Beef Braised in Chianti with Porcini Mushrooms
Prep time
Cook time
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This is one of those classic Italian dishes that is insanely delicious! There is one unusual ingredient, Juniper berries. They can be found in spice shops or specialty markets, they add that very distinctive flavor to Gin! My granny used them in many of her beef recipes, she was from Northern Italy, Bologna. But if you can't find them, don't worry, the wine and the porcinis and the other ingredients make this a spectacular dish without them! The meat marinates 24 hours in Chianti, veggies and of course garlic and and that makes it melt in your mouth tender and full of flavor and then it's topped with Porcini sauce! This recipe is a great weekend project!
Author: Ruth Guerri
Recipe type: Beef
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2½ - 3 lb rump roast
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 small onions, sliced
- 4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- handful of fresh parsley
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 Tbs of dried Juniper berries
- 1 tsp of black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bottle of Chianti
- 1 oz of dried porcini mushrooms
- 3 Tbs of canola or vegetable oil
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1½ tsp of kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the meat in a deep bowl. Add the carrots, onions, garlic, celery, parsley, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns and the cloves, then pour in the wine and mix it all up with your hands.
Marinate for 24 hours in the fridge, turn the meat occasionally. - The next day, soak the mushrooms in 1 cup of lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Reserve the liquid. Drain and chop the mushrooms and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°
- Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry.
In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium/high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove all of the vegetables and solids from the marinade and add them into the dutch oven with the browned beef and pour in 2 cups of the wine from the marinade, bring to a slow simmer over low heat, add the porcinis, tomatoes and salt. 
Cover and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours. Check occasionally and add more wine or reserved mushroom water if needed. - Remove the beef from the dutch oven and slice, transfer it to a serving platter and keep warm. For the sauce, either use an immersion blender or food processor and blend until the sauce is smooth. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken, taste and add salt if needed. All done! When ready to serve, just spoon the sauce over the beef! Delicious with mashed potatoes!
I have 2 nice tender loin steaks, Should I use them or the rump meat and just grill the T loins
I would just grill those Jim.
I’m going to do the tenders with the shallot cognac sauce Thanks!