Brasato al Barolo (beef braised in Barolo wine)

This brasato al Barolo recipe combines two of Piedmont's most famous ingredients – beef and Barolo wine. Cooked until meltingly tender and served with vegetables or atop a bed of creamy polenta, it's the perfect dish to serve up on a chilly winter night.

What do you need

olive oil

1kg beef roasting joint

1 onion, diced

1 celery stick, dicd

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves

1 sprig of thyme

1 sprig of rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

750ml of Barolo wine

salt to taste

pepper to taste

How to proceed

In a large bowl place the meat, the coarsely chopped vegetables, the cinnamon, the bay leaf and the cloves.

cover everything with the wine and let it rest overnight in the fridge.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole with a lid – it should be just big enough to hold the beef. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper then add to the pan and brown on all sides.

Add the diced vegetables with the garlic and the herbs into the same pan and cook until softened.

Pour the wine over the beef, bring up to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir every now and then to check nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan, and if the wine doesn't cover the beef, turn over every 30 minutes to prevent any part of it drying out.

Remove the beef and set aside in a warm place. Using a hand blender, blitz the stew left in the casserole to create a glossy thick sauce.