Sunday Feast № 3 | Beef Braised in Red Wine

I do not believe in frying prosciutto.      Why? It is perfect as is, so why mess with it. However, I have no such qualms about frying pancetta or bacon. So ultimately, my belief makes little sense, and I wanted to try this recipe. Frying prosciutto around a chunk of beef and braising it in red wine is perfection! This does not mean I will be substituting fried bacon with fried prosciutto, as a pair to fried or scrambled eggs or for a sandwich, any time soon, but bending my rules was delicious!      The recipe is from “The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers” with alternatives I use.

Fun on the side and after Music Missy Elliott "The Cookbook" Drink Damilano Barbera d'Asti 2015 Movie "Locke"

750 g/1 lb 10 oz trimmed thick beef fillet 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced 2 tbsp chopped rosemary 8-10 thin slices prosciutto, or pancetta, or prosciutto and pancetta, or smoked bacon 2 tbsp olive oil 20 g/¾ oz dried wild mushrooms, e.g. porcini 1 onion halved and sliced 170 ml/⅔ cups red wine, e.g. Barolo 400 g/14 oz tin chopped tomatoes

Make several small incisions around the beef. Push a slice of garlic into each incision, using up to one of the garlic cloves. Scatter 1 tbsp of rosemary over the beef and season with salt and pepper. Lay the prosciutto and pancetta slices on a board in a line next to each other, creating a sheet of prosciutto and pancetta to wrap the beef in. Put the beef fillet across them and fold the prosciutto and pancetta over to enclose the fillet. Tie several times with kitchen string to keep the beef and prosciutto and pancetta together. Leave in the fridge to rest for at least 15 min. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Heat the olive oil in a casserole. Add the beef, as one log if the casserole fits it or as two logs if that fits better, and sear on all sides until the prosciutto and pancetta are golden brown, but not burnt. Make sure the beef is well sealed and let any prosciutto or pancetta that falls off be. Remove the beef log(s) from the casserole. Leave the mushroom to soak in 185 ml/¾ cup hot water for 10 min. Add the onion to the casserole, reduce the heat and gently cook until soft. Add the remaining garlic and rosemary and cook for a few minutes more. Remove the mushrooms from the water and add to the onion, reserving the water. Cook the mushrooms for a couple of minutes, then add the mushroom water, discarding any sediments at the bottom of the bowl, and boil until nearly all the liquid is reduced. Add the wine and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5-10 min to reduce to a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add the beef to the casserole, turning over in the sauce to coat all sides. Cover the casserole with a lid and place in the oven. Cook the beef for 15 min for rare or 20 min for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and leave to rest, covered, for at least 15 min. Served with ready-made re-heated polenta, but try with self-made creamy polenta. Serves 4, but depending on the portions can serve more than 4. Any remaining sauce is good for pasta.