The best combination pairing is with the same wine you use to make the braised meat, whether a Barolo, Barbaresco or Nebbiolo; it is essential that the wine chosen has a great structure and body.
Braised beef with polenta
This is a typical dish for special occasions in North Italy, meat braised in red wine owes its pleasantness also to the softness making it melt in the mouth because it is so tender.
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20
Cooking: 160
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20
Cooking: 160
Method
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01 / Prepare the meat
Eliminate excess fat
Tie with food string
Prepare a bunch of aromatic herbs
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02 / Prepare the vegetables for the marinade
Peel and chop the carrots
Peel and chop the onions
Cut the celery
Prepare a bunch of aromatic herbs
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03 / Marinade the meat
Place the meat in a large bowl
Add the vegetables, the bunch of herbs and the clove
Cover with red wine
Place in the fridge to marinate for about 12 hours, covering with cling film
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04 / Prepare the meat
After 12 hours of marinating, drain the meat, without discarding the marinade
Season with salt and pepper
Put a pan on the stove with the extra virgin olive oil
Brown the meat on all sides
Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a plate
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05 / Cook the braised meat
Drain the vegetables from the marinade, keeping the wine to one side
Braise the vegetables in a large saucepan with extra virgin olive oil
Add the bunch of aromatic herbs
Add the meat
Add the wine from the marinade and let it evaporate
Add the tomato paste and if necessary, add stock
Cover with a lid and cook for at least 2 hours
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06 / Prepare the polenta
Boil the water
Just before pouring in the flour, lower the heat and add salt
Add the flour and stir with a whisk
Cook on a low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon
The polenta is ready when a crust forms on the sides of the pan
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07 / Finish preparing the braised meat
Remove the meat from the pan
Remove the bunch of aromatic herbs
Blend the vegetables and the cooking juices
Untie and slice the meat
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08 / Serving
Place the polenta on the bottom of the plate
Place the slices of meat on top
Complete with the sauce
Wine pairing
Marinating the meat should be done at least 12 hours in advance, you can also double the time.
Also prepare the braised meat the day before use, cut it into slices and put it in the fridge covered with its sauce. When ready to use, just heat it in the oven.
Do not buy meat that is low in connective tissue and fat: lean meat will harden during cooking that should be slow and long.
Do not skip browning: this is an indispensable step, so the juices are enclosed in the meat, give it the typical flavour of browned meat with the Maillard reaction and keep the meat tender
No hurry to take the braised meat off the heat: only if you cook it on a very low heat for at least 2 hours will the meat be soft enough.
Do not prick the meat with forks or similar while cooking to prevent the juices from coming out.
Do not cut the meat immediately, but let it rest for at least 10 minutes. This gives the juices time to redistribute themselves among the meat fibres, so it is softer and more succulent.
You can use the leftover braised meat to make mondeghili meatballs or, if you have more time, meat ravioli.
Use any leftover sauce on its own to make a very tasty dressing for fresh egg pasta or potato gnocchi, or as an accompaniment to polenta or mashed potatoes.
You can keep the braised meat in the fridge for a couple of days, covered in the sauce to protect it from drying out.
Freeze the leftover braised meat, if you wish, cut it into slices, place them on trays and store them in the freezer, portioning them as needed. Also store the sauce in the freezer, in separate trays.
When it is time to use them, defrost the meat and the sauce in the fridge and then place the slices on a baking tray, add the cooking juices and heat in the oven.
This is a typical dish for special occasions in North Italy, meat braised in red wine owes its pleasantness also to the softness making it melt in the mouth because it is so tender. To achieve this, ask your trusted local butcher to give you a cut of beef rich in connective tissue from the shoulder or thigh muscles. Fish or priest’s hat or muscle guarantee a soft and tender braise.
The choice of wine is very important: no need to use a Barolo, but make sure it is a full-bodied, aged, and alcoholic red wine, most of all, aromatic, so it can convey its aroma and after-taste to the meat – Nebbiolo or Barbaresco are absolutely fine.
Traditionally, braised meat in red wine should be served with polenta; you can also serve it with mashed potatoes.
Ingredients for 4 people
For the braised beef
1 kg of beef muscle or priest’s hat
200 g celery
200 g of carrots
200 g of onions
400 ml red wine
100 ml of meat stock
1 bunch of sage, thyme, and bay leaves
1 clove
20 g of tomato paste
Salt and pepper
For the polenta
1 litre of water
200 g corn flour
Wine pairing
The best combination pairing is with the same wine you use to make the braised meat, whether a Barolo, Barbaresco or Nebbiolo; it is essential that the wine chosen has a great structure and body.
