Beef or Veal alla Pizzaiola

Dee514's Note:

This is a flavorful recipe for less tender cuts of beef or veal. I usually prepare this dish using beef chuck steak, beef round steak or veal chops. This can be cooked either on top of the stove or in the oven.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 lbs beefchuck steaks or 2 lbs beef round steak or 2 lbs veal chops , cut 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8; teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic , chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley , leaves only (the flat kind)
• 1 -2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 small onion , sliced (optional)
• ½-1 cup fresh small white button mushrooms (optional)
• ½-1 green pepper , seeded and cut into chunks (optional)
• 1 (20 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes , unseasoned

Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil.
2. Using your hands, crush the canned tomatoes and add about half of them to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add half of the salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano and onions to the pan (only add the mushrooms to the top layer).
4. Place the meat on top of this mixture.
5. Cover the meat with remaining crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano, mushrooms and onions.
6. Cover pan tightly and cook over a low flame for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (until meat is tender).
7. Add the green peppers to the pan for the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
8. To prepare this in the oven instead of stove top, use a shallow roasting pan, (follow above directions), cover pan tightly and bake at 325°-350°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (until meat is tender).
9. Serve with potatoes or rice and a green salad.

Reviews

[Mama Cee Jay]

Very tasty! Based upon one of the reviews, I decided to add more liquid for a sauce, so I added about a 1/2 cup of wine and some water. The beef I used was apparently pretty tough, so I ended up cooking for over 3 hours in oven at 325 degrees. I liked the simplicity of the recipe and I think I will have my teenage DD make it sometime. I added precooked penne (on hand from a previous meal) so it truly was a ONE POT MEAl SENSATION! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

[**Jules**]

We enjoyed this for a dinner, was nice that it is basically a one pot mess. I used two round steaks, and two cans of diced unseasoned tomatoes. I could not find canned plum tomatoes at my store. I used red bell pepper just as a personal preference. There was very little sauce to speak of, adding wine or broth might be a nice addition if you need a sauce/gravy.

[Dizzyfreedom]

Very good. I baked in the oven...so I would recommend draining the canned tomatoes first or your dish will come out VERY soupy.