Fall-apart tender Red Wine Braised Beef is the ultimate in comfort food and great for entertaining. This is a take on the Italian classic Beef in Barolo.
But frankly, you are lucky to find a Barolo under $50 in Canada. And believe me - after 3 hours of braising in the oven you won't know if it is Barolo, Chianti or any other robust red wine.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
- This is an age-old Italian Classic dish that has stood the test of time.
- It is fairly hands-off but yields incredible flavour, worthy or company or family dinners
- Surprisingly - the sauce is not even reddish when it's done. It looks the same as any other rich brown gravy. But - there is a depth of flavour that makes it worth pouring a bottle of red wine into that pot!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Beef- This is going to cook low and slow so stewing beef is called for. You could also cube your own bottom round or chuck roast.
- Wine - You can use any robust, dry red wine for this purpose. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, you will get a harmonious marriage of flavours if you use a similar wine in the stew as you serve at the table. See the wine pairing recommendations below.
How To Make It
- First, you will brown the beef. You may treat this as an optional step, but it really is worth taking the extra few minutes to do it because the resulting brown bits add depth to the overall flavour.
- Next, you will simmer the beef for a couple of hours in the wine, broth, and aromatics.
- Then you will remove the beef and puree the broth along with the aromatics and vegetables. This gives you a TON of flavour- you aren't losing one iota of flavour here! This also helps to give body to the broth.
- Serve with potatoes or noodles to catch more of that sauce!
Suggested Menu
Red Wine Braised Beef
Pistachio Cream Crumb Cake
Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
Thyme Roasted Carrots
Wine Pairing
The rule of thumb here is full-bodied and robust so here are a few suggestions so you don't break the bank filling the pot and your glass! The cardinal rule is - DON'T COOK WITH ANY WINE YOU WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO DRINK.
Consider:
- Valpolicella in the pot and serving a Ripasso or Amarone at the table. (Same blend of grapes with different weights/aging).
- A Nebbiolo wine in the pot and serve a Barolo at the table.
- A Sangiovese wine in the pot and a Chianti at the table. Or a cheaper Chianti in the pot and a more refined Chianti at the table.
- A Rosso di Montalcino in the pot and a Rosso di Montalcino at the table or a Brunello if you want to get really fancy.
GSM blend from Southern France- Languedoc, Corbières or Rousillon or a Portuguese red blend would also work. These are often so reasonable and good value you could use the same in the pot as in the glass.
Related Recipes
Red Wine Braised Beef
A rich, traditional and easy meal. Simmer your beef in wine and broth. Pureeing the broth and vegetables makes a rich, flavourful sauce. Serve over noodles or with potatoes to catch all that sauce.
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Save Print Pin Facebook TextServings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef roast or stewing beef can substitute 2" cubed boneless chuck roast or bottom round
- 4 Tbsps olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 shallots thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced or ½ teaspoon dried
- 750 ml robust, dry red wine 27 oz
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 2 celery stalks cut in to 1" chunks
Instructions
- Heat oil in a non-stick dutch oven over medium high heat. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Brown the meat all over about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove meat to a platter. Add the garic, shallots rosemary, oregano, celery and carrots to the dutch oven. Sauté, stirring 5 minutes.
- Add the meat back to the Dutch oven on top of the vegetables. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 2 hours.
- Transfer the meat from the Dutch oven to a serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
- Blend the vegetables and sauce remaining in the Dutch oven until liquified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the sauce to the beef and stir to combine.
- Serve with potatoes or rice.
Notes
The rule of thumb here is full-bodied and robust, so here are a few suggestions so you don't break the bank filling the pot and your glass! The cardinal rule is - DON'T COOK WITH ANY WINE YOU WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO DRINK.
Consider:
- Valpolicella in the pot and serving a Ripasso or Amarone at the table. (Same blend of grapes with different weights/aging).
- A Nebbiolo wine in the pot and serve a Barolo at the table.
- A Sangiovese wine in the pot and a Chianti at the table. Or a cheaper Chianti in the pot and a more refined Chianti at the table.
- A Rosso di Montalcino in the pot and a Rosso di Montalcino at the table or a Brunello if you want to get really fancy.
Nutrition
Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2018IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4mg
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