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Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)




Source of Recipe


Joy of Cooking


Recipe Introduction


"A classic of home cooking, stracotto changes from one part of Italy and one family to another. The braising juices can be used to sauce pasta, and leftover stracotto makes excellent hot sandwiches on chewy rolls, moistened with pan sauce."


Mince together:


3 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves

4 fresh sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

Set aside half the mixture and mix the rest with:


1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Make about 10 deep slits in:


1 beef rump roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
Stuff the slits with the oil and herb mixture. Heat in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat:


3 tablespoons olive oil
Add the roast and brown on all sides until dark and crusty, about 20 minutes. Maintain the heat so that the meat sizzles but does not burn. Remove the roast from the pot and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Sprinkle the roast with:


1 teaspoon salt
Return the pot to the heat and add:


1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped

4 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced

1 bay leaf, broken

Cook, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned. Stir in the remaining herb mixture and cook for 30 seconds. Add and boil until almost dry:


1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Stir in and boil until reduced to less than 1/2 cup:


1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef or chicken stock

Add the roast along with:


One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed
1 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef or chicken stock

Bring to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook the roast slowly, so that the liquid just barely simmers, for about 2 1/2 hours. Turn the roast every 30 minutes or so. When the meat is tender, remove it to a platter and cover it with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off any fat from the surface of the liquid. Taste and adjust the seasonings. If the sauce seems weak, boil it down for a few minutes. Slice the meat about 1/4 inch thick and moisten it with the braising liquid.