Piemontese Stewed Beef

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This recipe is a relatively quick alternative (and a personal variation)—somewhere between a stew, or spezzatino, and a braised beef. Though many of the ingredients are the same as in Braised Beef with Barolo Wine Sauce, the main difference is in the choice of meat: chuck roast is best here. 

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 tablespoons DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for marinating meat
• Generous amounts of sage, thyme and rosemary leaves (all finely chopped)
• 2 large carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 onions
• 2 ounces butter
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cloves
• A few juniper berries 
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 bottle Barolo, or a good-quality substitute
• 2 cups vegetable or beef stock

Directions:

Place meat in a large bowl and coat with olive oil. Add the finely chopped herbs, salt and pepper. (You’ll add the bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries later.) Use your hands to mix well. Allow the meat to marinate for half an hour or so.

Chop the carrots and celery into small pieces—three or four quick shots in a food processor should do it. Finely chop the onions by hand.

Using a large thick-bottomed pot, add a little oil and butter, and on a high flame, roast the pieces of meat on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer meat to a separate dish, covered.

Add some more oil and butter to the empty pot. Sauté vegetables, bay leaves, cloves and juniper; braise the soffritto (the onion, carrot and celery mixture), stirring often, until it becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Add a bit of salt and all the previously roasted meat.

On a medium flame, stir well and slowly add 2/3 of a bottle of Barolo (or a good substitute) and stock; bring the entire mixture to a simmer and braise it, lid on, for about 2 hours on a low flame, stirring occasionally.

Once tender and brown, your stew is ready to be served with mashed or boiled potatoes.
 

Serves 6-8 Printer-friendly version