Extremely tender and rich in flavor, slow-cooked beef is a traditional recipe found in many regional kitchens of Northern Italy, particularly in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. It’s a classic of home cooking, prepared with few ingredients and characterized by slow and prolonged cooking, capable of transforming an economical cut of meat into an extraordinarily soft and flavorful dish.
The success of slow-cooked beef relies on two fundamental factors: the choice of meat and the low heat cooking, which must be very long (about 3 and a half / 4 hours) and occur in a covered pot, so the meat cooks gently in its own juices without drying out.
Like other similar preparations – braised beef or beef stew – slow-cooked beef is made with less noble cuts, like the shoulder clod or brisket: parts rich in connective tissue, very flavorful, ideal for enduring long cooking and which, if cooked briefly, would instead be tough and chewy.
Unlike braised beef, which once cooked maintains its structure and can be sliced precisely, slow-cooked beef should be extremely tender, so much so that it shreds easily when cut; unlike beef stew, slow-cooked beef is made from a single piece of meat, cooked whole, to retain all its juices and develop an intense and enveloping cooking base.
In Emilia Romagna, slow-cooked beef is sometimes used to dress pasta, much like in other latitudes with Neapolitan ragù or Genovese, but it’s just as common to serve it with polenta or mashed potatoes, perfect for scooping up and enhancing its irresistible gravy.
The recipe for slow-cooked beef can also be executed in a slow cooker or pressure cooker: at the end of the article, you’ll find detailed instructions to adapt the times and procedure to both cooking methods.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Emilia-Romagna
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Slow-cooked Beef
- 2.2 lbs beef (in one piece: shoulder clod or brisket)
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 knob butter
- 1 glass red wine (Sangiovese, Chianti, Barbera…)
- to taste beef broth (or vegetable; about 100 ml)
- 1 leaf bay
- 1/2 tsp salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Earthenware Pot with lid
- 1 Immersion Blender
How to prepare slow-cooked beef: method and cooking times
To prepare the slow-cooked beef, start by chopping celery, carrot, and onion (1). For convenience, I used a chopper, but you can also do it with a knife, as the chop doesn’t have to be very fine. For cooking, use a pot with a thick bottom, preferably earthenware or cast iron, which conduct heat more evenly. Another important thing is to have a lid that perfectly seals the pot, maybe one of those with a small hole for steam to escape. Pour the oil into the bottom of the pot, add a knob of butter and the chopped vegetables. Add the whole clove of garlic as well (2). Let everything sauté on low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly and making sure it doesn’t burn (3).
Then add the whole piece of meat (4) and let it brown on low flame for 3 minutes per side, to seal it, until it has colored on all sides (5). As you turn it to brown on each side, season with salt and pepper the part that has already been sealed. Then increase the heat and deglaze with red wine (6).
Let it evaporate for a couple of minutes, carefully stirring the cooking base (7). Then lower the heat, add the bay leaf, and cover with the lid (8). Let the slow-cooked beef cook on gentle heat for about 4 hours, making sure that the cooking base is always simmering. During cooking, turn the meat a couple of times and add hot broth 2-3 times, every time you see that the cooking base is drying out too much (9). If you don’t like the taste of garlic much, remove it after half an hour, before it completely disintegrates.
The meat is ready when just touching it with a fork, it tends to shred, and when the cooking base is a nice brown color (10). At this point, remove the meat and put it on a cutting board. Remove the bay leaf and with an immersion blender, blend the cooking base, to make it smooth and velvety (11). Cut the meat into large pieces, cutting against the grain: this will make it even more tender (12).
Serve the slow-cooked beef drizzled with its gravy and accompanied by some polenta or mashed potatoes. If you want to use it to dress pasta, shred it well with a fork and add it to the cooking base.
Storage
Slow-cooked beef keeps very well and is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day. Once cold, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. When serving, reheat it gently, adding a tablespoon of broth or water if needed to restore the sauce’s softness.
How to cook slow-cooked beef in a pressure cooker
Even if the result won’t be quite the same, you can significantly shorten the cooking time by using a pressure cooker this way: brown meat and vegetables directly in the pressure cooker, then deglaze with red wine and immediately add 100 ml of broth. Close the pressure cooker and cook, from the whistle, for 50 minutes (for 1 kg of meat in one piece).
How to cook slow-cooked beef in the slow cooker
The slow cooker – that is, the electric slow-cooking pot – is perfect for preparing slow-cooked beef! Follow the recipe for browning the meat and vegetables in a pot or non-stick pan. After deglazing the meat with wine, turn off the heat and transfer everything to the pre-heated slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook for 6 hours on high mode or, even better, for 13 hours on low mode.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What’s the difference between slow-cooked beef and braised beef?
The main difference lies in the cooking: slow-cooked beef cooks longer and is much more tender, almost shreddable, while braised beef retains a more compact and defined structure.
Is slow-cooked beef a stew?
No. Unlike beef stew, slow-cooked beef is made starting from a whole piece of meat, which is sliced only after cooking.
What’s the best cut for slow-cooked beef?
The ideal cuts are the less noble but more flavorful ones, like shoulder clod, chuck, shank, or brisket, perfect for long cooking.
What to serve with slow-cooked beef?
Traditionally, slow-cooked beef is served with polenta or mashed potatoes, but it’s also great accompanied by mashed boiled potatoes.
