BRAISED BEEF PAPPARDELLE

Recipe by : Le Fit Cook
Wine pairing : Luigi Righetti Amarone Valpolicella Classico
Output : 4 portions
Preparation time : 35 min
Cooking time : 3 h 10 min

Ingredients

Beef

• 800 g chuck roast, cut into large pieces 
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) garlic powder 
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) onion powder 
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried herbs of your choice 
• 2 tsp (10 ml) dried chili flakes 

Sauce

• ½ leek (or 1 yellow onion), chopped 
• 3 Nantes carrots, chopped 
• 2 stalks celery, chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled only 
• 8 tomatoes, chopped 
• ¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste 
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 
• 2 cups (500 ml) water 
• 3 bay leaves 
• 8 sprigs thyme 

Steps

1. Place all the beef ingredients on a plate. Add a drizzle of oil and season with salt and pepper. Coat beef pieces well with spices. 
2. In a pot over high heat, sear beef pieces for 2 minutes on each side. Remove beef from pot. Set aside. 
3. In the same pot, turn heat to medium and drizzle with oil. Add leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. 
4. Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook for a further 3 minutes. 
5. Add all remaining sauce ingredients and return beef pieces to pot. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, making sure to maintain a low boil. 
6. Remove the pieces of meat from the pot and shred with two forks. Remove thyme and bay leaf sprigs. 
7. Using a potato masher, mash the vegetables in the pot. Return the shredded beef to the pot and mix well to make an Italian-style braised beef sauce. 

Tip

For the presentation of this dish, I chose to make pappardelle! I cut large ribbons from fresh pasta lasagne sheets (available in the deli department at the supermarket). The result was elegant and original, for a twist on an Italian classic. Ah, also, grated Parmesan and fresh basil are optional toppings, but highly recommended!