Stracotto – italian pot roast

The recipe for the stew was handed down to me by my grandmother Albertina who often, on cold winter days, prepared this meat which melted in the mouth and which contained carrots in the sauce which were spectacular. She always told me to choose a meat that wasn’t too lean; a little fat would have made it much softer and tastier. So every time I go to buy a cut of beef I ask for it to have a good ratio between the lean and fatty parts, possibly rich in connective tissue, characteristics that allow the meat to stand up to long cooking perfectly, without hardening, remaining soft and juicy .

 

Method 

Put a generous drizzle of oil and a knob of butter in a large thick-bottomed saucepan, melt it and add the carrots cut into strips, the celery and the onion cut into quarters. Fry for a few minutes.

Take the piece of beef and prick the surface in two or three parts to stud it with 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. Salt and pepper the meat then put it in the pot together with the vegetables.

Over high heat, brown it well on all sides, it will take about ten minutes. Add the sage.

Add the glass of red wine, let it evaporate for a few minutes, then cover half the meat with hot water.

Lower the heat to a minimum, put a lid on and cook for at least 3 hours. You will have to obtain a super tender meat with a little thick gravy. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. When the meat is tender if there is still too much liquid, remove the lid and let it evaporate. For those who want a creamier sauce, you can blend some of the vegetables. Personally I prefer them whole.

The stew is perfect served with steamed potatoes, polenta or mashed potatoes and a good glass of red wine (perhaps the same one with which you cooked the meat. I used Morellino di Scansano. perfect is also a Barolo or a Chianti). The italian pot roast in red wine requires a long cooking and the result will be a very tender and very tasty meat.