Barolo Braised Beef

Barolo Braised Beef is a classic from the Piedmontese cuisine, where the slow cooking of the meat in red wine leads to the creation of a rich and deeply flavored dish. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef (preferably a single piece, like the top round or shoulder)
• 750 ml of Barolo
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Some sprigs of rosemary
• Some sprigs of thyme
• 3 or 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Meat or vegetable broth, as needed
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by preparing a mince with onion, carrot, and celery (known as a “soffritto”) and sauté everything in a large pot with extra virgin olive oil until golden.
2. Add the beef to the pot and brown it on all sides to seal the juices inside.
3. Pour the Barolo into the pan along with the garlic cloves, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, cloves, and if you decide to use it, the cinnamon stick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer for at least 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn’t reduce too much. If necessary, add some hot broth to maintain the liquid level.
5. If you wish to enrich the flavor, you can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste dissolved in the broth before adding it to the preparation.
6. Once the meat is tender and flakes easily, remove it from the fire and let it cool down.
7. In the meantime, you can strain the cooking juices or use an immersion blender to obtain a smooth sauce.
8. Slice the meat, place it on a serving dish, and nap it with the blended cooking juices.

Serve Barolo braised beef with classic side dishes such as polenta, roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes.

Curiosity

Barolo, a highly appreciated wine often called “the king of wines and the wine of kings,” plays a fundamental role in this preparation, not only for its function in cooking but also for the complex aromas it confers on the dish. Therefore, even though another full-bodied red wine could be used, Barolo is recommended to maintain the authenticity of the dish.