probably make it again, but I’ll wait until I get stew meat in my Butcher Box again because there’s no reason for me to go out of my way.