Artusi gives a number of recipes for making an arrosto morto, a dry heat potroast, in his Scienza in Cucina e L’Arte di Mangiar Bene. This recipe especially well suited to extremely lean meats that will benefit from the insertion of lardoons, strips of lard that baste the meat from within.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- Lean Beef or Veal (see below for amounts)
- Prosciutto
- Butcher's twine
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Water
Preparation:
You will need, let's say, a short, broad piece of lean beef or veal, either rump or round, that is well aged and weighs about 2 1/4 pounds. Lardon it with an ounce of thinly sliced prosciutto and tie it with string. Set the meat to heat in a pot with 3 tablespoons of butter, a quarter onion cut into two slices, three or four ribs of celery less than a finger long, and an equal number of strips of carrot. Season the meat with salt and pepper, turn it frequently, and when it has browned on all sides, sprinkle it with two small ladles of water. Cover the pot and simmer the meat until done, allowing the sauce to cook down. Don't however let the roast dry out and burn. When you serve it, strain the small amount of juices remaining and pour them over it. You can accompany this with sliced potatoes, fried in either butter or oil.
You can also sauté the pot roast in just butter, and then simmer it over a very low flame, covered by a plate full of water. (If you chose to use an oven, preheat it to 300° and cook the meat, covered, for 2-3 hours.)
You can also sauté the pot roast in just butter, and then simmer it over a very low flame, covered by a plate full of water. (If you chose to use an oven, preheat it to 300° and cook the meat, covered, for 2-3 hours.)
