Italian Braised Beef (Brasato)
Beef braised in a soffritto of onion, celery, and carrots, immersed in beef stock and red wine and simmered until it is fork tender. Elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a family meal.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 3 lb. sirloin tip roast eye of round, or other lean cut pot roast
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp carrots finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1 24 oz. can of whole tomatoes tomatoes removed and chopped,
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups beef stock
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Tie the meat neatly with kitchen string. Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef and saute the onions, celery, and carrots stirring frequently until lightly browned.
- Return the beef to the pot, season with salt and pepper, add the wine and cook until it has evaporated, then add the canned tomatoes which have been drained and chopped. Mix the tomato paste with a 1/4 cup of water and add to the pot, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add beef stock and enough water to cover the meat halfway, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until beef is tender.
- Remove the meat from the pot, untie, and carve into slices. Place the slices in a warm serving dish. Remove of as much fat as possible from the braising liquid and blend mixture with an immersion blender. Alternatively, strain liquid over sliced beef.