Braised beef with carrots

With the start of this cold spring you can still enjoy some winter dish like this braised beef with carrots, "polenta" or mashed potatoes.Polenta translates as corn meal mush, but it's much more. It's the staple food of the north, where it still outshines pasta, and can be served in innumerable ways, as a first course, baked, with stews, or even as a bread substitute.

 Ingredients for 4 people:

• 600 gr. of meat for pot roast
• 1 potato
• 5 carrots
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 sage leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• salt
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 500 ml of hot water
• 2 tablespoons oil EVO

Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

In a large pot, I used the pressure cooker (and we'll see why) brown the chopped onion in the oil and brown the meat on all sides.
Add the garlic and potatoes cut into small cubes small, sage and rosemary. Salt the meat on all sides and pour the wine. Increase heat to evaporate, turning the meat.
After a few minutes, pour the tomato sauce and the hot water, the meat should be submerged.
At this point I have cooked for 1 hour under pressure from the whistle.
After you have cleaned and sliced carrots, eliminates the pressure under cold water and opens the pot.
Add the carrots and put back on the fire pot discovery, do not worry if there is too much liquid, the cooking is continued for another hour.
Almost at the end of cooking I prefer mixed some carrots with the immersion blender, while leaving some carrots whole.
Once cooked cut it into thick slices and cover with the carrots and the sauce, which after cooking is thick and smooth. 

 See the recipe in printable PDF

Rapid italian stew

This is a dish for those rainy days where the first cold and the urge to eat something hot! If you use a pressure cooker is a pot fast enough compared to traditional times!
 

Ingredients:

• 300 gr. beef
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• ½ hot pepper
• 2 glasses of red wine firm
• ½ cup of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil EVO
• 1 tablespoon of potato starch
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt

Time: 45 min.

Cut the meat into pieces if not already ready.
In the pressure cooker brown the chopped onion in oil, add the carrots cut in washer, red pepper, bay leaf and rosemary.
Pour the wine, tomato sauce and salt.
Cover with the lid and cook for 20 minutes from time.
After 20 min cool the pot, and open.
If necessary, boil for a few minutes  if there is too much liquid.
Take a ladle of sauce in a cup and put it the potatoes starch. Pour into the pan and stir.
Bake for 5 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick.
Distribute the chopped parsley and serve with “polenta” (I used the quick cooked for 8 minutes) or with mashed potatoes.

Note:
"Polenta" is a typical dish made from maize flour cooked in salted water to accompany various foods or with various dressings.

See the recipe in printable PDF