No better season than Fall or Winter to cook a cosy Italian braised beef, let it simmer for a couple hours, and fill your home with a lovely home-cooking scent. Use a nice red wine – the best is a Barolo, fresh vegetables, a great beef cut, and you will have a dinner fit for a restaurant. Don’t forget to enjoy it with a slice of bread, and do the scarpetta (aka dip your bread in it)!
We suggest using beef medallions, but feel free to use your favorite cut of beef for this dish.
Other than beef, a great wine, fresh vegetables, and herbs are essential. We are using carrots, potatoes, onions, but you can also add garlic and celery for extra flavor.
The secret to Italian braised beef is to marinate the vegetables and beef in wine and herbs overnight, then cook them the next day in the same marinade for rich and deep flavors.
Italian braised beef typically needs to cook for at least one hour, and up to three hours, depending on the cut of beef you are using.
Rosemary and bay leaves are the most popular herbs for Italian braised beef, but you can also use thyme, star anise, or a combination of these for added depth of flavor.
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