Italian cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Rovato-Style Beef in Oil

Lombard beef roast, braised for three hours in olive oil with anchovies and capers until fork-tender and fibrous.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1.2 kg beef shoulder, whole
• 200 ml olive oil
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• 300 ml beef stock
• 2 slices stale white bread
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Take the meat out of the fridge 1 hr. before cooking, pat dry and tie into an even cylinder with kitchen string so it holds together during the long braise.
2. Finely dice the onion, carrots and celery, slice the garlic, coarsely chop the anchovy fillets and rinse the capers under cold water.
3. Heat 150 ml olive oil in a heavy braising pot and sear the meat on all sides over high heat for 8–10 min. until it has a deep brown crust, then remove.
4. Sweat the vegetables in the remaining oil for 6–8 min. until soft, add the anchovies and garlic and stir for 2 min. until the anchovies have completely dissolved.
5. Return the meat, pour in the stock, add the capers and braise covered over very gentle heat for 2.5 hr., turning hourly – the roast is done when a fork slides in without resistance.
6. Soak the crustless white bread in the sauce, purée everything smooth, season with salt and pepper, and serve the roast sliced 1 cm thick under the sauce with chopped parsley.