Beef Brasato

By John, 4 July, 2025
Region
Italy
Description

In this classic Italian braised beef recipe, a Cappello del Prete (chuck blade) is cooked very "low and slow" for fall-apart tenderness with great flavor. 

As with most recipes, having the best equipment makes everything easier. For this one, I wanted to see just how "low-and-slow" I could go, keeping the pot at the lowest heat that would cook the meat. This is because I was cooking a Cappello del Prete, a tough cut from the shoulder with a great seam of connective tissue through the middle of it. Most American supermarkets do not carry this cut, but butchers can do it for you (I got mine from the butcher at Friends Market in Orleans, MA). 

Using this cut of meat, I needed the right tool, please see the Notes for more!

Unlike the similar (and costly) Beef Braised in Barolo which is cooked in only wine, this is cooked in 2/3 wine and 1/3 beef stock. This can be served over polenta like the Barolo beef, but it's also good with short pasta or crusty bread.

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
9 hours
Cooking time
7 hours
Total time
16 hours
Ingredients
2 c Dry Red Wine
1 Onion (sliced)
1 Carrot (sliced)
1 Celery rib (sliced)
2 bay leaves
10 Black Peppercorns
4 Juniper Berries (lightly crushed)
1 Rosemary sprig
1 Sage sprig
4 whole cloves
1 c Beef Stock
3 1⁄2 lb Chuck Roast (Chuck blade if available)
2 T Olive oil
1⁄4 c All-purpose Flour
Instructions
  1. Make the marinade: Combine the wine and all other ingredients up to the cloves in a large sealable bag or a non-reactive container large enough to hold it and the beef. Add the beef and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Remove the beef from the marinade, and dry with paper towels.
  3. In a a Dutch oven or a heavy braiser, heat the oil and sear the beef on all sides. Set aside.
  4. Add a little of the marinade to deglaze the pot, then add the rest of the marinade. Pick out the rosemary and sage and discard. Add the beef stock. 
  5. Heat to a simmer and return the beef to the pot. Cover and cook on very low to an internal temperature of 203 F (see notes). It's best if the liquid is not boiling.
  6. Remove the beef gently to a cutting board. 
  7. Strain out the vegetables and blend them in a food processor. 
  8. Add the flour and blend until smooth.
  9. Add 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid and blend again.
  10. Stir it all back into the remaining hot cooking liquid, heat to a boil and whisk smooth to make a sauce.
  11. Carve the beef into thick slices and serve it hot with the sauce.
Notes

I used a Meater Bluetooth meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the beef with great precision. This device shows the target internal temperature of the meat, the current internal temperature, and the ambient temperature in the pot. With the gas at the lowest setting and the pot covered, the whole thing simmered below boiling for 7 hours as the meat gradually heated to 203 degrees. All the time I was working upstairs in my office, occasionally glancing at my phone to track the progress.

It's a great device. I got it as a Christmas gift after seeing my brother's. It's a whole lot better than lifting the lid and guessing all day if the stock is boiling.

Source

Traditional