Stracotto - Pot Roast with Porcini Mushroom, Red Wine and Rosemary Infused Sauce

In the winter, I love braised meats. The beauty of this type preparation is that once you add all the ingredients, you can walk away and forget about it for several hours. Braising delivers moist, tender meat every time and succulent pan juices that are delicious over polenta or potatoes of any kind. In Italian, stracotto literally means "overcooked."

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat a 5 pound boneless beef chuck roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a couple tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven. Add beef and brown on all sides, about 12 minutes or so. You do not want to rush this step. It is what creates the deep rich flavor in the finished dish. remove the beef form the pan to a large plate.



reduce the heat to medium and add 2 chopped onions to the pan and saute until tender, perhaps 5 minutes, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as you do. add 6 coarsely chopped garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute more. Stir in 1 cup dry red wine and boil for 1 minute.Stir in 1 14-ounce can of low-salt beef broth and 1/2 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms.








Return the beef to the pot, cover and put in the oven. Braise the beef until fork tender, about 3 hours. be sure to turn the beef over halfway though the cooking time.










Transfer the beef to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon excess fat off the top of the pan liquid. Transfer the liquid and vegetables in the pot to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. In a medium heavy sauce pan, combine the sauce with one large rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, then season the sauce with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. let gently simmer until meat is done resting.





The sauce is amazingly flavorful and infused with the fresh rosemary at the end brings it to a whole other level. A real taste sensation.

Brodo di Pollo Casalingo - Homemade Chicken Broth

Poultry and meat broths are essential to cooking many Italian dishes such as risotto, sauces, soups, stews and braised dishes. A favorite cold weather dish in this household is simply brodo with rice or pastini. Making an Italian broth consists of simple ingredients and preparation - meat and scraps from chicken, beef, veal or capon, vegetables, covering with water and simmering slowly on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Skimming off the foamy impurities is key to the wonderful flavor.

In a large stock pot or pot put one 3 to 4 pound whole chicken (key for a rich flavorful brodo), around 3 pounds of bones and wings (you can add beef or beef or veal bones and scarps as well, though I tend to use only poultry when making Brodo di Pollo. Toss in a couple of carrots cut into chunks, a couple of celery stalks cut into chunks, a large onion cut into quarters (feel free to toss in some leeks as well though not traditional), and 2 ripe tomatoes. (If you do not have fresh tomatoes, use 2 whole canned tomatoes.

Cover with cold water by two to three inches, place lid on pot askew and bring to a gentle boil by using medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and skim the foamy impurities from the top of the surface of water. Use a slotted spoon or a skimmer. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the whole chicken and set aside. (This is wonderful used for a simple Italian boiled meat dinner. Serve the meat slices with a simple Italian salsa Verde, Mostarda de Cremona or a spicy mustard. The meat can also be used in other dishes not Italian such as enchilada's, served over rice or potatoes with gravy and salads. The uses are endless.) Continue to simmer for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Do not salt until the last few minutes of cooking.

Strain broth into bowl/s and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day remove the fat from the surface. This gives you basically fat-free broth that is ready to use or freeze.

To Make Brodo di Carne Casalinga - Homemade Beef Broth - Use 4 to 5 pounds of bones and meat scraps from beef and veal. Can also add some chicken meat and scraps. Use the same amounts of vegetables except for tomato, use 1 whole canned otmato or one fresh, and water as in Chicken Broth above and same preparation.

To Make Brodo Vegetale - Vegetable Broth - Use 2 pounds assorted fresh vegetables cut in large pieces, such as leeks, onions, zucchini, peas, asparagus, celery, carrots, spinach and Swiss Chard. Be sure to peel, shell and wash vegetables. Add enough water in a medium pot to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Cook as instructed above bringing to boil, lowering heat to low simmer and skimming foam that comes to the surface. Simmer for about 1 hour. Season with salt; strain, Strain again using a cheesecloth or paper towel lined strainer. Refrigerate for a few days if using soon, or freeze.

Goulash alla Triestina - Beef Stew Trieste Style

After years of reading about the dishes of different regions of Italy, I have learned that there are dishes instantly identified with a city -- the black risotto of Venezia , the fettucine all'Alfredo of Roma, the tortellini of Bologna and the goulash of Trieste. This melt in your mouth stew preparation with a dense wine-tomato sauce made sweet by onions is one my husband and I instantly fell in love with. The secret to a good stew is in the long, slow cooking. After browning the meat, this will cook all by itself, needing only an occasional stir. I love dishes such as this that are simple to prepare and fill the house with mouth-watering aromas while they slowly cook. This is nice served with slices of fried polenta. My very American husband enjoys it best served over egg noodles.


The Ingredients Needed to Make this Dish:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds stew meat, cut in about 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 to 4 bay leaves, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups dry full-bodied wine (I am not a fan of Merlot, but like it used in this dish)
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in puree (I prefer Muir Glen) - Again I have used crushed over can whole and put through a food mill. Use either one you choose.
1 1/2 cups meat broth, preferably homemade (50% less salt canned beef broth can be substituted)


Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring, until it is lightly browned on all sides, perhaps 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate, reduce the heat to medium/medium high and add the onions.

Cook and stir until the onions are lightly golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Add the paprika, bay leaves, and vinegar, and stir once or twice. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is reduced by half, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of the meat broth and mix well. Cover the skillet, leaving it slightly askew, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat can be cut with a fork, stirring a few times. If the sauce dried too much during cooking, add some more meat broth.

The stew served over egg noodles. This serves 4 to 6 people, depending on size of appetites.