Italian Beef Braised in Barolo
Beef braised in barolo is a delicious and comforting Italian stew cooked low and slow until the red wine has transformed into a rich sauce and the beef is falling apart.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 650kcal
Ingredients
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 3 - 3 1/2 lb chuck roast
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch wedges
- 2 medium parsnips, cut into 2 inch wedges
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bottle Barolo wine, or Nebbiolo wine
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock, approximately
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- In a large, oven safe Dutch oven, brown the pancetta over medium-high heat until it is crispy and most of the fat has rendered out. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the pancetta into a bowl large enough for the roast.
- Sprinkle the roast all over with salt and then lay the roast into the pot. Brown the roast on all sides for 1-2 minutes per side. Then transfer the roast to the bowl with the pancetta.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, parsnips, and garlic to the pot. Saute until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the roast and pancetta back to the pot. Then add in the wine plus enough beef stock to submerge the roast half way up its side. Stir in the tomato paste and anchovy paste. Tie the thyme, rosemary, and sage with some cooking twine and add them in.
- Bring the liquid in the pot to a bubble then cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise the roast for 4 hours.
- Transfer the roast and vegetable to a platter. Discard the herbs. Skim the fat off the top of the liquid and bring it to a rolling boil on high until it is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Break up the roast into chunks (removing any pockets of fat you find) and add it and the vegetables back to the pot. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and sprinkle some parsley over the top.
- Serve over polenta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Nebbiolo is the grape used in Barolo wine. Nebbiolo is significantly less expensive while imparting a similar flavor profile.
- You can make the roast through step 6 the day before. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes and then separate the meat and vegetables from the sauce and put it all in the refrigerator to chill. This is a great way to de-fat the sauce. Once you've removed the chilled fat from the top of the sauce continue with the recipe.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use 1 tsp of dried thyme along with 1/2 tsp each of dried rosemary and sage.
Nutrition
Calories: 650kcal