Brasato al Barolo – Beef Braised in Barolo Wine
► by Executive Chef / Owner Mauro De Palma of Italy in the World
Mauro De Palma
Executive Chef / Owner
Executive Chef Mauro De Palma wants to include a dish from every region in Italy on his menu. Pasta alla Norma from Sicily, carbonara from Rome, burrata from the Apulia region, Bolognese from Bologna. Brasato al Barolo is a traditional recipe from the Piedmont region where De Palma was born. Piedmont is also the region where the prestigious, full-bodied Barolo wine originates. “My grandfather’s land had lots of Nebbiolo grapes,” De Palma says. Hearty Nebbiolo grapes are used to produce the famous full-bodied red wines.
— Photography Kenneth Theysen
De Palma gained his wealth of knowledge about wine from his grandfather, he says, who produced wine. When he first opened Italy in the World in a cunucu house built in the first half of the 19th century, it started as a wine bar. The walls are still adorned with floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with wine bottles. “I try to have wine from every region,” De Palma says. “But we don’t like to use a wine list, and every wine is the same price.” Instead, De Palma walks around the intimate restaurant and suggests two to three wines that any given table may like based on their taste and food selections. He wants guests to choose their wine as the perfect complement to their meal—and not because it is the least or most expensive.
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Brasato al Barolo
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra–virgin olive oil
4 lbs stewing beef (chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 yellow onions, chopped
1 lb baby carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp nutmeg
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
4 oz balsamic vinegar
1 bottle of red wine (traditionally made with Barolo)
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the meat. As soon as the olive oil is hot, add the meat and brown it on all sides. This will take about three to four minutes per side. Once browned, remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
Add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves and cloves to the same pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft.
Add the balsamic vinegar, red wine and browned meat to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer covered, turning the meat occasionally, for two hours or until the meat is tender and cooked through.
To Serve
The cooking liquids and vegetables can be used to make a sauce by blending the leftover mixture, or simply pour the cooked mixture over the meat to serve.
