Step into spring with the Romano bean stew with veal, an excellent alternative to the heavier goulash and other winter stews.
If you are one of those folks who likes to eat their meals “with a spoon,” you’ll love today’s Romano bean stew with veal (aka boranija). Boranija is similar to other stews we’ve made, like Bosnian Veal Sauce (Sitni Ćevap), and Bosnian pot stew (bosanski lonac), yet it’s lighter. Its main ingredient is the soft and steady Romano bean. From my quick google search, it looks that Romano beans are Italian, and it makes sense these would be grown here, due to Italy’s proximity to the Balkans.
You can take a look at the preparation photos below to see what Romano beans look like. I haven’t seen this type in a lot of grocery stores, but I have come across while at the farmer’s market, so they’re definitely grown in the US. You’re welcome to use other kinds of beans, although Romano beans are my favorite for stews because of their shape: flat, wide with thin beans inside. Also, they’re more elastic than other beans, you can almost fold them halfway before they snap. This type of shape makes them perfect for stewing. They don’t take too much time to make, and the end result is a light, tasty, refreshing stew. A stew for the spring. To give a rest to ajvar (ajver) and the rest.
If you don't like veal, try other meats. It's all about letting this one simmer until you're ready to dip your spoon in.
Romano Bean Veal (Or Sirloin) Stew
Ingredients
- 3-4 ounces oil
- 1 onion large, minced
- 1-2 carrots large, peeled, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon celery
- 1 pound veal or sirloin, diced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 pounds Romano beans ends cut off, quartered
- 1-2 pounds potatoes peeled, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-5 cups warm water or beef broth*
- Optional 1-2 tablespoons parsley (fresh, minced)
Instructions
- In a large pot heat oil over medium.
- Add onion, carrots and garlic. Sauté and stir until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, celery and stir the seasonings in. Add veal and brown meat for about 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add a cup of water (or broth) while browning the meat.
- Add paprika, tomato paste and sugar, Romano beans and another cup of water. Stir well and cover the pot. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes, bay leaf and the last 1-2 cups of water. Bring the temperature down to low, cover the pot ⅔ of the way, and let the stew cook for another hour. (Optional) Garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Marwah says
Hi Aida and Aleksandra! I was actually searching for the other Romano bean recipe on your site when I came across this one instead. I hadn’t seen it until today so I thought I’d give it a try and I’m so glad I did! It was delicious! It’s not easy to find Romano beans in my area but I did find an ethnic food store that has them from time to time. I didn’t have veal or sirloin so I used a beef chuck roast, which is a tougher cut of meat. I followed the directions through step 3 and left it to cook on the stove covered for about an hour and a half before continuing with the remaining ingredients and adding the beans. I then added some water and put the entire pot (I used a Dutch oven) in a 300 degree oven and left it there for another hour and a half. I also left out the potatoes because I didn’t have any. It came out perfectly and my husband said it tasted just like the one he ate in Bosnia. We had it with a fresh loaf of bread and a salad. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!