Braised Beef in Red Wine Sauce (Brasato)

Brasato is often served at Christmas time, on New Year’s Day and other special occasions. This is the classic brasato recipe from the Piemonte region. Here’s what you’ll need:

 Ingredients:

• 2.5kg rump roast or top round of beef
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bouquet garni (fresh sage, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves tied up with a string)
• 30g butter
• 8 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 whole cloves
• A few juniper berries, if available
• Salt and peppercorns
• 2/3 bottle of good red wine
• 2 cups vegetable or beef stock

Method:

Preparation for the marinade:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan used for the sauce. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook until softened, about 10-12 minutes. Allow a few minutes to cool. Place the meat in a large bowl; add all the softened veggies, carrot, celery, onion and garlic with the bouquet garni, cloves and juniper berries, a bit of salt and peppercorns and the red wine. Let the meat marinate for 12 hours or more in the refrigerator. Turn the meat often.

Braising:

Drain wine from meat by allowing it to drip off once you take it from the bowl. Dry it with a towel and sprinkle with salt. In a large, heavy pot, add the olive oil and the butter; when the pot is very hot, carefully place the meat inside, browning it on all sides to seal in the juices. Then slowly add the marinade, the soffrito and stock. Gently bring to a boil with the lid on.

Simmer on a very low heat. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat will reduce in size to about a half and will be very dark on the exterior. Be sure to cover the meat with liquid at all times, adding water when necessary. Before serving, transfer the brasato to a cutting board for a few minutes, covered with foil. Discard the bouquet garni and pass all the sauce through a vegetable mill, which is preferred over a food processor or an immersion mixer. Re-heat the sauce, let it reduce a bit and adjust with salt if needed. Cut the brasato into thin slices and place on a hot dish; add some sauce on top—you can also offer sauce separately on the table. This dish is traditionally served with mashed or boiled potatoes.

Buon appetito!