Brasato al barolo (piedmont-style pot roast)
Roast
This classic pot roast comes from northern Italy, a specialty of my husband's nonna. Some additions you may like to consider: lardo or pancetta (cut into strips, added with the vegetables), spices such as whole cloves (to be removed along with the bay leaves later) and cinnamon, and a splash of Cognac (before the red wine—let it evaporate before adding the wine). If you prefer a thicker sauce (note: that this isn't a gravy, but a much thinner sauce), rather than add flour, you can add more vegetables, up to double the amount. When you blend it, the puréed vegetables will add more body to the sauce. <br /> <br />I cannot recommend enough you choose a wine you like the taste of for this—it doesn't have to be expensive, but just one you like. Don't think you can use a wine that is corked or tastes like vinegar or that you don't love, as it the pot roast will taste remarkably like imperfect wine. <br /> <br />The next ingredient that you need to choose well is the meat—ask your butcher for a simple roast, such as chuck roast (also known as pot roast) from around the shoulder. It's known as sottopaletta in Piedmont or Cappello del Prete ('the priest's hat'). You want something with a little marbling or connective tissue in it—too lean and this can easily become too dry after cooking for so long (hence the tradition of adding lardo or pancetta to add fat). <br /> <br />Finally, the most important tip is to make this in advance. Its flavors are much better after a full night's rest.
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