Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Red Wine

I can provide you with a recipe for braised beef with mushrooms and red wine with an Italian twist. Here’s how to prepare this rich and fragrant dish.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef for braising (like topside or shoulder)
• 300 g of mixed mushrooms (such as porcini, champignon, honey fungus)
• 1 bottle of robust red wine (Barolo, Chianti, or another Italian red wine of your preference)
• 2 medium onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Beef broth as required
• Flour as required for dusting the beef

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the mushrooms and cutting them into not too small pieces. Blanch them if necessary, then set aside.
2. Clean and dice the onions, carrots, and celery to prepare a soffritto.
3. In a large pot, preferably earthenware or cast iron, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the garlic cloves until golden, then remove them.
4. Lightly flour the beef and seal it in the pot on all sides over high heat, so it forms an exterior crust.
5. Remove the beef and set aside. Add the soffritto of vegetables to the pot and fry until soft.
6. Put the beef back into the pot with the vegetables and add the mushrooms.
7. Pour the red wine over to completely cover the meat, and add the bay leaf and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
8. After the wine starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer slowly for at least 2-3 hours. If necessary, add some beef broth to prevent the braise from drying out too much.
9. During cooking, turn the beef occasionally and make sure there is always an adequate level of liquid.
10. When the beef is tender and the sauce has reached a velvety consistency, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve the braised beef with mushrooms and red wine sliced, accompanied by its sauce and, if you wish, with a side of polenta or baked potatoes.

Curiosity

Braised beef is a classic of northern Italian cuisine, especially in Piedmont, where the red wine used in the preparation is often a Barolo. A key element to the success of the dish is the slow cooking, which allows the meat to become exceptionally tender and for the flavors to intertwine perfectly.