Brasato Al Barolo. From Piemonte. Barolo is the king of Italian wines. It’s also a bit pricey so I used a very nice Primitivo di Manduria instead. Don’t tell anyone ;-) This dish is often served with polenta. Serves 6.
1 kilogram piece breast of veal (or beef) — whole
30 grams butter
olive oil
1 bottle Barolo (or other full bodied red wine)
1 medium onion — finely chopped
1 stick celery — finely chopped
1 medium carrot — finely chopped
3 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
3 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic
You will need a cooking pot that is suitable for slow cooking, Earthenware would be ideal.
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Add the veal, onion, carrot, celery, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, rosemary and garlic to the cooking pot.
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Pour on the wine, making sure that the meat is completely covered.
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Leave to marinate for at least 12 hours.
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Remove the meat from the marinade (reserve) and dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.
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Heat the butter and olive oil in the cooking pot and fry the veal on all sides until it is well coloured and has a ‘crust’.
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Re add the marinade.
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Season, cover and cook over a very low heat for around 3 hours. Turn the meat from time to time (or baste with the sauce)
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At the end of cooking remove the rosemary, bay leaves, cinnamon and garlic.
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Remove the meat and allow to rest before slicing. I prefer quite thick slices, but it’s more usual to make them quite thin.
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If the sauce is still a bit thin, reduce over a high heat until it thickens. You can sieve or liquidize it to make a smoother sauce.
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Pour the sauce over the veal and serve.
