Braised meat in Barolo

Braised meat in Barolo is a second course of the Piedmontese gastronomic tradition. A refined dish with an anecdote that links it to the history of the Unification of Italy. It is said that Count Camillo Benso di Cavour ate a dish of braised Barolo on April 29, 1859, after rejecting the Austrian ultimatum to disarmament, a choice that paved the way for the Unification of Italy. An anecdote that makes this second of the Piedmontese gastronomic tradition a historical dish, as well as a refined preparation that has as a fundamental ingredient one of the symbolic wines of the region. The ideal cut of meat for this recipe is the the shoulder muscle of the cattle. Marinating the meat and long cooking are the secrets to a perfect dish together with the rich and dense cooking base with which to sprinkle the slices of braised meat to accompany polenta or mashed potatoes.

Braised meat is a rich and tasty dish typical of Piedmontese cuisine. It is prepared with a piece of beef that is braised and then first browned and then cooked slowly with vegetables, spices and red wine. Just the long cooking allows the meat to become soft and tasty. The braised meat is usually served with a delicate accompaniment, to keep up with its rich flavor: the ideal is a mashed potato or a portion of soft polenta. If you prefer, you can serve your braised meat with a side of seasonal vegetables, with baked potatoes, with tender carrots. A perfect accompaniment to braised meat is green sauce. The most traditional recipe of this dish is that of braised Barolo. In fact, you need a very robust and full-bodied wine to obtain a perfect braised meat! It is a long preparation, which involves a night of marinating, but the result is guaranteed. Let's see together, then, all the steps that need to be followed.

Ingredients

1Kg meat

50 g clarified butter

5 pcs juniper berries

4 pcs cloves

3 pcs bay leaves

2 pcs carrots

2 pcs celery stalks

1 pcs big blond onion

1 pcs bottle of Barolo wine

1 pcs cinnamon stick

salt

Pepper

Procedure

Cut the carrots, celery and onion into cubes and collect them in a large container with the meat, cloves, juniper berries, bay leaf and cinnamon, covering everything with wine. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, turning the meat two or three times. Heat 40 g of clarified butter in a large pan, add the drained meat from the marinade, season with salt and pepper and brown over high heat on all sides for about 10 minutes, until a golden-brown crust has formed. Brown the drained vegetables from the marinade in an oval pot, preferably cast iron, with 1 tablespoon of clarified butter for a couple of minutes. Add the meat, 3⁄4 of the marinade and cook over low heat with the lid for about 3 hours, turning the meat a couple of times; Check that the cooking sauce does not dry out too much, otherwise add the remaining marinade or meat broth. Remove the meat from the pot and untie it. Narrow the cooking stock (add, if necessary, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water) and season with salt and pepper. Cut the meat into slices and serve with the vegetables, sprinkling everything with the sauce. Accompany to taste with mashed potatoes or polenta.