Braised beef in Barolo

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 bottles of wine, Barolo, Barbaresco or Nibbiolo
• 1 ½ kg roast beef (rump) or other meat for braising
• 2 onions, roughly diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk(s) celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprig(s) thyme, large
• 6 peppercorns
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Beef broth
• salt and pepper, pepper
• Parsley, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Here the wine is first reduced and the meat is marinated, then cooked slowly.

Reduce the wine by half and let it cool. Cut the meat into almost steak-sized pieces and place them in a large, sturdy freezer bag with the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper (lightly pressed down). Add the wine. Close tightly and shake briefly to ensure the liquid is evenly distributed. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, strain the contents of the bag, reserving the marinade. Dry the meat pieces with kitchen paper. Heat the oil and sear the meat pieces one at a time. Then return all the meat pieces to the pot along with the vegetables and the spices from the marinade. Stir in the tomato paste and pour in the wine (marinade). Add enough stock to completely cover the meat and vegetables and bring to a boil once. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Alternatively, the meat can be cooked in the oven at 160°C for 2-3 hours. There, the liquid can evaporate more quickly, so add a little more stock. Remove the meat pieces from the sauce. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and puree the sauce. Let it reduce briefly, season with salt and pepper. Return the meat to the sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Italian white bread.