Imagine a round of beef sitting in two bottles of rich Barolo wine, roasting away in your oven, its aromas seducing you no matter where you walk in the house…this is pleasure land. That beef, when it’s done, will be fork tender, almost melting into a sauce that looks like red velvet.
To say we bayed at the moon when we ate it is only slightly exaggeratory. We did keel over when we made and devoured this in the studio, and drank glasses of Barolo.
This isn’t a hard recipe; you brown the outside of the meat a little to bring out its flavor, then submerge it halfway in the wine. It’s wildly good.
— Faith Middleton
ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith and the gang rave about Lidia’s Beef Roasted in Barolo Wine recipe during an episode of The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze®. And, subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a drop of pleasure.
Want more Lidia? Listen to Faith’s conversation with Lidia about her new memoir, My American Dream.
Lidia's Insanely Delicious Italian Beef Roasted in Barolo Wine Votes: 1746 Rate this recipe! Print Recipe
Rating: 3.33
You:
The recipe is from Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Alfred A. Knopf, 2015
- CourseMain course, Main Dish
- CuisineItalian
| Servings |
| 6 or more |
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| Lidia's Insanely Delicious Italian Beef Roasted in Barolo Wine Votes: 1746 Rate this recipe! Print Recipe The recipe is from Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Alfred A. Knopf, 2015
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Ingredients
- 5 pound boneless beef-roast (flat-iron, chuck, or bottom round), trimmed of fat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions 1 pound total, quartered
- 3 carrots large, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 stalks celery cut into 2-inch chunks
- 6 cloves garlic plump, crushed and peeled
- 2 sprigs rosemary fresh
- 6 sage leaves large, fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cup porcini mushrooms dried, loosely packed, rinsed
- 2 bottles Barolo wine 750 milliliters each
- 2 cups beef stock or as needed (see note below)
- black pepper freshly ground
Servings: or more
Instructions
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.
Recipe Notes
*Lidia uses her own Mixed Meat Stock, which can be found on page 144 of her cookbook Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine.We used a good quality beef stock.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Elizabeth Fox saysDid I hear, while navigating traffic a few minutes ago, that this could be cooked in a crock pot? If so, do you need to turn it. Also what type of wine was suggested to substitute for Barolo?
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- Faith Middleton says
Faith here, Elizabeth. You can cook it in a slow cooker after you brown it as the recipe suggests. Then into the cooker it goes. Place a round circle of parchment paper on top of the meat if the liquid is not half way up the pot. (This allows the meat to steam.) no turning. in fact, you want the lid to stay on so that the heat inside remains captured. No peeking! Nebbiolos are cheaper than Barolos, or a sturdy red, about ten dollars a bottle is fine. Cheers!
- Jean Perkins says
How long in the crockpot?
What setting? Low?Thank you!
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- Faith Middleton says
I’d put mine on low. Full length of cooking time. Cheers,
FaithReply »
- Kendra says
This sounds wonderful. I am going to make this in my slow cooker tomorrow and let it cook away while I use the oven to make some cookies 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
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- Todd Johnson says
I’d say get a thermometer and poke it after 2 hrs. to see where you’re at. 2hrs isn’t enough time, but check again the next hour. Then, you’ll have an idea when to check again. I always hear 165° F. in the middle is where you want it. I hope that made sense.
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- Chris says
Listening on NPR right now… I am certainly making this for at least one of many holiday parties this year.
GREAT ARTICLE, and great conversation on NPR. I am former Chef de Partie from Ritz-Carlton – Its refreshing to hear correct techniques and terminology
Great job guys, thank you!
Chris
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- Faith Middleton says
Chris, a compliment from you is especially appreciated! I can vouch for this one. I’ve eaten three times straight from the oven and straight from the slow cooker. Even the one we made with a very inexpensive box wine was fabulous. That’s all we had at the time. Cheers and great thanks, Faith
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- Gina Finch says
How long in the crock pot do think a piece of meat to feed 15 people. I would probably use 2 pieces of meat in a large crock pot.
