Beef Stewed in Barolo

A hearty recipe from Piedmont, this dish requires a good quality, full-bodied wine like Barolo. Don't be tempted to use generic, low-grade cooking wine for this. If you don't want to spend the money for Barolo, you can use another good hearty wine like Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or Negroamaro. But of course, Piedmonte is synonymous with Barolo! This can be an elegant winter dish to serve to your friends. It can also be adapted to make a beef and vegetable stew with chunks of beef instead of a whole roast.

Beef Braised in Barolo Wine

1 kg (about 2 1/2 pounds) beef roast
1 bottle of Barolo (or full bodied good quality red wine)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves
1-2 bay leaves
A sprig of rosemary, sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper
Butter, olive oil and/or prosciutto fat

Put the roast, vegetables and herbs in a big pot and pour the wine over top. Let marinate overnight, turning every now and then.

Remove the meat from the marinade, and strain the vegetables, keeping the wine. Dry off the meat and brown it in a Dutch oven, using a bit of prosciutto fat and butter (or olive oil). When it’s browned, add the vegetables and saute a few minutes.

Pour the reserved wine marinate over top, cover and let simmer a couple of hours over low flame, turning and stirring occasionally. Add a bit of beef broth or more wine if needed to keep it from drying out.

When the beef is cooked, remove to a plate and slice. Take the vegetables and blend them until smooth and return the puree to the wine sauce. Heat through and pour the sauce over the sliced meat.

Serve with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or hot polenta.