Italian•comfort

Stracotto

A Tuscan inspired beef dish slowly cooked to perfection in red wine.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1
Season the meat well with salt and pepper.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and brown the meat well on all sides.
3
Remove it and keep warm.
4
Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery to the pan and saute until tender, and starting to brown.
5
Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl, and add 1 cup of hot water, and let sit for 15 minutes.
6
Drain, reserving the mushroom water, and chop finely.
7
Add the mushrooms into the pot with the other vegetables along with the canned tomatoes.
8
Strain the mushroom water, and add 1/2 cup to the tomato mixture.
9
Season with salt and pepper.
10
Bring to a boil, and return the roast to the pot.
11
Add enough of the red wine so the roast is about 3/4 covered, and reduce the heat to low.
12
Cover, and cook on low heat for 3 hours, turning the roast and stirring the contents of the pot every 30 minutes, and adding additional wine as needed if the sauce reduces too much.
13
If you prefer cooking the roast in the oven, place the ovenproof pot with the roast and sauce in an oven preheated to 300 degrees F.
14
Cook for 3 hours.
15
Once the roast is done, remove it to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil.
16
Turn the heat up on the sauce, and cook it until it has thickened.
17
Add the fresh, chopped parsley, and stir.
18
Cut the roast into thin slices, and serve with a scoop of sauce on top.