A soft and succulent meat, a sauce rich in flavor and aromas: these are the characteristics of braised beef in Barolo, a typical dish of Piedmontese cuisine. Here's how to prepare it for the best
Braised beef with Barolo is one of the cult dishes of the Italian tradition, more precisely of the Piedmontese cuisine, given that it is used to cook the meat a typical wine of these areas, the Barolo, in fact, made with Nebbiolo grapes. The particularity of this dish is the tenderness of the meat, which is sealed so that its juices remain inside before being cooked for a long time in a marinade made of an excellent wine and vegetables such as celery, carrots and onions. The result is a dish full of flavors and tasty, to be accompanied with a bottle of Barolo of course.
Brasare, a very important step
One of the most common mistakes in cooking this dish is to put meat on the fire with vegetables and wine, without first having made it brown. This essential step is to enclose the juices inside the beef piece that keep the meat tender and soft, despite the long cooking time. In this way the meat will melt almost in the mouth, without losing taste and flavor.
The marinade to enrich the taste
Another fundamental step is the long marinade of meat in wine, vegetables and spices. Twelve hours are the time necessary because the aromas of vegetables and wine, in addition to spices, enrich the taste of meat. The marinade should not be thrown away but used to cook braised meat.
Which meat to choose for braised
For braised meat, choose a piece of meat obtained from shoulder or thigh musclebecause these cuts contain the right amount of fat and ribs, fundamental for the meat in cooking to remain soft and tender. Walnut, fish or priest's hat are generally the cuts that are used for braised.
The recipe of Brasato al Barolo
Ingredients
1.2 kg of beef cut priest's hat, 1 stalk of celery, 3 carrots, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 bottle of Barolo, 2 cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil.
Method
In a large bowl, marinate the meat with the vegetables cut into small pieces, the wine and the spices. Let it sit for 12 hours in a cool place. After this time, remove the meat and dry it with paper towels and then do it sauté over high heat for about 10 minutes in a large saucepan with a drizzle of oil. Turn the meat over on each side, so that it seals well. Then add the marinade and cook for 3 hours, this time on a gentle flame, with a lid. Once cooked, remove the braised meat from the sauce, remove spices and flavorings and blend the vegetables with a mixer. Let the meat cool and then slice it and serve with the Barolo sauce kept warm.
This recipe has already been read 176 times!