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Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast)

Stracotto is a classic meat main course of Italian cooking. A winter dish, it can be made with different kinds of meat.
Recipe Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast)
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 3 hours
  • Servings for 4 people

Stracotto is one of the best-loved dishes of Italian tradition. It’s no coincidence that there are many versions linked to different Italian cities: the most famous are Stracotto alla Piacentina from Piacenza, Stracotto alla Fiorentina from Florence, and Stracotto alla Piemontese from Piedmont. With its typically wintry flavor, this dish isn’t the simplest to make, but it is always much appreciated because it is hearty and satisfying. It is usually served with Polenta, or with Mashed Potatoes or vegetables such as Oven-Roasted Potatoes or Ratatouille.

Stracotto can be made with various kinds of meat. The best-known stracotti are made with beef, donkey, horse, and wild boar. The original stracotto recipe calls for marinating the meat overnight in a liquid and then cooking it slowly over low heat for a long time. In the tastiest stracotto recipes, the meat is marinated in a fairly full-bodied red wine such as Barolo, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, or Barbera. To get a perfect braise, however, it’s essential to choose the right pot: a cast-iron casserole or a terracotta pot works best. Now that we’ve chosen the pot, let’s cook the stracotto.

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make the stracotto, start by tying the beef with kitchen twine, then place it in a large container and add one onion and one carrot, coarsely chopped, and all the herbs and spices. Cover with the red wine and let marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
  2. Next, make a soffritto in the cast-iron casserole by combining the remaining onion and carrot, finely chopped, with the pancetta and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the drained beef and brown it on all sides to seal it. Season with salt and pepper, strain the Barolo from the marinade, and pour it over the meat.
  3. Cover the casserole with the lid and continue cooking over low heat for about 3 hours. Once the meat is very tender, remove the twine, slice it, and spoon the cooking juices over it. Your stracotto is ready to enjoy. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

To speed up the cooking time, you can make stracotto in a pressure cooker. After marinating, make the soffritto (the sautéed base of onion, carrot, and pancetta) as in the recipe and transfer the beef and Barolo to the pressure cooker. Once it is sealed with the lid, wait for it to start whistling, lower the heat, and cook the stracotto for about 40 minutes, then remove the lid safely and let the sauce thicken for another 10 minutes.

Tips

To keep the beef from falling apart when you slice it, we recommend that you let the meat cool slightly so it can settle. The cooking liquid of the stracotto is a thin, almost runny sauce; if you prefer a thicker sauce, blend the cooking liquid and add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Let the sauce thicken over the heat for 5 minutes and pour it over the slices of stracotto.

Storage

Stracotto keeps in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 2 to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it in portions and keep it for up to 2 months.

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