Piedmontese Beef Braised in Barolo Wine

What you need

• 1.5 kg (3 1/4 lb) beef chuck, in one piece
• 750 ml (1 bottle) Barolo, or another full-bodied Nebbiolo red
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 whole cloves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
• 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock, hot
• salt, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Tie the beef with kitchen string at 3-4 cm intervals so it holds a compact shape while it cooks.

2. 2

   Put the beef in a bowl or dish that fits it snugly. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick.

3. 3

   Pour in the Barolo so the meat is almost covered. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, turning the beef once or twice.

4. 4

   Lift the beef out and pat it dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade through a sieve set over a bowl, keeping the wine and the vegetables with their aromatics separate.

5. 5

   Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and brown it well on every side, 10-12 min. Move it to a plate.

6. 6

   Lower the heat to medium, add the drained vegetables and aromatics, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly coloured, 8-10 min.

7. 7

   Put the beef back in, pour over the strained wine and let it bubble for 5 min to cook off the raw alcohol.

8. 8

   Add the beef stock so the liquid reaches about halfway up the meat. Cover and keep at the barest simmer for about 3 hours, turning the beef every 45 min, until a fork slides in with no resistance.

9. 9

   Transfer the beef to a board, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 min.

10. 10

    Fish out the bay leaves, rosemary stalk and cinnamon stick. Skim off most of the fat from the surface.

11. 11

    Blend the vegetables and cooking liquid until smooth, or pass them through a food mill.

12. 12

    Boil the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, 5-10 min, and season with salt.

13. 13

    Snip off the string, carve the beef into slices about 1 cm thick and spoon the hot sauce over them.

Imported from sanpasqualskitchen.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.