Braised beef with onions and mashed potatoes

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 kg roast beef
• 60 g pancetta
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 stalk(s) celery, finely chopped
• some pepper, freshly ground
• some salt
• 250 ml red wine, dry
• 6 onions, red, finely sliced
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s), cut into thin slices
• 2 tbsp leaf parsley, chopped
• 500 ml beef broth
• 500 ml tomato puree
• 1 kg potatoes
• 150 ml milk
• some salt
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 30 g butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes

Stracotto with cipolle

Score the roast all over with 1 cm deep incisions and stud it with bacon and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat and sear the roast for 15 minutes on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Skim off the fat. Deglaze with the wine and cook for 2 minutes, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, beef stock, and tomato puree; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender, turning occasionally. Transfer the meat to a plate and keep warm. Use a slotted spoon to remove the solids from the sauce and puree in a blender. Return the puree to the pot, stir in the sauce, and heat gently. Reduce the heat briefly over high heat if necessary. Season to taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Carve the roast, arrange it on a warmed serving dish, and drizzle with the sauce. Serve the remaining sauce in a gravy boat. The pot roast is delicious with mashed potatoes. To make this, boil the potatoes in salted water until they fall apart. Blend the mashed potatoes with the milk, a little salt, butter, and a pinch of nutmeg, and serve warm.