Very succulent and tender, it is based on beef cooked for a long time (5-6 hours) in broth and wine. Excellent to taste even after preparation when it has absorbed a lot of seasoning
It is a traditional Emilian dish, made with beef and cooked over a long fire, along with aromas, wine and broth: overcooked it is a perfect second for these first autumn days. The secret of this recipe lies in the simplicity of the ingredients and in the long cooking, which softens the meat and allows it to absorb the seasonings. For this reason, if prepared the day before, it becomes even better.
Stracotto, the braised beef of central Italy
Stracotto e braised they are the same dish, but as often happens, they have different names depending on the region in which they are prepared. In both cases a piece of second choice beef is used, which contains fat and which must be cooked for a long time. In the case of braising, they are used spices like cloves and nutmeg, which are not usually added to the stew. There is also a Piacenza version of the stracotto, which was made in a terracotta pan with a concave lid, a pan that today is only found in the kitchens of Emilian grandmothers.
The right cut of the meat
The most suitable piece of beef for this preparation is the pigeon, otherwise said beef fish. It is an ovoid shaped part, not very large, with fat streaks inside, which is in the part below the thigh of the animal. The long cooking allows this fat to melt and to keep the meat soft and succulent.
With rice a single dish
If you like paired meat-rice, you can prepare a rice to be served with the diced stew and seasoned with the tomato sauce some meat. To prepare rice, choose quality basmati, with long and narrow grains, with an unmistakable scent and low glycemic content. Before cooking, rinse it in cold water and then put 450 g in a pan with 600 ml of water. Bring to a boil, add salt and cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Once this time has passed, turn off the heat, leave the lid closed for another 5 minutes and then shell the rice with a fork before serving.
The recipe for beef stew
Take un piece of beef pigeon of about 1 kg and 500 g, make small holes in the meat and insert two slices of garlic. Chop 50 g of lard with a onion and brown them in a saucepan with 100 g of butter. When the onion is golden, add a carrot and a stick of celery cut into pieces, cook a few minutes and then add the meat. Continue to sauté, turning the piece of beef, and then add two glasses of broth, two bay leaves and 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce. Also pour a glass of structured red wine, cover and cook for 5 or 6 hours, turning the meat from time to time and adding broth, if necessary. When cooked, add salt and then cut the meat into not too thin slices that you will place on the serving plate. Blend the sauce and then pour it over the meat. Serve the stew with polenta or mashed potatoes.
In the tutorial some more ideas for a perfect dish
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