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Sunday Pot Roast

October 12, 2021 By
Sunday Pot Roast
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — A slow-cooked pot roast will provide an excellent Sunday dinner and provide leftovers for easy weekday sandwiches, pasta sauces, and soups. I marinate my pot roast in red wine for an intense flavor and cook it with a bunch of vegetables and fresh herbs for richness and depth. Once the meat is fork tender, I like to blend the vegetables and juices into a sauce to serve with the sliced meat. It’s a delicious heartwarming meal. Whether you cook it in the oven or use the stovetop, Instant Pot, slow-cooker or pressure cooker, the results are guaranteed the same.
Servings Prep Time
6 to 8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
6 to 8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Sunday Pot Roast
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Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — A slow-cooked pot roast will provide an excellent Sunday dinner and provide leftovers for easy weekday sandwiches, pasta sauces, and soups. I marinate my pot roast in red wine for an intense flavor and cook it with a bunch of vegetables and fresh herbs for richness and depth. Once the meat is fork tender, I like to blend the vegetables and juices into a sauce to serve with the sliced meat. It’s a delicious heartwarming meal. Whether you cook it in the oven or use the stovetop, Instant Pot, slow-cooker or pressure cooker, the results are guaranteed the same.
Servings Prep Time
6 to 8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
6 to 8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
  • 4 lb boneless beef rump or top round in one piece, tied together with butcher string
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 1 clove garlic,peeled
  • 2 cups roughly chopped onions 
  • 1 cup roughly chopped carrots 
  • 1 cup roughly chopped celery 
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 3 ½ cups beef or veal stock
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • ¼ cup Cognac or brandy (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, season the beef well on all sides with salt and pepper. Add the wine, garlic, and ½  cup each of the onions, carrots and celery. Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight but no more than 16 hours.
  2. The next day, about 3 hours before you want to sit down to dinner, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  3. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the meat dry on paper towels. In a heavy 3-quart Dutch oven, medium-high heat the oil. Add the beef and brown on all sides. 
  4. Transfer the beef to a plate. Add the remaining onions, carrots and celery to the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender and lightly browned. 
  5. Stir in the tomato paste, nutmeg and cinnamon.
  6. Add the stock and reserved marinade and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits. Add the thyme, bay leaf and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the meat to the casserole.
  7. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven. Bake for about 2 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
  8. Remove the meat from the casserole and cut it into thick slices. Arrange the slices on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
  9. Discard the herb sprigs, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Blend the sauce right in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender until the desired consistency.
  10. Add the Cognac and cream, if desired, and simmer the sauce for a few minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt or pepper if needed.
  11. To serve, spoon some of the blended sauce over the sliced roast beef and pass the remaining sauce alongside. (Alternatively, the roast beef can be refrigerated overnight in the cooking liquid, and the next day the meat can be sliced, and the sauce blended and reheated before serving. Doing this will improve both the flavor and texture of the meat and will also allow the layer of chilled fat on the surface of the liquid to be removed and discarded.)
Recipe Notes

For a more complex flavor, upgrade your red wine to a Barolo is a wine from the Piedmont region and it’s used during the holidays for cooking a fancier version of pot roast called Brasato

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Short Ribs Boeuf Bourguignon

