There are many ways to make this dish, but this is one of the ways my Grandmother would make it, so this is the recipe I am sharing. She always used an inexpensive cut of meat because it would braise so long and become tender.
Mama Mancini's Recipes
Steak Pizzaiola
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs chuck steak
- 1 cup thick sliced onion
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 28-ounce cans of whole Italian plum tomatoes crushed by hand.
- Salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 bay leaves
Directions
1
In a very heavy skillet add 2 tbs of oil and get that hot.
2
Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and then brown both sides. Figure 2 minutes on each side.
3
Remove the steak to a dish. Put the other 2 tbs oil in the skillet, and lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté this for 2-3 minutes.
4
Now add the crushed tomatoes and all the juice, wine, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper, and allow this to come to a boil.
5
Cook on a slow boil for 10 minutes uncovered then add the steak back to the skillet and cover with the sauce.
6
Lower the heat to a low simmer, cover, and let this braise for 1 hour to 1.5 hours. The longer you let it braise the tastier this will be.
7
After it’s done remove the lid and taste for salt and pepper.
8
Remove the steak to a platter and allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken.
9
Cut the steak and top with the sauce.
Notes
You can also make pasta to go with the sauce. So good, simple, and old school. And you can freeze any sauce that is left!