Chef's notes
This braised beef comes from the farmhouse kitchens of the Chianti region, where “humble” cuts became rich dishes thanks to long, slow cooking and local wine. The secret is don’t rush it—the slower it cooks, the better it gets. It’s even better the next day. Butcher’s tip: use chuck roast, blade roast, or beef shank.
Details
- ⏲️ Prep time: 20
- 🍳 Cook time: 3 hours
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef for braising (chuck or blade roast)
- 750 ml Chianti DOCG wine
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Coarse salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Prepare the soffritto Roughly chop the onion, carrots, and celery. In a large pot, heat plenty of extra virgin olive oil and slowly soften the vegetables with the crushed garlic.
- Brown the beef Season the whole piece of beef with salt and pepper. Add it to the pot and brown well on all sides until nicely colored.
- Deglaze with Chianti Pour in the Chianti wine until the beef is almost covered. Increase the heat for 5 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add aromatics Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary, and bay leaves. Cover with a lid.
- Slow cooking Cook over very low heat for about 3 hours, turning the meat every 30–40 minutes. If needed, add a little hot water.
- Rest and serve Turn off the heat and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice thickly and spoon the cooking juices over the meat.