Recipe Overview
Chef David Giani’s beef interpretation of Tuscan Scottiglia, slow-braised with red wine and mushrooms and served with asparagus. The base recipe yields four hearty portions, each using 225 g of raw beef chuck.
Chef Notes
Keep the simmer gentle and cook to tenderness. Brown the mushrooms separately before adding them, and divide the measured olive oil between the cooking stages.
Connected Experience
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Ingredients
Ingredients below serve 4. The minimum production batch is 4 servings.
Beef Chuckdiced900 g
Champignon Mushroomssautéed separately170 g
Yellow Onionchopped200 g
Garlicskin on; removed after infusing5 g
Tomato Pastecooked briefly15 g
Red Winepre-boiled before deglazing375 ml
Asparagusserved alongside200 g
Olive Oiltotal for the recipe; divided30 ml
Italian Parsleyfresh, chopped15 g
Saltto tasteto taste
Black Pepperfreshly ground, to tasteto taste
Preparation
- Perfume the oil. Reserve part of the measured olive oil for the mushrooms. Warm the remaining oil in a heavy pot and brown the garlic lightly to perfume it, then remove the garlic.
- Cook the onion. Add the onion and cook gently until golden and sweet.
- Brown the beef. Season the diced beef with salt and pepper, then brown it evenly on all sides.
- Cook the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly to develop color and depth.
- Braise gently. Deglaze with the pre-boiled red wine, cover, and simmer gently until the beef is tender and flavorful. Allow approximately two hours for the cooking stages, adjusting to the tenderness of the meat.
- Finish with mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms separately with the reserved portion of olive oil, then fold them into the stew near the end of cooking.
- Prepare the asparagus. Blanch the asparagus until just tender. The original recipe also allows sautéing; use part of the measured olive oil if choosing that method.
- Plate and serve. Serve the Scottiglia hot, garnished with the chopped Italian parsley and accompanied by the asparagus.
Service Suggestions
Serve the beef and mushrooms with the asparagus and chopped parsley. For family-style service, portion the same measured recipe across the selected covers. Use Print / Save as PDF for a kitchen copy.
Ingredient & Service Notes
The source recipe contains no flour, cheese, butter, or stock. Check purchased product labels for dietary requirements. The cooking wine remains part of the recipe. Plan service around your kitchen’s established holding and cooling procedures.
Tuscan heritage
Scottiglia: a tradition of patient cooking
Scottiglia belongs to Tuscany’s tradition of slowly cooked meat stews. Traditional versions combine several meats and are sometimes called cacciucco di carne. The dish reflects the rural habit of making a nourishing meal from less expensive cuts.
The Pescina tradition, associated with the slopes of Mount Amiata, connects the dish with rural hospitality and woodcutters’ meals. Local accounts tell of a caldaino, a pot used to carry and reheat meat stew, served with bread. Stories about the origin of the name remain a matter of tradition.
Chef David Giani’s version uses beef chuck, red wine, champignon mushrooms, and asparagus. The recipe above preserves that interpretation; the traditional mixed-meat versions provide its historical context. Bread is part of the history and is not included in this recipe’s ingredient or cost totals.
Historical references: Visit Tuscany: Scottiglia · Regione Toscana: Sugo di Scottiglia alla Pescinaia.
| Calories | Approximately 510 kcal |
| Protein | Approximately 43 g |
| Carbohydrates | Approximately 10 g |
| Fat | Approximately 24 g |
| Sodium | Varies with seasoning |
Estimates retained from the source recipe, per one of four servings; not a new nutrient analysis. Values vary with beef trimming, cooking losses, wine reduction, and seasoning.