February 20, 2020 By
Short Ribs Boeuf Bourguignon
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I’m a big fan of boeuf bourguignon. I learned to make it as child from my mom, and later I perfection it while training at Cordon Bleu. Of course Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon is a classic, however I have adapted her recipe and I use short ribs instead of stew meat. I slow cook the ribs for at least 3 hours in the oven until fork tender. They come out melt in your mouth delicious every time. Boeuf bourguignon is one of my go to dishes when I need to feed a large crowd in winter. I always make it one or two days in advance because it taste better after all the flavors mingle while resting for at least 24 hours. The secret of a good boeuf bourguignon is patience and very slow cooking. I sear the ribs to a brown crisp before slow cooking them. I sear two or three ribs at the time and then I drain them from the extra fat. I also like to braise cipolline (small sweet onions) separately and add them at the last moment as a garnish; they bring a smooth texture to the stew. At the beginning of the process take your time to cook each ingredient properly, and you will be happy by the results. Boeuf bourguignon is a braise. Braised meat is essentially a piece of meat that is browned on all sides, and then cooked gently in liquid. You want to do this in a large pot that is oven-friendly, since there is no better way to ensure even, low, gentle cooking than by placing the entire vessel in the oven at a low temperature. Pay attention to the bottom of the pan while you are cooking. As you sear, little pieces of meat will brown and stick to the bottom. The French call these golden suc, tiny bits of flavor for sauce. The best way to scrape up these little flavor bombs is with wine. Use a glass of wine, some good homemade stock, or even water and scrape all the bits of the bottom then reduce before doing the ingredients. This will gift your bourguignon (or any braised dish) with the foundation for layers of flavors.
Servings Prep Time
10/12 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 4 hours for marinating
Servings Prep Time
10/12 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 4 hours for marinating
Short Ribs Boeuf Bourguignon
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I’m a big fan of boeuf bourguignon. I learned to make it as child from my mom, and later I perfection it while training at Cordon Bleu. Of course Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon is a classic, however I have adapted her recipe and I use short ribs instead of stew meat. I slow cook the ribs for at least 3 hours in the oven until fork tender. They come out melt in your mouth delicious every time. Boeuf bourguignon is one of my go to dishes when I need to feed a large crowd in winter. I always make it one or two days in advance because it taste better after all the flavors mingle while resting for at least 24 hours. The secret of a good boeuf bourguignon is patience and very slow cooking. I sear the ribs to a brown crisp before slow cooking them. I sear two or three ribs at the time and then I drain them from the extra fat. I also like to braise cipolline (small sweet onions) separately and add them at the last moment as a garnish; they bring a smooth texture to the stew. At the beginning of the process take your time to cook each ingredient properly, and you will be happy by the results. Boeuf bourguignon is a braise. Braised meat is essentially a piece of meat that is browned on all sides, and then cooked gently in liquid. You want to do this in a large pot that is oven-friendly, since there is no better way to ensure even, low, gentle cooking than by placing the entire vessel in the oven at a low temperature. Pay attention to the bottom of the pan while you are cooking. As you sear, little pieces of meat will brown and stick to the bottom. The French call these golden suc, tiny bits of flavor for sauce. The best way to scrape up these little flavor bombs is with wine. Use a glass of wine, some good homemade stock, or even water and scrape all the bits of the bottom then reduce before doing the ingredients. This will gift your bourguignon (or any braised dish) with the foundation for layers of flavors.
Servings Prep Time
10/12 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 4 hours for marinating
Servings Prep Time
10/12 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 4 hours for marinating
Ingredients
  • 5 pounds trimmed boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 medium carrots—5 cut into 2-inch pieces, 4 cut into 1-inch rounds
  • 4 medium celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 medium garlic cloves
  • 1 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
  • fine sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • 1 pound meaty slab bacon—half cut into 1/4-inch-thick lardons, half cut into 2-in
  • 3 bay leaves tied with 10 thyme sprigs, one sprig of rosemary
  • 2 pounds stemmed button mushrooms
  • 1 pound peeled cipolline
  • 1 bunch chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Place the short ribs, 2-inch carrot pieces, celery, onions, garlic and red wine in a large bowl and marinate for at least 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°. Strain the beef and vegetables over a bowl; reserve the wine. Separate the short ribs from the vegetables. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. In batches, sear the meat over high heat until browned on all sides, 30 minutes; transfer the meat to a bowl as you go.
  3. Reduce the heat to moderate, add the marinated vegetables and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add the reserved wine, stock, large bacon pieces, herbs and meat along with any juices; bring to a simmer.
  4. Braise the stew in the oven for 3 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and bacon to a bowl. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids.
  5. Wipe out the casserole. Add the lardons and crisp over moderately high heat, 10 minutes; transfer to paper towels. Working in batches, add the mushrooms to the casserole and cook until golden, 8 minutes per batch. Add the mushrooms to the meat.
  6. Add the carrot rounds and braising liquid to the pot and simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-third. Add the meat, bacon, lardons and mushrooms; simmer until the sauce reduces slightly. Season with salt and pepper and let cool. Refrigerate overnight.
  7. Braise cipolline until tender in a medium pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and 4 tablespoons water . Season with salt and set aside.
  8. Skim the fat from the stew and reheat. Garnish with braised cipolline, parsley and serve.
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Barbera Grilled Flank Steak— Brasato Remix

