Brasato ai funghi

Total Time3

750 g-1 kilo 1-1/2 to 2 lbs beef, from a cut suitable for pot roasting (see Notes)

If marinading your roast, place it in a bowl or container with the marinade ingredients and enough red wine to just cover. Leave overnight (and up to 24 hours) in the fridge. Turn the roast over once or twice as it marinates. Take the beef out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook so it returns to room temperature. Pat dry.

If using a lean cut like eye round, it's not a bad idea to lard the roast. Here's an easy, 'homestyle' way to do it: Make slits all over the roast with a small parting knife and, with your fingers, insert small bits of pancetta into the slits. (See Notes for the professional method.)

Make a battuto by finely mincing the onion, carrot and celery together, either with a sharp knife or mezzaluna on a cutting board, or in a food processor, until the mixture has almost turned into a paste.
Melt a good knob of butter, along with a drizzle of vegetable oil, in a Dutch oven large enough to hold the roast, then add the battuto and gently sweat all the ingredients, with a pinch of salt, until they are very soft. Take care not to brown the aromatic vegetables—a few drops of water will help them prevent browning and help soften them as well.
Raise the heat and add the roast, browning it on all sides, again taking care not to burn the aromatics. Pour a ladleful of red wine (or the strained marinade if you've done that) over the roast and let it simmer, turning the roast now and then.

When the wine is almost evaporated, add the broth or water, along with the soaked mushrooms. (If you're not making the mushroom garnish, you can add some or all of the soaking liquid, strained of any grit, as well.) Cover and let the roast braise over low heat until tender. (Times can vary, but 2-3 hours should be enough, although some recipes call for 4-6 hours of braising.) Adjust the heat so that the braising liquid simmers gently. Add more liquid (broth, water or mushroom water) if things get too dry.

While the roast is braising, cut the fresh mushrooms into slices or quarters. Sauté them briskly in a good knob of butter and a drizzle of vegetable oil. They will exude their juices at first, once they have evaporated, you will hear them begin to sizzle. At that point, they will begin to brown. If you are using rather bland mushrooms, you can add some or all of the soaking liquid from the dried porcini to the mushrooms, just as they begin to sizzle, and let it evaporate.

When the beef is tender, remove it from the pot and let it rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, check the braising liquid, which you will use as your sauce. It should be dark and intensely flavored, abundant but not too thin. Boil it down if it's too thin, and add water if need be to thin it out. The battuto should have completely melted into the sauce; if not, you can purée the sauce with a hand blender. If you're using the mushroom garnish, you can add it to the sauce if you like and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Slice the roast on a serving platter and add the mushroom garnish all around it. Nap with some of the sauce. Place the rest of the sauce in a sauce boat for those who want more. Brasato is wonderful accompanied by mashed potatoes or soft polenta.