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- Faith Middleton says
If I were doing this I’d go the full 7 hours so that its fork-tender. Cheers, Faith
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- alison says
Hi, sounds delicious! Just got a pressure cooker as a gift and never used before. Is this something I can cook on the low pressure setting and if so what would the cooking time be? thanks
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- Faith Middleton says
Alison,
I’m not a pressure cooker expert, though I’d like to be. I asked Chris Prosperi, who uses them, and he said he’d do this dish at his house for about 20 minutes on high. All the Best, FaithReply »
- Tomas says
Hi i made it in the pressure cooker for new years eve, 17 min on high and kept it for another 16 min on keep it warm and then 10 min of but still in the pot to get to the friends house. It was well done and barely eatable :((( next time ill do 15 min and out
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- Faith Middleton says
Oh no, Tomas! So sorry that happened…sometimes an overcooked dish like that can be somewhat rescued by adding more moisture and reheating, say beef broth and a little more wine, unless it’s burned — no removing that flavor, unfortunately. All the Best, Faith
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- Donna Darnis says
During your show you mentioned a less expensive alternative for wine in lieu of Barolo wines. What was the name of the wine alternative?
Thanks.Reply »
- Faith Middleton says
Ask for the least expensive Nebbiolo, Donna. A similar style and not nearly as pricey. As an experiment, Chris made this with an inexpensive red box wine and I tasted it — fantastic. Best, Faith
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- Shawn says
If you cook in a crock pot with a 5 pound roast, how long on low should it cook? Your answer above said “full length of cooking time” Does that mean the 3 hours in the recipe? I thought I heard you a Chris talking about a longer time in the crock pot — 5 or 6 hours?? If my two bottles of wine and beef stock do not fit in the crock pot all at once, should I add more as time goes on? Love your show!!!!!
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- Faith Middleton says
Shawn, the 5 to 6 hour setting is just right, says Chris. But we’re concerned about the size of the pot you’re using…I’m going to see if i can find Chris for advice. Cheers, Faith
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- Erin french says
In the crock pot, do all the veggies and herbs go on the bottom? Should the meat be covered in wine and stock or not?
Thank youReply »
- Faith Middleton says
Erin, when Chris makes it this way, he puts the vegetables in, then the browned meat. He uses two bottles of sturdy red wine and if it doesn’t cover the meat, he places a piece of round parchment paper resting on the meat so that it steams and becomes fork-tender. Cheers, Faith
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- Patricia Santoro says
My husband heard this in November and printed out the recipe but I did not try it until this past Saturday. I did it in the slow cooker during the snow storm. Excellent. It was so good then, and today for lunch I’m having leftovers and I like it even more. Will do this again and again!
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- al silvestri says
Living in Colorado it took about 5 hours on a 3.5 lb of bottom round with the altitude
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- Mish says
I do not like the taste of alcohol. Will it all disappear through cooking?
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Hi Mish: The wine does add flavor, though it’s not overpowering once cooked. Having said that, if wine’s not your thing, Chris suggests you try reducing the amount called for to 1/2 cup and substituting broth for the remaining wine. Let us know how it comes out.
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- Barbara Ann says
Hi: Perhaps it was the cut or quality of meat -supermarket chuck roast-or heightened expectations, or something I did wrong but this was a disappointment. I make Sara Moulton’s short ribs and I expected this would be as succulent. The meat came out like every other pot roast I have ever made- too chewy, dry and gray on the inside. It didn’t become fork tender until almost 4 hours of cooking and it was only 3.75 pounds. I didn’t let it boil and i turned it as instructed. BTW I am a pretty good cook-roasted chicken the night before was fabulous-and so I would love to know your opinion about what went wrong.
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Sorry this wasn’t a winner for you, Barbara. Maybe we should try Sara’s short ribs. Love her!
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- Delaine says
Just tried after watching lydia on create saturday. Delicious. Five star for flavor and for the recipe.
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- Gail Murray says
Glad to know I can use my big crock pot for this beef barrolo recipe. I’ll be cooking a turkey in the oven. Sounds straight forward enough. I appreciate all the replies….super healthful. Am loving cooking more great recipes for my family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!! Gail
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- The Showbiz Chef says
I used one bottle of wine and chicken or veggie stock to get liquid to correct level. Instead of expensive Barolo, I used Ravens Wood Cabernet Sauvignon (under $8) as it has a hints of blackberry.
