This dish calls for Vitellone, which is a young cow (18 months or so), or for beef, which will be a little more flavorful. It's a classic dish of Casale Monferrato. To serve 6 you'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds (800 g) vitellone or beef (rump roast)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- An onion, a carrot, and a celery rib, all sliced.
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 4 salted anchovies, boned and rinsed
- A bay leaf
- 2 juniper berries, crushed
- 4 tablespoons good vinegar
- 1 pint (500 ml) simmering broth
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Begin by rinsing and boning the anchovies.Heat the oil and butter in a pot and brown the meat. Add the sliced vegetables and continue cooking until they're fairly dry, turning the meat occasionally. At this point spread the mustard over the meat, crumble the anchovy fillets over it too, then crumble the bay leaf over it and add the juniper berries. Sprinkle the vinegar over it all, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the broth, cover, and simmer gently for at least two hours.
When the meat is quite fork tender, remove it from the pot, slice it, and lay the slices on a serving dish. Bend the sauce, heat it through to thicken it just a little, pour it over the meat, and serve.
What with? An elegant Barbera, or perhaps a Barolo or Barbaresco.
