Chef Graziella
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Culinary Explorer
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Brasato al Barolo
Created by
A whole piece of beef, surrendered to Barolo wine and patience, until the tannins transform into velvet and the meat falls apart at the suggestion of a fork. This is Piedmont on a plate.
Soups & Stews
Italian, Piedmontese
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Holiday
30 min
Active Time
4 hr cook•16 hr 30 min total
Yield8 servings
The Langhe hills of Piedmont produce two of Italy's greatest treasures: Barolo wine and the knowledge of what to do with it. Brasato al Barolo is the second lesson. You take a whole piece of beef, not ground, not cubed, but a substantial roast that demands respect. You bathe it in an entire bottle of Barolo with aromatics and you wait. Then you braise it for hours until the wine, the meat, and the time become one inseparable thing.
This is not a dish for those who want dinner in thirty minutes. The meat marinates overnight. It braises for half an afternoon. The sauce reduces while the roast rests. You cannot rush any of these steps. But when you finally slice into that mahogany-dark meat and taste the concentrated, almost sweet depth of the reduced Barolo sauce, you understand why Piedmontese families have made this for generations.
The spices here are unusual for Italian cooking: cloves, cinnamon, juniper. This is the influence of trade routes through the Alps, flavors that arrived in Piedmont centuries ago and stayed because they work. The cinnamon is barely detectable in the finished dish, a warmth you cannot name. The juniper echoes the wine's own complexity. Do not add more than the recipe specifies. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.
Brasato al Barolo became the celebration dish of Piedmontese nobility in the 19th century, when the Nebbiolo grape's reputation transformed Barolo from a sweet, fizzy wine into the structured, age-worthy 'King of Wines.' Using an entire bottle of such valuable wine for a braise was a statement of wealth and occasion. Today it remains the centerpiece of Christmas and wedding feasts throughout the Langhe.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
beef chuck roast or eye of round
Quantity
4 pounds
in one piece
Barolo wine
Quantity
1 bottle (750ml)
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large
quartered
carrots
Quantity
2 medium
peeled and cut into large pieces
celery stalks
Quantity
2
cut into large pieces
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
lightly crushed
bay leaves
Quantity
2
whole cloves
Quantity
4
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1
juniper berries
Quantity
6
lightly crushed
black peppercorns
Quantity
6
fresh rosemary
Quantity
2 sprigs
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons
beef broth
Quantity
1 cup
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| beef chuck roast or eye of roundin one piece | 4 pounds |
| Barolo wine | 1 bottle (750ml) |
| yellow onionquartered | 1 large |
| carrotspeeled and cut into large pieces | 2 medium |
| celery stalkscut into large pieces | 2 |
| garlic cloveslightly crushed | 2 |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| whole cloves | 4 |
| cinnamon stick | 1 |
| juniper berrieslightly crushed | 6 |
| black peppercorns | 6 |
| fresh rosemary | 2 sprigs |
| extra virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons |
| beef broth | 1 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 6-quart Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid
- •Deep bowl or container for marinating
- •Fine-mesh strainer
Instructions
- 1
Marinate the beef
Place the beef in a deep bowl or container just large enough to hold it. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, juniper berries, peppercorns, and rosemary. Pour the entire bottle of Barolo over everything. The wine should nearly cover the meat. If it does not, turn the meat occasionally during marinating. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24.
Do not skip the marinating. The wine penetrates the meat and begins the tenderizing process. A shorter marination produces a lesser dish. - 2
Prepare for braising
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Wet meat will not brown. Strain the marinade, reserving both the liquid and the vegetables separately. Discard the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns, or fish them out later. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- 3
Brown the meat
In a heavy Dutch oven or braising pot just large enough to hold the meat comfortably, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until the butter foam subsides. Add the beef and brown it thoroughly on all sides. This takes at least 15 minutes. Do not move the meat too frequently. Each side should develop a deep, mahogany crust. Remove the meat and set it aside.
The browning builds the foundation of flavor for the entire dish. If you rush this step, you will taste the difference in every bite. - 4
Sauté the aromatics
Reduce heat to medium. Add the reserved vegetables from the marinade to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and take on color from the fond in the pot, about 10 minutes. The vegetables will not become tender at this stage. They will finish in the braise.
- 5
Begin the braise
Return the meat to the pot, nestling it among the vegetables. Pour the reserved Barolo marinade over everything. Add the beef broth. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- 6
Braise until tender
Cook at the barest simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Check occasionally. If you see rapid bubbling, reduce the heat further. Turn the meat once or twice during cooking. The brasato is done when a fork inserted into the center meets no resistance and withdraws easily. The meat should hold together but yield completely to gentle pressure.
You may braise this in a 300°F oven instead. The oven provides more even heat. Check after 3 hours. - 7
Rest the meat
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes. The meat must rest. If you slice it immediately, the juices run out onto the board instead of remaining in the meat where they belong.
- 8
Finish the sauce
Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract their flavor. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pot and bring to a brisk simmer. Reduce by about one-third, until the sauce coats a spoon. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter. The sauce should be glossy and substantial but not thick like gravy.
- 9
Slice and serve
Slice the meat against the grain into pieces about half an inch thick. Arrange on a warm serving platter. Spoon the sauce generously over the slices. Serve immediately with soft polenta, which is traditional, or with mashed potatoes if you must. The sauce is essential. Do not be stingy with it.
Chef Tips
- •Use actual Barolo, or at minimum a good Nebbiolo from Piedmont. Cheap wine makes cheap brasato. You need not open your finest bottle, but you must use a wine you would drink. The flavors concentrate, and flaws become magnified.
- •The meat must be in one piece, not cut into cubes. A whole roast braises differently than small pieces. It stays more succulent at the center while developing depth at the edges.
- •Piedmontese tradition pairs this with polenta, not pasta. The soft cornmeal absorbs the sauce and provides contrast to the tender meat. If serving polenta, make it loose, almost pourable.
- •Do not discard the braising vegetables after straining. They have given their flavor to the sauce, but some cooks purée them back into the liquid for body. This is acceptable though not strictly traditional.
Advance Preparation
- •The meat must marinate for 12 to 24 hours before braising. Plan accordingly.
- •The finished brasato improves overnight. Refrigerate the meat in its sauce, then slice cold and reheat gently in the sauce. Some consider this method superior to serving immediately.
- •The sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Remove any solidified fat from the surface before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 225g)
Calories
610 calories
Total Fat
36 g
Saturated Fat
14 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
21 g
Cholesterol
215 mg
Sodium
540 mg
Total Carbohydrates
7 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
50 g
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