Italian Braised Beef Recipes

OSSO BUCCO (BRAISED BEEF SHANKS RECIPE)

Steps:

• If you want, dredge the beef shanks through flour and coat it. ( I skip this to keep it lower carb)
• Melt the butter in a large oven safe braising pan over medium to medium-high heat.
• Fry the beef shanks in the butter until browned on the outside.
• Remove the beef shanks to a plate, and keep warm.
• Add the onion slices to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is tender. Add in the garlic and the carrots and fry until the garlic is fragrant.
• Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan at this point. Stir in the beef broth and the tomatoes.
• Return the beef to the pan, making sure the shanks are submerged in the sauce.
• The best way to cook now is to place the lid on top and cook the shanks in a 300 °F for 4-5 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
• For stove top, cover and simmer on the stove top over low heat for 2-3 hours, checking and moving the meat occasionally to ensure that the bottom is not burning.

BRAISED BEEF ROLLS (BRACIOLE DI MANZO)

Steps:

• To make the stuffing: Place the bread cubes and milk into a medium bowl and stir for full coverage. Let soak until bread is very soft (at least 20 minutes).
• Drain the bread, squeeze out the excess milk, and return bread to the bowl. Stir in the chopped egg, parsley, grated cheese, raisins and garlic. Lightly salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• For the beef rolls: With the toothed side of a heavy meat mallet, pound each slice of beef round to a thickness of about 1/4" and about 5 to 6" wide, 6-7" long.
• Top each with a slice of the prosciutto and tap with fingertips to lightly adhere to the beef. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the stuffing over the beef slice, leaving a 1" border around the edges.
• Place one stick of the provolone across the short end on top of the stuffing and fold the short end over the top of it. Fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing, then roll the beef into as compact of a tube as possible. Secure the end of flap with one or two toothpicks. Repeat with remaining beef and stuffing. Lightly salt and pepper the rolls.
• Empty the tomatoes into a medium bowl and squeeze them with your hands until they are coarsely crushed, removing the core and ends if there are any.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole (I used a dutch oven) over medium heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the braciole into a single layer and cook, turning the braciole every 2-3 minutes until all sides are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Adjust the heat to prevent the beef from scorching.
• Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook until most of it has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste and bay leaves and stir until the paste is dissolved. Season with the red pepper flakes and lightly salt.
• Adjust the heat to very low or simmer setting until the liquid is at a low simmer, adding water as necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged. Allow to simmer uncovered until the beef is tender, about 3 hours, checking, stirring, and turning every 15-20 minutes and adding liquid to cover braciole if needed (use very hot tap water or pasta water).
• Carefully remove the toothpicks before serving (they're hot!). Lidia says the braciole can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, then warmed over low heat until heated through.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a saucepan (ovenproof) or dutch oven, brown the beef on each side in half of the oil. Add salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate.
• In a bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in chicken stock. Set aside.
• In the same saucepan, brown shallots and garlic in the remaining oil.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste and keep cooking about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock mixture and bring to a boil while stirring. Put the beef back in the saucepan and add remaining ingredients.
• Cover and cook in oven about 4 hours or until meat shread easily with a fork.
• Note: If you want to do it in the crockpot do step 1 to 4. Then on step 5, put all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook at low heat 8 hours.

LIDIA'S INSANELY DELICIOUS ITALIAN BEEF ROASTED IN BAROLO WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250° F. Season the roast with half the salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides, about 8 minutes in all, then remove it to a platter.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook until the onions begin to wilt, about 6 minutes. Add the rosemary, sage leaves, grated nutmeg, peppercorns, dried porcini, and remaining teaspoon salt, and toss all together. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, just until the vegetables soften, stirring frequently and scraping up the browned meat bits on the pan bottom; then lower the heat.
• Push the vegetables to the side, and return the seared roast to the cleared side of the pan. Pour in the bottles of wine and any meat juices that collected on the platter. The roast should be at least half submerged, so add beef stock as needed.
• Cover the pot, and heat until the wine is steaming but not boiling. Uncover the pan, and place it in the oven. After 30 minutes, rotate the roast so the exposed meat is submerged in the braising liquid. Braise this way, turning the meat in the pan every 30 minutes, for about 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. The liquid should not boil; if it does, pour in some cold water to stop the bubbling, and lower the oven temperature.
• After about 2½ hours or so, check the beef. If it is easily pierced with a fork, take the pan from the oven. Remove the meat to a platter, with the carrots and celery. Skim any fat from the braising juices, heat them to a boil, and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Pour it through a sieve set over a clean container. Press the juices well from the strained herbs and remaining vegetable pieces. Pour in any juices from the meat platter, and season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (If you are not going to serve it right away, put the meat and reserved vegetables in the sauce to rest and cool, for a couple of hours or overnight.)
• To serve: Slice the meat crosswise (easiest when it is cool). Pour a shallow layer of sauce into a wide skillet, and lay the slices in, overlapping. Heat the sauce to bubbling, spooning it over the beef, so the slices are lightly coated. Lift them with a broad spatula, and slide them onto a warm platter, fanned out. Heat the carrots and celery in the sauce, too, and arrange them on the platter. Serve, passing more heated sauce at the table.

BRAISED ITALIAN-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• To prepare the sacchétto di spezie:
• Combine all the ingredients in the center of a piece of cheesecloth that is large enough to hold the herb sprigs, and tie in a bundle with butcher's string.
• To prepare the pot roast:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour. Melt the butter in a large (6-quart) flameproof casserole set over medium-high heat. When it is foaming, add the beef and brown it on all sides, 5 minutes. Add the celery, onions, carrot, and sacchétto di spezie. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the bottle of wine. Cook until the wine begins to boil, about 2 more minutes, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.
• 3. Strain the porcini mushrooms through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms under cold running water to remove any grit, and add them to the casserole along with the strained mushroom liquid, tomato paste, and tomatoes. The liquid should just cover the meat. If it does not, add chicken broth or water. Cover the casserole and bake it in the oven until the meat is cooked through and tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat from the casserole to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.
• 4. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetables and herb bag. Pour the broth back into the casserole and set it over high heat. Bring to a boil and add the arrowroot and the 1/4 cup wine. Cook to reduce and thicken the liquid, about 5 minutes. Carve the meat into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately, spooning some of the broth over each portion.

BRAISED BEEF SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
• Sprinkle both sides of your beef shanks with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the beef shanks on both sides and then remove to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon and butter to the hot pan. Cook until the bacon starts to render its fat and add in the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes or until bacon is almost brown and onions begin to soften.
• Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds. Add the red wine vinegar to the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Then add in the tomatoes, the tomato juice and the beef broth. Return the beef shanks to the pan along with any juices. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a heavy lid and place in the 250 degree oven. Braise for 3-4 hours, checking for tenderness. The beef is done when the meat easily shreds with a fork.
• Serve over hot mashed potatoes or grits and enjoy!

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Brown chuck roast with olive oil in a Dutch oven or large oven safe pan on stove top.
• Remove roast from pan and add all other ingredients.
• Stir and bring to a simmer.
• Return roast to pan, cover with lid and place in preheated oven.
• Cook for 6-8 hours or until meat starts to fall apart.
• Strain juice from pan and shred beef and peppers.
• Move reserved juice to another sauce pan bring to boil and reduce by half.
• Add reduced sauce to beef and peppers and serve.
• Can be served over pasta ,polenta or as is with Italian bread and Parmesan cheese. Also makes a tasty sandwich, use a good crusty sub roll.