Stracotto (Italian Braised Beef)

Last night I tried cooking something I had not made before and it turned out great. I watched Jamie Oliver(The Naked Chef) make this dish on Youtube. There really was no recipe, other than watching what he did, so I went through the three and a half minute video a couple of times and made some notes. I added a couple of ingredients and the result was terrific! You braise a chuck roast for about three and a half hours until it falls apart and then you cook some pasta and use the reduced braising liquid as a sauce which you thicken with lots of parmesan cheese and parsley. In the end you have a really complete meal with meat,vegetables and pasta. Here is what I did:

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

3-3.5 Lb. Chuck Roast

3 Large Carrots, peeled and cut into a rough dice

2 Large stocks celery, diced 

1 Large Red Onion, chopped

1 Fennel Bulb, diced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Cup Red Wine

3 TBSP Tomato Paste

1.5 Quarts Beef Broth

1 Can Beef Consume

1 Large Bunch Fresh Sage

1 Large Bunch Fresh Thyme

1 Lb. Wide Pasta such as Tagliatelle or Fettuccine

1 to 1.5 Cups Grated Parmesan

1 Large Bunch Italian Parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot with a tight fitting lid. Trim some of the excess fat from the chuck roast and season well with salt and pepper. Brown the roast well on all sides in the hot oil. When roast is well browned remove to a plate and hold. Add all the veggies(soffritto) to the pot and cook over medium heat until veggies are soft and beginning to caramelize. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, a minute or two. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up all of the brown bits and frond on the bottom of the pot. Add tomato paste and mix well with the veggies until they are well coated. Cook for a minute or two. Add the beef broth and consume. Return roast to the pot. Using butcher's twine, tie the sage and thyme into a tight bundle and add to the pot, draping the string over the edge of the pot, so that you can remove the herbs in a bunch when the meat is done. Put the lid on the pot and simmer on medium low heat for three to three and a half hours, until meat is tender and beginning to fall apart.  When the meat is almost done, cook the pasta in a separate pot per the package directions. When meat is done, remove to a platter and ladle a small amount of the liquid and vegetables over the meat. Add the cooked pasta to the braising liquid in the dutch oven and stir well. Thicken with about 1 cup of the grated parmesan and 2/3 of the chopped parsley. Transfer cooked pasta to another platter. Top with more of the sauce and garnish the pasta with the rest of the parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!!