RECIPE

© John Kernick

Barolo-Braised Veal

• Recipe by Giorgio Rivetti

The veal marinates overnight in Barolo, so plan accordingly. If you can't find an affordable Barolo, try a Nebbiolo d'Alba; it's made from the same grape.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 bottles Barolo (4 1/2 cups)
2. 3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
3. 3 bay leaves
4. 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
5. 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
6. 2 whole cloves
7. One 4-pound boneless veal shoulder roast, tied
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10. 1 cup veal or beef stock or low-sodium broth

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the wine, celery, bay leaves, onions, carrots and cloves. Add the veal and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning a few times. 
2. The next day, remove the veal from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Season the veal with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the veal and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Add the reserved marinade and the veal stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the veal, skimming as necessary and turning the meat halfway through, until it's tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 140�, about 2 1/2 hours. 
3. Transfer the veal to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Strain the cooking liquid into a medium saucepan and boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the strings from the roast and carve it into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve with the braising liquid.

Serve With

Cooked carrots and creamy polenta.

Notes

If you don’t have time to marinate the veal overnight, try to let it sit in the wine mixture for at least 4 hours, the last hour at room temperature.

Braising is the secret to making tough, inexpensive cuts of meat succulent. Before braising, brown the meat; then cook it slowly in a tightly lidded pot with a small amount of liquid. Enameled cast-iron pots are ideal for braising because they maintain constant levels of heat, but stainless steel and anodized aluminum pots are good alternatives.