Caroleena’s Tuscan Kitchen

Stracotto

(Pot Roast)

I believe that this is the recipe that everyone has been waiting for. Stracotto means extra-cooked meat. This delicious recipe can be made for a few people if you use the eye of round roast (either half or whole) or if that isn’t enough, ask the butcher for a first cut of brisket. That ought to feed about 10 people. Libidinous for a carnivore….

Ingredients

• beef roast (either cut –see above)
• vegetable oil
• 1carrot, 1 rib of celery, 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic-all finely chopped
• canned, peeled tomatoes (use a big can for a big roast or a small can for a small roast) drained, washed and cut or smashed into small pieces
• red wine (I always use Chianti) about ½ cup
• salt & pepper
• broth or water

Use a small stock pot or a big, deep sauté pan for this recipe. You need plenty of room to cook. Sauté the carrot, celery, onion and garlic in about 4 tablespoons of any kind of vegetable oil (olive oil is not necessary for this recipe) on a medium flame. While this is browning, coat the meat with a salt and pepper mixture (save some salt and pepper for stewing). When the vegetables are brown, turn up the heat and sear all sides of the beef. Hint-if you put the vegetables under the meat, everything will cook well and the vegetables won’t burn. When everything is seared, add the wine. It should make a hissing sound- this means that the pot is hot enough for the wine to evaporate. Stir everything around - mix the wine with the sauté. When you don’t smell any more alcohol, you are now ready to add the tomatoes and some freshly ground pepper. Lower the flame and add a tomato can’s worth of water or broth. If you use water, then use enough salt. If you use broth, use some salt, because even though broth does contain salt, it may not be enough to flavor the meat. Simmer this on the stove for a few hours. Keep enough liquid on it to stew the meat (we try not to boil it). Add some more water or broth if you think that it needs it. Trust yourself. You will know if the roast is cooked when a fork slides in easily. These cuts of meat are tough but flavorful so we need to cook them slowly for a long time. The sauce should be chunky, but the vegetables should practically be gone by the time it’s done. When it comes time to cut the meat, cut across the grain (in slices that are about 1/3 inch). This means that it isn’t stringy and the meat will keep it’s shape. Serve with whatever you want!