Barolo Stewed Beef – Brasato Al Barolo

• Meat
• 3 pounds Sirloin or topside cut in large pieces or left whole
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2.5 ounces sweet pancetta cut in strips
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons Cognac or Grappa
• Salt
• Marinade
• 1 bottle of Barolo or any other hearty red wine (750ml)
• 2 carrots sliced medium thick
• 1 celery stalk sliced medium thick
• 2 shallots diced finely
• 1 Onion diced medium pieces
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 Clove Buds
• 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
• 3 Juniper Berries squashed
• 2 bay leaves

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl put all the marinade vegetables, the spices and the wine. Add the meat and stir to cover well with all the marinade ingredients. Allow to marinate for 1 day (up to 3 days), turning the meat occasionally.Keep chilled covered with plastic film.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade. Reserve the marinade and the vegetables.rnStrain the marinade, reserve the vegetables.
3. Pat dry the meat with kitchen paper towel and dust it all over with flour.
4. In a dutch oven melt the butter with the olive oil, add the pancetta and allow to lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
5. Start sealing the meat on all sides, 1/3 at a time. Reserve the browned meat and add the other 1/3 and do the same with the last 1/3. If using one big piece of meat, sear all sides. Remove the meat from the pan.
6. Pour the Cognac or Grappa in the pan, stir well to dislodge all the pieces stuck to the pan and let the alcohol evaporate.
7. Warm up the marinade wine and just keep warm near your stew.
8. Add the meat to the pan and season with salt.
9. Add the pancetta, the strained vegetables from the marinade with the spices and thyme, 1/3 of the marinade wine and cook over very low heat for 2 to 3 hours, stirring and adding more wine as needed (you will use it all).
10. Discard the bay leaves and the thyme.rnCheck the seasoning. The meat at the end should almost fall apart.
11. Serve the meat with the sauce and vegetables with mashed potatoes.
12. Note: For a more elegant serving, cook the meat in one whole piece. At the end, remove the meat, the bay leaves and time and process the sauce with the vegetables to obtain a thick sauce to pour over the meat.

sirloin, flour, olive oil, butter, sweet pancetta, thyme, cognac, salt, marinade, red wine, carrots, celery, shallots, onion, cinnamon sticks, cracked black, bay leaves

Taken from food52.com/recipes/2989-barolo-stewed-beef-brasato-al-barolo (may not work)