BRASATO AL BAROLO BEEF BRAISED IN RED WINE

SERVES 4

1.2kg boneless beef in a cut,

l such as chuck roast or pot roast

3 tbsp olive oil

l

1 onion, sliced

l

1 small carrot, roughly chopped

l 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

l

50g cold butter

l

2 garlic cloves

l

2–3 bay leaves, and a handful of mixed

l fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme

750ml Barolo or a dry red wine

l

Water or beef stock, to cover

l

Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped,

l to serve (optional) Season the beef with salt and pepper. If necessary, you can tie the beef with kitchen string to help it keep its shape during cooking. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based ovenproof pot if you wish to finish this in the oven (in Italy a terracotta pot is often used). Sear the beef over a high heat for a few minutes on each side until a brown crust develops. Remove the beef and set aside. Reduce the heat to low. Add the onion, carrot and celery along with a good pinch of salt and half the butter, and cook gently until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Return the beef to the pot, add the garlic cloves and herbs, then pour in the wine. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to mediumhigh, bring the wine to a boil and let it simmer fiercely for about 5 minutes. Add the water (or beef stock); ideally it should cover the meat or almost cover it. Bring the liquid back to the boil, then cover with a tightfitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently for about 2 hours, turning the beef occasionally. Alternatively, if you have an ovenproof pot, you can put this in a moderate oven (set to 160°C) for the same amount of time.

Remove the meat and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary or thyme stalks, if you used them. Blend the vegetables and liquid until smooth (an immersion blender is handy, otherwise carefully transfer the hot liquid and its contents to a blender, blitz until smooth, then return to the pot). Reduce the sauce over a medium heat, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Drop in the rest of the butter and swirl it through the sauce until glossy. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

Cut the beef into slices about 1cm thick and return it to the sauce. You can serve it immediately, though the flavour and texture improve so much overnight, I would always recommend making this the day before. Leave to cool, then store in the refrigerator until the next day (or up to 3 days). Bring back to a rolling simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes and serve with the sauce alongside potatoes or soft polenta and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

NOTE: This sauce isn’t as thick as a gravy, but if you prefer a thicker sauce, rather than add flour, you can add more vegetables – up to double the amount. When you blend it, the pureed vegetables will add more body to the sauce. Resting overnight and reheating also gives the sauce a chance to reduce further.

There are just three things you really need to pay attention to for this delicious meal. A whole bottle of Barolo (or any other nebbiolo-based wine) to cover the meat serves as a tenderiser and flavour-enhancer – I cannot recommend enough that you choose a wine that you like the taste of; it doesn’t have to be expensive or even a Barolo, but pick one you would happily drink. Don’t think you can use a wine that is corked or tastes like vinegar for this pot roast, as it will, remarkably, still taste like that imperfect wine once cooked. The beef should have a little marbling or connective tissue in it; if it is too lean it can easily become dry after cooking for so long (some recipes call for lardo or pancetta cut into thin strips to be added to the brasato to incorporate some fat and flavour to the otherwise lean, muscular meat of Piedmont’s native Fassone cattle). Ask your trusted butcher for a simple roast from around the shoulder. But the best way to ensure a good brasato is time. Prepare it well in advance, which makes your Sunday meal even more hands-off. A whole night’s rest after cooking it is always a good idea (even obligatory, I would say) – the meat relaxes, the sauce thickens and intensifies – but even a couple more nights will do it good.

MATCH WITH 2017 PREECE HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ, $20 Deep red with a distinct purple hue, this Heathcote shiraz has aromas of blackberry and plum, with dark chocolate supported by spicy vanilla notes. It is a rich wine that will stand up to the bold flavours in this dish, and could even be used as the wine in its cooking too. MITCHELTON.COM.AU