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- Karen Martin says
Can I use a rump roast in this recipe?
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
We don’t see why you couldn’t. Report back.
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- tara sotire says
I feel late to this party! Whats a good “brand” of Barolo? I plan to give a bottle as a gift to a client and liked to get something super delicious but also a little special (I have a max $75 budget on this)… thoughts?
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
A few years ago, we featured a Barolo we loved as part of that year’s holiday wine recommendations. Here’s the post. You can also put “Barolo” in our search box and every mention of Barolo will come up in results. Barolos are expensive, but in those search results you might find a wine our tasters thought was similar to a Barolo in flavor and character, but perhaps not as pricey. And keep in mind, wine shops can’t carry everything (especially if the vintage is a few years old) so do call ahead and place an order over the phone for pick-up. You might also find that a wine you’re just discovering now in is only available in a more recent vintage. Our rule of thumb: go for it. When we feature a wine it’s because—first and foremost—it’s delicious, and you can bet it comes from a producer who employs wholesome practices when making that wine. You might score a vintage we haven’t tasted, but if it is from a reputable vineyard, you’ll likely enjoy it because it’s good wine made by a small-ish producer (as opposed to big industrially-made wines) in a pure way.
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- Beth Hommert says
Thanks so much for having this recipe, since Lidia no longer has it on her website! I’ve wanted to make this for years after seeing her make it on her show, but she didn’t share her recipes then.
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- Scott Kerssen says
For the porcini mushrooms, I assume that you need to hydrate them prior to adding them to the dutch over (or crock pot). The recipe doesn’t mention hydrating them. Should I hydrate them or doesn’t it matter?
Thanks
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
There’s no need to hydrate the mushrooms before adding them to the Dutch oven for this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
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- Linda D says
Help. My beef is dry dry dry. What can I do? Guests arrive tomorrow
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
Oh no! You can’t get the moisture back into the beef, but you can put it on top. Gravy! More gravy! It hides a multitude of sins.
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- Joseph Norris says
Made this last night and it was incredible! I added a jar of sun dried tomatoes to the braise. I will make this again and again!
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- Carole Aguglia says
I have Lidia’s demo on this recipe saved on my DVR. I refer to it when I’ve made a similar product; the fragrance is awesome while cooking. I use a heady red wine (barolo is crazy expensive) and I keep the lid on in the oven. Dial down on temp if you can, if it boils. Crazy good!
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- Andy Sand says
Sounds like the big variable is the cut and or quality of the beef. Maybe a discussion addressing the cut of beef. In my opinion, chuck, and round are very different cuts with distinct properties. To complicate matters further, I have had varying results from same cut of meat. As with anything grown and not manufactured… each animal is distinct.
Happy Cooking!Reply »
- Dee says
This recipe was featured on Lidia’s Kitchen, PBS about two months ago. I made it then, and had the frozen leftovers today over mashed potatoes.
It was just as delicious today as it was when freshly prepared.
I used button mushrooms, because that is what I had on hand, a chuck roast and a low tannin red wine, left by a guest the previous night.
This recipe freezes beautifully in two portion servings.Reply »
- Carolyn says
Lidia drives me crazy. Your recipe which is supposed to be Lidia’s recipe is completely different than hers. Even her recipes on TV are not the same when you go to her website. In this case, the biggest difference besides the meat is 2 cups of Barolo vs. 2 Bottles. That’s a very big difference.
Now I don’t know which recipe to follow. HELP!!!
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- Robyn Doyon-Aitken says
I’d imagine that Lidia’s made many versions of her dishes many times over the years, tweaking and changing as needed for a cookbook or her show(s) or her website. All the recipes will probably result in a perfectly delicious roast. The recipe on this website is reprinted from a cookbook and was presumably tested by professional cooks multiple times before being finalized for publication (good publishers insist on multiple recipe tests by cooks other than the author). Maybe that helps you lean toward one of the recipe versions?
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