12 Dec Braised Beef in Chianti Classico

Braised Beef in Chianti Classico (Brasato al Chianti Classico)

An everlasting italian cooking classic dish, proposed to be combined with Chianti Classico

Ingredients for 6-8 people:

2 kg (4 lb) of beef shoulder
750 ml (1 bottle) of Chianti Classico wine
1 carrot
1 onion
1 piece of celery
1 teaspoon of tomato concentrate
Meat broth
1 aromas bundle (thymus, sage, bay tree)
Juniper berries
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation:

Tie the meat (beef shoulder or “cappello del prete”), with the kitchen string and massage it with salt and oil. Close the herbs in a patch and the juniper berries.

Put the meat in a deep container with the wine, add the aromas bundle, the pearled vegetables cut like brunoise, then cover it with the plastic film and leave it in the fridge to marinate for 6 hours.

Extract the meat from the liquid, dry it well, flour it lightly and seal it in a pan on every side. Filter the wine and sweat the remained vegetables in the small colander on a light fire, with two spoons of oil.

Put together the meat, wet with the remained filtered wine, the tomato concentrate, two spoons of meat broth and the aromas bundle from the marinate liquid.

In a pot that partially covered with a top, let all simmer for about 3 hours with a light fire. Add hot meat broth if it results too dry.

When ready, cut the meat in thick slices and serve your Brasato with its sauce. Best with mashed potatoes as side dish.

The wine

Chianti Classico Riserva

Buon appetito!

Photo courtesy by www.ricettaidea.it