Equipment
Ingredients
Meat
- 800 g veal shoulder, cut into 4cm cubes
Produce
- 2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced, fronds reserved
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs tied together
Pantry & Liquids
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g tomato paste
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml chicken stock, low sodium
- 10 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 dried bay leaves
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 309 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1480 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 112 mg
- Potassium
- 1319 mg
- Calcium
- 123 mg
- Iron
- 3.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 75 mg
- Phosphorus
- 425 mg
- Zinc
- 5.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 331 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 22 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.47 mg
- Niacin
- 13.3 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 319 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the diced veal dry with paper towels to ensure a proper sear. Season all sides generously with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the veal until a deep brown crust forms on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Use tongs to transfer the browned meat to a clean plate.
Reduce the heat under the Dutch oven to medium. Add the diced onion, sliced fennel, and sliced carrots to the residual fat in the pot. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften and take on a light brown color, scraping up any dark bits from the meat as the vegetables release their moisture.
Stir the minced garlic and tomato paste into the vegetable mixture. Cook constantly until the tomato paste darkens from bright red to a deep rust color and becomes highly fragrant.
Pour the dry white wine into the pot to deglaze. Vigorously scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift all the fond into the liquid. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by half.
Return the seared veal and any resting juices accumulated on the plate back into the Dutch oven. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. Submerge the tied thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid.
Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting to maintain a bare simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for 90 minutes. For food safety, ensure the veal reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F, though it will likely far exceed this to become tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and take out the thyme stems and bay leaves. Allow the stew to rest for 15 minutes before serving to let the proteins relax. Garnish individual bowls with the reserved chopped fennel fronds.
Chef's Notes
- Searing the veal in distinct batches is the single most important step for building flavor. Do not rush this process; the caramelized crust directly translates to depth in your final broth.
- Browning the tomato paste alongside the aromatics, a technique known as 'pincage', mellows its raw acidity and unlocks a profound umami backbone essential for robust stews.
- Always reserve the delicate green fennel fronds. Their bright, fresh anise flavor acts as a perfect counterpoint to the heavy, rich nature of the stew when used as a finishing garnish.
- This is an exemplary 'next day' dish. Allowing the stew to cool completely and resting it overnight in the refrigerator allows the complex flavor compounds to marry and intensify.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors will deepen and improve after the first 24 hours.
Freezer: 3 months — Cool completely before freezing in airtight, freezer-safe containers. Leave headroom for expansion.
Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbling.
Troubleshooting
Veal is tough and chewy after the recommended cooking time
Cause: The connective tissue in the shoulder cut has not fully broken down yet, often due to variations in meat age or slight temperature differences.
Fix: Continue simmering covered for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes until fork-tender.
Prevention: Maintain a consistent low simmer rather than a rapid boil, and verify the liquid level remains sufficient to submerge the meat.
Stew broth is too thin and watery
Cause: The lid trapped too much moisture, or the crushed tomatoes were particularly watery.
Fix: Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of simmering, or remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and rapid-boil the liquid to reduce it before recombining.
Prevention: Use high-quality crushed tomatoes and measure the stock accurately.
Cultural Context
In regional Italian cooking, 'spezzatino' refers to a hearty stew made from tougher, inexpensive cuts of meat cooked low and slow until yielding. The combination of veal, fennel, and tomato is a hallmark of Mediterranean flavor profiles, bringing brightness and aromatic complexity to what would otherwise be a heavy winter dish.
