Italian braised beef and potatoes is one of my favorite dishes of all time. If you crave meat and potatoes, this is the ultimate in simple, rustic, and comforting. I'm using beef shank, because it's one of the toughest cuts of beef, and the tough cuts really do braise the best.
Ingredients
- kosher salt: 2 tsp
- black pepper: 1 tsp (freshly ground)
- cayenne pepper: 0.125 tsp
- olive oil: 3 Tbsp (divided)
- beef shank, cut into thick cross sections (osso buco-style): 3 pound
- yellow onion: 1 piece (diced)
- celery: 1 cup (chopped)
- tomato paste: 2 Tbsp
- garlic: 4 clove (minced)
- rosemary, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary: 0.5 tsp (dried)
- marjoram or oregano: 1 tsp (dried)
- white wine: 0.5 cup
- beef broth or chicken broth: 2 cups
- bay leaf: 1 piece
- Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks: 2 pound
- water: 0.5 cup
- Italian parsley: 1 Tbsp (chopped, optional)
- lemon: 1 piece (cut into wedges, fresh)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
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Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl, and generously season both sides of beef. Reserve remaining seasoning mix to use later in the recipe.
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Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat; add beef to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides. Remove beef to a plate; set aside.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to the pot with a large pinch of seasoning. Cook, stirring, until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and dried herbs, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook for a few minutes until most of the wine has disappeared.
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Add broth and bay leaf, and turn heat to high to bring the pot back to a simmer. Add beef back in; baste with some of the cooking liquid.
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Roast, covered, in the preheated oven until meat is almost fork tender, but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
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Drizzle potato pieces with olive oil, and sprinkle with a big pinch of the seasoning mix, or just some salt. Spoon a few tablespoons of beef fat from the top of the braising liquid over the potatoes, and mix well.
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Transfer potatoes in and around beef. Rinse the bowl with about 1/2 cup water and add to the pot.
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Cover; roast at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until meat and potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour more.
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Serve in a bowl with cooking liquids spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley and chili flakes and serve with fresh lemon wedges. John Mitzewich Chef's Notes: If you can't find beef shanks, thick-cut beef chuck steak will also work.If you use fresh herbs, use 2 to 4 times as much as the amounts specified for dried herbs.
