Italian Pot Roast Stracotto Food

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO ALLA FIORENTINA)

Steps:

• Trim some of the fat from the meat. Using a sharp knife, make cuts all over the meat and insert the garlic slices inside. Season generously with salt and pepper. If you like, you can tie the beef with kitchen strin, to help it keep it shape during cooking.
• In a large dutch oven pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides until a nice brown crust develops, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and reserve.
• Lower the heat to medium low. Add the veggies and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Then, add the wine and cook until it reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Then, add back the chuck roast and the basil leaves. Cover, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, turning the roast at least once, until fork tender. If you think the sauce is drying out, you can add some water of beef broth.
• When done, remove the basil leaves and discard. Transfer the meat to a chopping board, remove the kitchen string (if used) and cut into smaller pieces. The sauce should be thick enough, but if it's not, you can continue boiling over medium-high heat, uncovered, until it reaches the desired thickness. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• Serve the roast over creamy polenta (or mashed potatoes), garnished with chopped parsley.

STRACOTTO

Steps:

• Place the meat in a fairly snug-fitting casserole pan on a medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, turning with tongs, while you peel the onions, carrots and garlic, trim the celery and fennel, then roughly chop it all to make a soffritto - it cooks low and slow so there's no need to be too precise. Stir into the pan, tie the rosemary and sage together and add, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until starting to caramelize, stirring the veg and turning the meat occasionally.
• Turn the heat up to high, pour in the wine, stir in the tomato purée, and let the wine cook away. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then place a double layer of scrunched-up wet greaseproof paper on the surface. Reduce to a low heat and cook for around 3 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender, turning and basting occasionally. Season to perfection.
• Lift the meat out on to a board, carve it into thin slices, and spoon over enough of that incredible sauce to keep the meat nice and juicy. Toss the rest of the sauce (reduce on the hob, if needed) with freshly cooked tagliatelle, and finely grate over a little Parmesan, to serve. Double win.

STRACOTTO DI MANZO (ITALIAN POT ROAST)

Steps:

• Place dried porcini mushrooms in hot beef stock to reconstitute and soften for about 30 minutes.
• Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper, plus any dried seasonings that you prefer.
• Pour olive oil into a large, deep cast iron dutch oven pot or a lined cast iron pot (such as Le Creuset).
• Add the beef to the pan to sear (brown) on each side for about 7 minutes, turning only once, totaling about 15 minutes. While beef is searing, sprinkle about a teaspoon of chopped garlic all over to saute with the beef.
• Remove beef from the pot and place on a platter.
• With a sharp knife, cut slits in the beef and insert the slices of garlic.
• In the hot olive oil, saute the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and pancetta.
• Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes, being very careful not to burn the garlic.
• Deglaze the pan with about 2 Tbsp. deep, dark red wine (merlot or burgundy) and simmer until the wine is reduced but not completely evaporated.
• Add 3 Tbsp. or more of tomato paste and the cans of imported Italian tomatoes and juice, squishing the tomatoes so that they fall apart as you pour them into the pot.
• Add all of the chopped herbs, except for the sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley which are added at the end of cooking.
• Gently stir everything together with a large spoon.
• Add the beef broth and red wine.
• Add the large cut up pieces of carrots, celery, and potatoes.
• Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper slices, and the crimini and porcini mushrooms.
• Place the garlic-studded beef roast back into the pot on top of the vegetables.
• Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 3 hours on 325 F degrees OR until fork tender (beef easily breaks up into pieces with a fork).
• Add the chopped Italian parsley for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• After roasting is finished, remove from the oven and cover loosely and allow everything to rest for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and minced Italian parsley.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, onion, wine, salt, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. , Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with meat.

