This beautiful beef brisket dish is based on the Tuscan braise – beef in Barolo wine, but you can use any full-bodied red that suits your budget
Prep:30 mins
Serves 8
2.2kg piece of rolled beef brisket1 bottle full-bodied red wine3 tbsp olive oil8 celery sticks, cut into little-finger-length pieces2 carrots, roughly chopped1 onion, sliced3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped4 thyme sprigs4 bay leavessmall pack parsley, roughly chopped
STEP 1If you have time, up to 24 hrs before, sit the beef in a snug plastic container and pour over the wine. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge, turning the beef as and when you can.STEP 2Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Drain the wine from the beef (if you’ve marinated), but keep the wine. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish that will fit the beef and all the vegetables – don’t worry if the beef is too tall for the dish. Season the beef and spend a good 15 mins browning it on all sides, then remove from the dish. Add the celery, carrots and onion to the dish, sizzle in the beef fat for 5 mins, then add the garlic and herbs. Nestle the beef among the vegetables, pour over the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish with its lid (or foil if the beef is too tall) and braise in the oven for 4-4½ hrs until very tender, turning the beef once.STEP 3Once cooked, leave to rest for 10 mins, then lift the beef onto a carving board. Drain the vegetables (reserving the braising juices), toss with the parsley and tip into a dish. Spoon the fat off the braising juices and pour into a bowl for spooning over. The sauce can be chilled in the fridge – the fat will solidify and can be lifted off the sauce before it’s reheated.
