Italian Wine-Braised Beef — A Classic Holiday Recipe

red wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic red wine

💰Cheaper: beef broth

Non-alcoholic red wine provides similar flavor without alcohol.

beef chuck

🥗Healthier: lean beef

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Pork shoulder can be more affordable while still yielding tender results.

Cut two carrots and two celery stalks into large cubes.

Add a roughly chopped yellow onion to the vegetables.

Crush juniper berries and whole black peppercorns lightly.

Add one clove of garlic to the mixture.

Include bay leaves, a stick of cinnamon, and a few cloves to the mix.

Pour a bit of Barolo wine into a container and lay in the beef.

Add the chopped vegetables to the container with the beef.

Pour in the rest of the Barolo wine until the meat is almost fully submerged.

Add salt to the mixture.

Marinate the beef for at least overnight, preferably 24 hours.

Remove the beef from the marinade and dry it thoroughly.

Strain the liquid and let the vegetables drain as well.

Lightly dust the surface of the beef with flour (optional).

Heat a large carbon steel pan with clarified butter or high smoke point oil.

Add the beef to the pan and sear it, adding more butter for browning.

Brown the vegetables in the same pan after the beef is seared.

Deglaze the pan with the marinade wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the liquid to reduce.

Transfer everything into a cast iron Dutch oven, nestling the beef back in.

Add a spoonful of triple concentrated tomato paste to the pot.

Cover the pot and braise at 140 or 150 Celsius (285 or 300 Fahrenheit) for 3-4 hours.

Once done, remove the beef and keep it covered.

Remove the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick from the sauce.

Blend the sauce and reduce it until thick and glossy.

Slice the beef and plate it, spreading a base of sauce on a platter and laying the slices on top.

Finish with plenty of the Barolo reduction.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens