Traditional Brasato Al Barolo Recipe (Braised Beef With Barolo)

Why This Recipe Works!

This recipe is one of my family's favorite recipes from Northern Italy (Piedmont to be exact!). The northern region has my husband's favorite wines (Barolo, Nebbiolo and Valpolicella) and this dish which is often made during the wine harvest there (around October) is so delicious and one we often make because of this.

The cut of beef (the round steak) is so cheap. The Barolo wine is not expensive either. Lately, beef is more expensive than wine so this dish is economical despite using an entire bottle.

This dish makes a great inexpensive roast that you can make for Sunday dinners in the Fall and Winter or it is great for entertaining.

So if you are not familiar with these wines, you will still enjoy this roast. The sauce is rich and decadent and it pairs so well with polenta or other Italian roasted vegetables.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

• 1 bottle Barolo red wine: Your standard sized wine bottle which is about 750 ml. If you cannot find this, you can use a Valpolicella or Nebbiolo wine.
• Round steak: Look for a 2-2.5 pound cut.
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Yellow onion
• Fresh rosemary: You want a few whole sprigs of this.
• Bay leaves
• Cocoa powder: If you don't have cocoa powder, you can use a little ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick. The cocoa powder adds a sweet rich flavor to the braise and finished sauce.
• Italian pancetta: You can also use American bacon.
• Kosher salt
• Freshly black pepper

How To Make (Step by Step Pictures)

• Marinate: Add the wine, beef, and onions to a large pot or container and cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Sear Meat: In a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, over medium high heat. Sear the meat on all sides and then set aside.
• Add other ingredients: Reduce the heat to medium, and add the pancetta, rosemary, and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper then and cook for one minute.
• Braise for 2 hours: Return the beef to the pan and pour in the wine and onions marinade and add the cocoa powder, mix well and then bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low or medium low so it is at a simmer and then cover the pot and cook for 2 hours.
• Rest: Remove the meat to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.  
• Blend the sauce: Transfer all the liquid and vegetables remaining in the pot to a blender and puree to make sauce smooth.
• Serve: Slice the meat into ½ inch thick slices and add it to a serving platter or large plate and pour the sauce over the top.

Cooking Tips

• Make sure to flip the roast ½ way trough cooking: Since this is a braise, the beef is not fully submerged in the liquid when cooking. I like to flip the meat over ½ way through the cooking time to ensure all the beef cooks for a bit in the wine.
• Don't skip the marinade time: Since a round steak is from the rear leg of the cow, it is tough and needs to sit in an acid to tenderize a bit. Although the beef cooks for a long time to tenderize it, the marinading portion of the recipe still helps soften this tough cut of meat.
• Be careful when blending the sauce: Since you will be blending a hot liquid, make sure to only fill the blender ½ way up and then tightly cover the blender with a lid then with a kitchen towel before blending. Hot liquid expands in the blender. You can also use an immersion blender and blend the ingredients right in the pot.

Storing

To store leftover beef Barolo, place the meat it in an air-tight container and store it for up to 3 days in the fridge. Pour the sauce into a separate container with a tight fitting lid and store for up to 3 days.

To reheat, wrap up slices of beef in aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. You can add the sauce to a small saucepan over low eat and gently reheat the sauce.