Carbonade Valdostana
Valle d'Aosta · secondo · serves 4 · 180 min total · easy
Mountain stew with Burgundian roots — the spiced red-wine beef of the Savoyard kingdom, polenta the only sensible bed.
Ingredients
- 1000 g beef chuck, cubed
- 500 g onions, sliced
- 500 ml strong red wine (Donnas)
- 3 tbsp flour
- 60 g butter
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 cloves cloves
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 500 g polenta to serve
- 2 tsp salt and pepper
Method
- Dust beef cubes in seasoned flour.
- Brown beef in butter, batches. Lift out.
- Add onions to the same pan, sweat 15 minutes — soft and pale.
- Return beef. Add bay, cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg.
- Pour in red wine to cover. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover. Cook on the lowest heat 2.5 hours — the beef is fork-tender, the sauce dark and silky.
- Serve on a bed of polenta or with boiled potatoes.