Tuscan-Style Roast Beef – Rustic & Tender Italian Recipe

This Tuscan-style slow-cooked beef is the centrepiece of a rustic Italian lunch, cooked gently until meltingly tender with herbs, vegetables, and cherry tomatoes. I serve it with homemade Italian-style Yorkshire puddings, flavoured with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and seeds, for a dish that bridges tradition and creativity.

This is the second of three recipes I made for our spring Sunday lunch for UK Mother’s Day. Slow to cook, simple to prepare, and packed with flavour.

#TuscanBeef #ItalianRoast #SlowCookedBeef #TortellinoTime #Tortellino

🌿 What’s in this dish:
• 1kg beef brisket or stewing beef
• Celery, carrots, onions, garlic
• Tomato purée and cherry tomatoes
• Fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, parsley
• Cornflour to gently thicken
• Slow cooked on the hob for 3 hours
• Served with a twist on classic Yorkshire puddings

➕ Watch the full Spring Lunch Menu:
• Lemon Ricotta Crumble Tart → https://youtu.be/fBGkODvIVWk
• Crispy Potato Torte with Balsamic & Thyme → https://youtu.be/4_zZhOOz9Xs

📄 Recipe PDF available below and in the pinned comment
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tK9dC4wpzRYT5kTnU9XNv_BJYYrZWddQ/view?usp=sharing

TORTELLINO’S RECIPE:

🇮🇹 Tuscan-Style Slow-Cooked Beef
with Italian Yorkshire Puddings

A slow-cooked Tuscan-style beef dish with an Italian twist on the classic Yorkshire pudding, perfect for a spring Sunday lunch or a family celebration. This recipe is full of rustic flavour, tender meat, and personal touches.

For the Beef Stew:
1kg beef brisket or stewing beef, cut into 2.5cm cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, string removed and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g tinned cherry tomatoes
500ml beef stock (or 1 stock cube + hot water)
2 tsp cornflour + cold water (optional, for thickening)
Fresh or dried rosemary
Fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
Small bunch parsley, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf (optional)
6–8 fresh cherry/plum tomatoes (added at the end)

For the Italian-Style Yorkshire Puddings:
4 tbsp plain flour
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
Cold water
Milk (as needed to reach desired batter consistency)
1 tbsp mixed seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
6–8 black olives, pitted and chopped
2–3 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
Olive oil for greasing tin

Instructions
Prep the beef: Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Brown them in a hot cast iron or heavy pan with olive oil in batches. Set aside.

Sauté the base: In the same pan, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 3–4 minutes. Add crushed garlic and tomato purée, and stir through.

Build the sauce: Deglaze with beef stock (or dissolve a stock cube in 500ml hot water) and add the tinned tomatoes.

(Optional): Dissolve 2 tsp cornflour in cold water and stir in to gently thicken the sauce.

Add the beef and herbs: Return the browned beef to the pan. Add rosemary, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Stir and bring to a boil.

Pause & chill: Cover, turn off the heat, and let it cool before refrigerating overnight if preparing for the day after.

Cook low and slow: The next day, cook on the hob at low heat for 3 hours with the lid on.

Add freshness: 20 minutes before the end, add the fresh tomatoes for extra flavour and a burst of colour.

Yorkshire Puddings – Italian Style:
Whisk flour, eggs, salt, and a splash of water. Slowly add milk to reach a smooth but pourable consistency.

Fold in seeds, chopped olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a pudding tray with olive oil and heat it in the oven. Pour batter into the hot tray wells and bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve with the beef stew, a green salad, or a vegetable tart, and enjoy.

00:00 – Intro & Beef Preparation
00:27 – Dicing Vegetables & Garlic
01:01 – Browning the Meat
01:53 – Sautéing & Tomato Base
02:22 – Adding Stock & Cornflour
03:17 – Overnight Rest & Cooking Plan
04:16 – Happy Mother’s Day (Day Two)
04:53 – Bringing to Temperature & Simmering
06:06 – Preparing Italian Yorkshire Puddings
09:29 – Ingredients: Olives, Seeds, Tomatoes
11:13 – Baking the Puddings
12:18 – Final Cooking Steps
13:43 – Tasting the Beef
14:28 – Tasting the Puddings
14:58 – Final Meal Overview