Dinner from Piemonte

It’s wintertime, and around my house that means long, slow meat braises. It’s my pleasure to share with you my family’s favorite cold weather meal, Brasato al Barolo. Fork-tender chuck roast braised in a full bottle of Barolo wine will surely become one of your family’s favorites, too.  

 

The succulent beef, meltingly tender, is infused with the flavor of the wine and notes of winter spices and served with the ultimate Italian comfort food, soft, creamy polenta. This is how we’ve made it in our family for over one hundred years.

 

Chuck roast, a relatively thrifty cut of beef from the shoulder of the animal, is marinated in a bath of Piemonte’s famous Barolo wine. For extra flavor cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black peppercorns are added.  The classic aromatic vegetables – celery, carrots, and garlic – are here too, as are fresh rosemary, a bay leaf and a sprig of Italian parsley.

 

The meat is then browned on the stovetop and then set into the oven to slowly cook. The scent of the beef as it cooks in its bath of wine and spices is positively intoxicating. It’s the Barolo that really does the trick.

 

This is one of those funny dishes – thrifty on the meat end and downright decadent, price-wise, on the wine. You can use other full-bodied reds, but nothing beats Barolo, the king of Italian red wines. Made from Nebbiolo grapes grown on the Langhe hills, this DOCG wine has a light color that belies its full flavor. Rich and complex, it is perfect for hearty beef dishes. And the very good news – this dish is even better the second day. 

 

This elegant, yet simple dish is perfect with a side of green beans. The beans are easy to do, and most of the preparation for them can be done a day ahead. Just drop the trimmed beans into a large pot of well-salted boiling water, and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander, and then drop them into ice water to stop the cooking. Once cool, drain and pat the beans dry. Transfer to a Zip-Lok bag and refrigerate. Just before serving, heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the beans, some salt and pepper, and heat through, tossing occasionally.

 

• 2 ½ pound boneless chuck roast

• 1 bottle of Barolo

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced.

• 2 large carrots, cut in 1-inch chunks

• 1 rib of celery, cut in 1-inch chunks

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

• 1 sprig Italian parsley

• 6-inch sprig of fresh rosemary

• 3-inch cinnamon stick

• 1 bay leaf

• 5 black peppercorns

• 4 whole cloves

• 4 allspice berries

• olive oil

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)

 

Tie the celery, garlic, Italian parsley, rosemary sprig, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, and allspice berries in a piece of cheesecloth secured with cooking twine to make a bouquet garni. Combine all the ingredients, including the bouquet garni, in a large glass bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. 

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the center position. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, reserving marinade. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a non-reactive heavy bottom 6-quart Dutch oven or cocotte, and heat over a medium flame until the oil is almost smoking.

Transfer the meat to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes per side. If the meat browns too quickly, reduce the heat. Pour all of the marinade, including the vegetables and bouquet garni, over the browned meat, cover the pot tightly, and place on the center rack of the oven. Braise for 2 ½-3 hours, until fork tender.

 

Remove the pot from the oven. Remove the meat, and cover it with aluminum foil to keep warm. Strain the sauce. Discard the bouquet garni, reserving the onions and carrots. Skim the fat from the top of the sauce. Puree the sauce with the vegetables using an immersion blender or  food mill. Heat the sauce to boiling, and reduce by one third, or until thickened. If the sauce is quite thin, make a slurry by whisking 2 tablespoons of flour together with 1 cup of sauce, whisking until smooth. Slowly whisk the slurry into the boiling sauce, and boil until thickened. 

 

To serve, spoon some polenta on each plate. Cut the meat across the grain into ¼ inch thick slices. Place atop the polenta, and nap with sauce. Arrange some beans along side, and dinner is ready.

 

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 7 cups cold water

• 1 ½  cups medium-grind polenta

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Add the water, bay leaf and salt to a heavy bottom 4-quart pot. Slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly. Adjust the flame to medium-high and bring to a boil, continuing to stir. Decrease to a simmer, and cook until the polenta thickens and pulls from the sides of the pot, about 35-40 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Questions? Email me adri@AdriBarrCrocetti.com or visit AdriBarrCrocetti.com