Brasato al Barolo

Method

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1. Put the beef, wine, vegetables, garlic and all the spices in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate 12 hours, turning the meat once.

   Mark done

2. Lift the beef out and dry it thoroughly with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade, keeping the wine and the vegetables separately.

   Mark done

3. Bring the strained wine to the boil in a saucepan and boil hard 10 minutes, skimming off the grey scum that rises. Set aside.

   Mark done

4. Brown the beef on every side in the oil in a heavy casserole, 12 minutes. Lift it out.

   Mark done

5. Cook the drained vegetables in the same pot 10 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and cook 2 minutes more.

   Mark done

6. Return the beef, pour in the boiled wine and the stock, and add the salt and pepper. The liquid should come two-thirds up the meat.

   Mark done

7. Cover and cook at 150C fan / 170C / gas 3 for 3 hours, turning the meat every hour, until a fork goes in without resistance.

   Mark done

8. Lift the beef out and rest it under foil. Strain the sauce, pressing the vegetables through a sieve, and boil it down to about 400 ml.

   Mark done

9. Slice the beef thickly across the grain and serve with the sauce and polenta.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Boil the marinade separately for 10 minutes before it goes back in.
• Dry the meat properly after the marinade or it will not brown.
• Slice across the grain, and only after resting.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Soft polenta
• Buttered savoy cabbage
• The rest of the Barolo

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days and better on the second. Freezes 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.