(Pot roast beef cooked in tomato sauce – Our recipe)

Time: preparation: 30 minutes
........ cooking: 150-180 minutes

1 kg (2 1/4 lb) beef round
75 g (2 1/2 oz) raw ham, in a piece
4 tablespoons dried parsley
4 tablespoons dried chives
2 teaspoons dried bay leaves
1 rosemary sprig
2 young fresh onions, medium size
100 g (3 1/2 oz) chicken and turkey sausage, peeled
400 ml (14 fl oz - 1 3/4 C) red wine
400 ml (14 fl oz - 1 3/4 C) vegetable stock
100 g (3 1/2 oz) tomato paste
300 ml (10 fl oz - 1 1/4 C) bottled strained tomatoes (passata)
10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper, if you like
Kitchen string

Medium difficulty

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Cut your raw ham into strips; they are necessary to lard the beef round. Put its fat apart. Sprinkle the ham strips with a little of parsley. Make a small incision in the beef round and insert a piece of raw ham; go on in this way till you have used all  the ham strips. Wash the rosemary and place it on the meat. Tie the beef round neatly with kitchen string. If you aren’t able to tie the meat, let your butcher make it.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Chop the young onions together with the fat put apart and the sausage after peeling it.
Put 8 tablespoons olive oil in a casserole and add the meat. Let it brown on all sides on medium heat, turning frequently. Turn the meat with two wooden spoons to avoid to make holes in it.  
At this point add the chopped ingredients and 50 ml (2 fl oz – ¼ C) red wine, increase the heat and let the wine evaporate, turning the meat. When the wine is evaporated add the remaining wine and stock. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and go on cooking for almost 2 hours, half-covered.
At this point add the remaining aromatic herbs, passata and tomato paste; go on cooking till the sauce thickens (30-40 minutes). Add other stock only if necessary.  
You could dress some pasta with the abundant sauce; it is enough for 400-500 g (14 oz – 1,1 lb) Italian pasta.  

Note

• - This pot roast beef is very tasty and you can prepare it in advance. Besides you prepare the first and the second course in the same time.
• - Serve it with fried or baked potatoes.
• - If you don't find chicken and turkey sausage, you can also use pork one.
• - You can also use hot water instead of vegetable stock. The recipe is very tasty all the same. We prefer the second solution when we haven't time to prepare vegetable stock (we don't use stock cubes).

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: Bonarda (red wine from Lombardy - Italy).

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".