Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef ~ Steak Pizzaiola
Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef is a rustic, Italian, comfort food dish with humble origins. Beef is seared and braised in a rich, garlic, herb and wine-infused tomato sauce until fork tender, then combined with sautéed mushrooms for an earthy finish. It’s rich, hearty and ultra-satisfying!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 1 Large Frying Pan (or Dutch oven)
- 1 Dutch oven (or large frying pan)
- 1 Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 thin boneless or bone-in chuck steaks (about 2 pounds boneless/2½ pounds bone-in)
- Salt and black pepper
- 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
- ¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided + more for garnish (optional)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided + more for garnish (optional)
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 (28-ounce) can can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Place the pieces of beef in between plastic wrap and use either a meat tenderizer/mallet or a rolling pin to CAREFULLY pound the beef thinner–to approximately ½” thickness.2 thin boneless or bone-in chuck steaks
- Then, pat both sides dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and black pepper. (NOTE: If the pieces are too large for you after being pounded, cut them down into smaller pieces, as desired.)Salt and black pepper
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Then, add the beef and sear it until browned on both sides, approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side. Only turn the beef once and try not to move it around too much as it is browning. Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the seared beef to a plate once browned and set it aside.1 pound cremini or white mushrooms,
- Add another 2 Tbsp oil to the pan, then the mushrooms. Spread the mushrooms out over the surface of the pan. Cook them at medium-high heat for about 2 minutes without touching them. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan for a few minutes to speed up the mushrooms releasing their liquid.
- After a couple minutes, remove the lid and give the mushrooms a stir. Deglaze with the mushroom liquid, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Continue to cook until all the liquid that the mushrooms release has evaporated and the pan is basically dry, stirring occasionally. This may take about 8 to 10 minutes or so. At this point, they should be completely tender. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and sprinkle them with salt and black pepper. Set them aside.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil to the pan, along with the garlic, crushed red pepper and half the fresh oregano and basil (if including). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, to allow the garlic to brown lightly. Take care not to burn the garlic!¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup chopped fresh oregano leaves,, ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves,
- Pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Simmer the wine for about 3 minutes.1 cup dry white wine
- Add the tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and black pepper and stir.1 (28-ounce) can can whole tomatoes,, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- Return the meat and its juices to the pan and nestle the pieces of meat in the tomato sauce. Adjust the heat to a low simmer, mostly cover the pan (just have a sliver open), and let the beef braise until fork tender. This could take anywhere from 2 to 2½ hours. Check on the beef periodically and turn the pieces over every 30 minutes. Add a little water or beef broth to the pan as needed during the cooking process in case the sauce reduces too much. (This part can also be done in a 325℉ preheated oven, if desired.)
- Once the beef is tender enough to be cut with a fork, you should skim the fat off the top so you will not have a greasy sauce. See NOTES below for a few ways that you can do this.
- Then, return the mushrooms and their juices and the remaining fresh herbs to the pan, spreading them out over the surface of the beef. Cover and continue to cook just long enough to reheat the mushrooms, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat; taste and adjust the sauce with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve and enjoy while hot. Include some grated pecorino cheese on the side. Buon Appetito!
Video
Notes
- The fresh herbs are optional but do include them if possible as they truly make the dish better!
- Either bone-in or boneless chuck steak, which are cut from a chuck roast, or any tough (i.e., braising) cut of beef can be used in this recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, just leave them out and the dish will still be so delicious. On the other hand, (red, yellow or orange) bell peppers would be an appropriate substitute for the mushrooms.
- Since chuck steak has a fair amount of fat, the resulting sauce may be a bit greasy. To easily fix this, just take a paper towel (or piece of white bread) and gently tap it over the surface of the sauce a few times to remove some of the fat. (See photo above.) You can also use a spoon or turkey baster to remove the excess fat.
- Use a pan or Dutch oven large enough to sear the beef and to be able to spread out the mushroom in a single layer. If the pan is overcrowded, then the mushrooms will steam instead of brown.
- If you’d like to serve the beef pizzaiola with pasta and would like additional sauce, just double the amount of tomatoes in the recipe.
- Use a stainless steel non-stick frying pan or a dutch oven for this dish.
- If you prefer, you can braise the beef in a 325°F preheated oven instead of on the stove. Be sure to cover it with foil and rotate the beef at least once during the cooking process.
- As this is a braised dish that cooks for a while, it is perfect for making in advance. You can make this entire dish the day before serving it and then just reheat it on the stove over medium low heat or in a 350°F oven with a little bit of water, covered, until heated.
- Leftover pizzaiola sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in an air-tight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it, covered, in a skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through. When reheating from frozen, you will need to cook longer to heat through.
