Summery Braised Beef or Veal, or Brasato Estivo: Brasato al Barolo, beef braised in Barolo, is one of the most classic dishes of the Langhe, the hilly area where Barolo and Barbaresco are made. It's also a wintery dish. This, instead, is a summery variation on the theme. The recipe will serve 6.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) rump roast, either veal or beef
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 6-inch (15 cm) sprigs rosemary
- An onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- The heart of a head of celery, sliced
- A red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribbed, and diced
- 2 zucchini, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, drained and chopped
- 2 ladles of light broth
- 5 basil leaves
- A bunch of parsley stems
- A small sprig of sage
- A bay leaf
- A tablespoon of butter, rolled in a tablespoon of flour until the flour has all been absorbed
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Tie the sprigs of rosemary to the meat. Heat the olive oil and the garlic in a pot and brown the meat, turning it to color all sides. Then remove and discard both the rosemary and the garlic, and add the chopped vegetables; check seasoning, add the broth, cover, and cook at the barest simmer for at least three hours. Half an hour before the time is finished, add the bay leaf, sage, basil, and parsley stems.
Once the meat is cooked remove it from the pot, slice it, and keep it warm. Remove the parsley stems, sage and bay leaf from the pan juices and add the flour-butter ball; let it melt over a gentle flame and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Put the sauce through a strainer or blend it, return it to the fire, add the sliced meat, turning the slices to coat them well with the sauce, heat through, and serve.
Once the meat is cooked remove it from the pot, slice it, and keep it warm. Remove the parsley stems, sage and bay leaf from the pan juices and add the flour-butter ball; let it melt over a gentle flame and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Put the sauce through a strainer or blend it, return it to the fire, add the sliced meat, turning the slices to coat them well with the sauce, heat through, and serve.
