Brasato al Barolo (Beef Braised in Barolo Wine)
Beef braised in a full-bodied red wine until tender and reduced to a bold and flavorful essence. This recipe will up your pot roast game!
Servings: 0
Equipment
- Dutch Oven You will need a heavy enameled cast-iron Dutch or French oven - or a heavy 8-quart or larger pot with a lid.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 ½ lb chuck roast
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4-6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-in [1.2 -cm] rounds
- pinch of ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ bottles (750-ml each) bottle of Barolo or other full-bodied red wine, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Generously season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmery. Place the meat in the oil and cook, undisturbed, on all sides until a nice crust forms all over, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the roast and set aside.
- Add the onions and carrots to the pot. Season lightly with salt and cook until they just begin to soften, about 5 minutes, be sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan and mix it in with the vegetables. Add the cloves and stir to mix. Move the vegetables to the sides of the pot to make room for the roast. Return the roast to the pot, making sure it is laying flat on the bottom.
- Turn off the heat and add the wine. The wine should come up to the sides of the roast so that the roast is half-submerged. Add the bay leaves.
- Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Then, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2.5-3 hours, covered – do not let the pot come to a boil. Turn the roast over halfway through cooking.
- Leaving the heat on low, carefully remove the roast to a platter, tenting in foil for 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute.
- Add the peas to the wine mixture and bring the wine and vegetables to a full boil until slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes. The consistency should be an essence that is broth-like. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
- Pass some of the veggies through a food mill which will add wonderful texture to the broth, be sure to scrape the bottom of the food mill to include the accumulated pulp. It is recommended to reserve some of carrots for serving.
- Add the butter to the finished sauce and stir gently until melted and glossy. To serve, thinly slice the meat crosswise and serve with the reserved vegetables. Generously spoon broth over each serving. Pairs gorgeously with mashed potatoes.
Notes
Note that brasato is meant to be tender, but not so much that it falls apart. The end result should be a roast that is tender and easy to slice. The key is low and slow cooking.
If a thicker sauce is desired, feel free to add tomato paste to the pot when the peas are added. However, keep in mind that traditionally this dish should yield a brothy essence that isn’t intended to be thick and gravy-like.