Stew with Sellero

Finely chop the onion, the cloves of garlic and the ham fat. Pour the oil into a saucepan, combine the chopped ingredients and gently sauté over medium heat until the onion becomes lightly golden and the bottom releases an intense aroma, without letting it darken or burn.

Cut the adult beef crosswise into slices about one centimeter thick. Combine them with the soffritto, salt and add a pinch of pepper. Sauté over medium heat, turning the slices as needed, until the surface is browned and the meat is well-sealed.

Pour the dry red wine over the browned meat and raise the heat. Let it evaporate completely, stirring the bottom of the saucepan, until the alcoholic aroma is no longer noticeable and the liquid reduces, leaving the meat enveloped in a fragrant sauce.

Add the tomato sauce and canned whole peeled tomatoes, previously chopped and seeded. Add the chopped basil, stir, and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. The sauce should be smooth and thin enough to withstand the long cooking time.

Reduce the heat to low and cook the stew for an hour from when the sauce returns to a boil. Check the bottom periodically: if it starts to dry out, add a little water at a time. Maintain a thick sauce, with a barely perceptible simmer.

Cut the celery into pieces about ten centimetres long and add it to the saucepan After the first hour of cooking, toss it in the sauce, without breaking up the meat too much, making sure the pieces are well coated in the sauce.

Continue cooking over very low heat for another two hours. Keep the shallow pan Cover and check the thickness of the sauce occasionally: it should remain thick, while the celery should soften and the meat should absorb the flavour thoroughly without drying out the sauce.

Turn off the heat and let the stew rest for half an hour saucepan Cover. Resting allows the juices to distribute and the seasoning to settle. Serve piping hot, arranging it on pre-warmed plates.