STRACOTTO (POT ROAST) WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding more beef broth, as needed.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Using an immersion blender, blend the pan juices and vegetables until smooth. Add the rosemary and thyme. Bring to sauce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

STRACOTTO-ITALIAN POT ROAST (PRESSURE COOKER)

Steps:

• 1. In a 6-quart pressure cooker, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper.
• 2. Pour off fat in pressure cooker. Add remaining oil and heat over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute about 2 minutes, stirring. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add tomatoes and their juices.
• 3. Return meat to pan along with any juices that have collected. Lock lid in place. Bring to pressure over high heat.
• 4. Adjust heat to maintain the pressure. Cook for 1 1/4 hours.
• 5. Remove from heat and quick-release the pressure. Open lid. Place meat on platter and let rest 10 minutes.
• 6. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Slice meat and serve with sauce.

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO)

Steps:

• Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Pierce the meat in many places with the point of a knife and insert the garlic slivers into the holes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart heatproof casserole. Add the meat and brown it well over medium heat. Remove it from the casserole. Add the remaining oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them until moderately brown.
• Stir in the wine and cook for a few minutes, scraping the casserole. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and return the meat to the casserole.
• Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for at least three hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat a few times during cooking.
• Remove the meat from the casserole. To serve immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in a food processor and reheat. Otherwise, refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight. Remove any congealed fat from the sauce and puree the sauce in a food processor. Reheat the meat in the sauce before serving.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
• Pat roast dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering hot, sear the meat on both ends and all the way around the outside. Total time about 15 minutes to sear the whole roast.
• Remove the roast to a plate and add the carrots, celery and onions and cook for five minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for two more minutes.
• Add wine to deglaze. Cook until the wine evaporates.
• Add the bay leaves, sundried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, oregano and basil and stir. Add the beef back in along with any liquid on the plate, cover and place in the oven for three hours, turning the beef over once about 1 ½ hours into the roasting time.
• After the full three hours, remove the meat, let it rest under a sheet of loose foil for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs then slice the beef and serve with the sauce.
• The string should be left on while slicing to hold the roast together. OK to cut off after sliced and plated.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Place meat in large roasting pan, cover with garlic, onion, and pepper. Place other vegetables and potatoes all around the meat (besides tomatoes and tomato sauce).
• Mix the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce in the tomatoes and the tomato sauce, also add the wine. Add this mixture to the roast.
• Add all other seasonings to the roast.
• Cook in slow oven (250 degrees) for 4 to 5 hours, or until meat falls apart when prodded with the tines of a fork.

DUCK LEG STRACOTTO

Steps:

• Trim any excess and overhanging fat from each duck breast and dry them with paper towels. Season all of the duck breasts evenly on both skin and meat side, with the kosher salt. Place them on a wire lined rack and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (ideally overnight).
• The following day, wipe any moisture that developed overnight from the surface of the duck legs. Heat a Dutch oven or braising pan on medium and place the duck legs skin side down to begin browning and rendering the fat. Allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes until almost all of the fat has rendered down and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip to the remaining side and allow to brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove the browned duck legs from the pot and carefully drain off the fat in the pot (be sure to save this fat for future cooking or roasting, it's incredibly flavorful!) leaving about 2 tablespoons of the fat and return to the heat.
• Add in the diced carrots, celery and onions. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have softened, add in the minced garlic as well as tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the wine is a syrup-like consistency, be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan during this process.
• Add in the brown sugar, chicken stock, pureed tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, as well as cheese rinds and bring to a boil. Gently return the duck legs to the simmering pot being sure to leave just the skin unsubmerged. Cover with a lid and continue cooking in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 ½ hours.
• After 1 ½ hours, remove from the oven and add in the raisins and place back in the oven. Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the duck meat just begins to pull away from the bone easily but is not falling apart.
• Prepare the gremolata: roughly chop the parsley leaves and toss with the toasted pine nuts as well as lemon zest. Set aside.
• Remove the entire braise from the oven and carefully lift the duck legs out and place on a wire rack lined baking sheet. Broil the duck legs for 3-4 minutes until the skin begins to crisp again. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce in the pot with salt and pepper.
• Cook the fresh pasta according to package directions and toss with the tomato sauce, top with the duck legs and then the gremolata. Alternatively you could also pull the meat off of the bones, lightly shred and fold it into the sauce before tossing with the pasta.