My dear friend in Israel, who is an awesome cook, shared this Stracotto di Manzo (Italian Pot Roast) recipe with me several years ago. We both enjoy it often on a winter Friday night. Fork tender beef in a velvety sauce with a mysterious depth provided by dried mushrooms (see note). You can cook this roast on the stovetop, in a crockpot, or in the oven.
Prepare Ahead: Keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Note: *Dried mushrooms and broth are a chef’s secret ingredients that impart an indescribable umami. Keep them on hand to add to soups, stews, and sauces for a deep savory flavor. Just add a couple to your cholent and see! They are my kind of luxury item, convenient and affordable.
Stracotto di Manzo (Italian Pot Roast)
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 3 to 4 pound shoulder or chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 and ½ teaspoons black pepper divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup dried European mushrooms* such as porcini
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ bottle dry red wine
- 1 12 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Season the meat with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and brown the meat well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Place the dried mushrooms into a bowl with 1 cup of hot water. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the mushroom water, and chop mushrooms finely. Strain the mushroom water through a paper towel or coffee filter to remove fine grit and set mushroom broth aside.
- Into the pot in which the meat was browned, add the remaining oil, mushrooms, celery, onion, and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes until vegetables are soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, cook for one minute. Add the red wine, stirring and scraping browned bits from bottom of the pot. Add the spaghetti sauce, strained mushroom broth, remaining salt and the pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then return the meat to the pot. Turn heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 3 hours, turning the roast and scraping the bottom of the pan to release stuck pieces occasionally. Alternatively, cook the roast unattended in a crockpot set to medium or in the oven at 300°.F
- Remove meat to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Simmer the sauce uncovered until it thickens. Slice the roast, return to the sauce to serve.
- Recipe posted with permission from Cooking for the King, Kosher Recipes With the Taste of Torah, Designed to Bring Majesty to Your Menu, by Renee Chernin
HI Donna,
The dried mushrooms give the dish a subtle, deep flavor. I do not think there is a strong mushroom flavor, though. Marinara sauce is perfect. Enjoy!
While this sounds like great comfort food, I am not fan of mushrooms. Does it have the flavor of mushrooms? Also, is marinara sauce okay, or does it need to be spaghetti sauce?