June 21, 2019 By
Barbera Grilled Flank Steak— Brasato Remix
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Barbera is great with grilled meats and it’s best served slightly chilled, making it the perfect BBQ wine not only for drinking but also for cooking. This Barbera marinade, based on the Italian recipe for brasato, works wanders to flavor flank steak. I marinate the meat for thirty minutes to two hours. For rare steak, I grill it on really high heat for three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Larger steaks might take longer. I reduce the leftover Barbera marinade in a small pot on low heat, I puree it in to a creamy sauce and I serve on the side of the flank steak.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes, to 2 hours
Cook Time
6 to 10 minutes minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes, to 2 hours
Cook Time
6 to 10 minutes minutes
Barbera Grilled Flank Steak— Brasato Remix
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Barbera is great with grilled meats and it’s best served slightly chilled, making it the perfect BBQ wine not only for drinking but also for cooking. This Barbera marinade, based on the Italian recipe for brasato, works wanders to flavor flank steak. I marinate the meat for thirty minutes to two hours. For rare steak, I grill it on really high heat for three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Larger steaks might take longer. I reduce the leftover Barbera marinade in a small pot on low heat, I puree it in to a creamy sauce and I serve on the side of the flank steak.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes, to 2 hours
Cook Time
6 to 10 minutes minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes, to 2 hours
Cook Time
6 to 10 minutes minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1/2 medium carrot diced
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 750 ml Barbera wine
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled
  • 2-3 bay leaf
  • a few whole cardamom cloves, one cinnamon stick, some juniper berries
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 handful mixed fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme tied together with a string
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, unsalted
  • 1 shot cognac
  • 1 16-24 ounces flank steak
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • one bunch of parsley leaves, chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
Marinade
  1. Sweat the onion, carrot and celery with the olive oil until translucent in medium-large pot.
  2. Add the Barbera wine, the garlic, the bay leaves, the cloves, the cinnamon, the juniper berries, the nutmeg and the tied herbs. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the beef stock and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Remove and discard bay the leaves, cinnamon and rosemary and the thyme stalks. With an immersion blender puree the vegetables and the liquid until smooth. Boil the sauce over medium-high heat, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Drop in the butter and swirl it through the sauce until glossy. Add a shot of cognac and reduce it until the alcohol has evaporated, about two minutes. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper, if necessary. It can be prepared a day in advanced. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Flank Steak
  1. Season the flank steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the Barbera sauce and turn once or twice, then let sit in the sauce until the grill is hot.
  2. Turn the steak one more time, then place on the grill; brush a couple of tablespoons with the Barbera sauce over it, reserve the rest of the sauce. For rare meat, grill about 3 minutes a side for steaks less than an inch thick. For larger or more done steak, increase the time slightly.
  3. Rest the steak for 10 minutes and slice at a diagonal, against the grain. Serve with the chopped parsley and the reserved sauce on the side.
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Butterflied Filet of Beef with Herbs

June 12, 2019 By
Butterflied Filet of Beef with Herbs
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is the most tender of all cuts of beef but it is less flavorful than those coming from a muscles of animals. I like to unroll the cylinder of the fillet by butterflying it with a sharp knife until I obtain a rectangular shape of even thickness. I cover the surface after a good seasoning with chopped herbs, or chopped bacon, mushrooms, caramelized onions or shallots and cheese, roasted peppers or truffles. I roll up the filet and tie it with kitchen rope then after a good browning on the stove, I finish the filet in a hot oven. It's an elegant but simple way to feed a crowd.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
20/25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
20/25 minutes
Butterflied Filet of Beef with Herbs
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is the most tender of all cuts of beef but it is less flavorful than those coming from a muscles of animals. I like to unroll the cylinder of the fillet by butterflying it with a sharp knife until I obtain a rectangular shape of even thickness. I cover the surface after a good seasoning with chopped herbs, or chopped bacon, mushrooms, caramelized onions or shallots and cheese, roasted peppers or truffles. I roll up the filet and tie it with kitchen rope then after a good browning on the stove, I finish the filet in a hot oven. It's an elegant but simple way to feed a crowd.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
20/25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
20/25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 pounds center cut beef filet, trimmed
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons chopped herbs
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Open and butterfly the filet. Use a sharp-boning knife and cut the beef starting from the center using the tip of the knife and gently unrolling while cutting. Maintain at least a 3/4 of an inch thickness. Flatten in to a regular rectangle.
  2. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Season with salt and pepper and cover the surface with the chopped herbs, or what ever you are using. Roll the beef tight and tie with kitchen string in even sections. Season the outside.
  3. Heat a pan with vegetable oil. Sear the meat on all sides until browned. Roll it over every minute with a pair of tongs. Transfer the fillet to a hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes for medium rare to medium. Rest the meat outside the oven for at least 10 minutes, untie and slice before serving.
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Beef Filet Medallions with Balsamic Glaze

October 12, 2018 By
Beef Filet Medallions with Balsamic Glaze
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini— This is an uncomplicated but delicious recipes. The filet is tender and bursting with flavor from the balsamic vinegar. It's a perfect dish for weeknights or for guest night.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Beef Filet Medallions with Balsamic Glaze
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini— This is an uncomplicated but delicious recipes. The filet is tender and bursting with flavor from the balsamic vinegar. It's a perfect dish for weeknights or for guest night.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4-6 oz filet beef medallions, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons traditional aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea-salt
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Season the medallions well on both sides with the salt, then brush them evenly over the top and sides with the balsamic. Sprinkle the cracked pepper evenly all over the meat.
  3. Sear the filet on both sides in a hot pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. About 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.
  4. Roast the filet in the oven for 8 minutes exactly for medium-rare (6 minutes for rare and 10 minutes for medium/well).
  5. Remove the pan from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the beef to rest on the pan for 5 minutes. Slice and serve hot or warm.
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