Brasato means braised beef. The best part about the recipe “Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” is that it is an easy and slow cooker recipe.
This meat dish is delicious on a cold winter evening. Springtime is not really the season for a beef stew. But when it’s cold and rainy outside it is the perfect food to warm you up a bit!
There are many recipes of braised beef, but when preparing an outstanding brasato it is important to have high quality meat and good wine.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
What kind of wine would you recommend to use in beef stew?
I prefer a full bodied, robust red wine such as the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.
This wine gives a very special aroma to the meat.
Chianina beef
For this delicious recipe I use the perfect Chianina beef. This meat is expensive, but it is a very healthy meat and low in cholesterol.
Chianina is probably the oldest breed of cattle in Italy. Did you know that? This animal is also called the giant white cow “gigante bianco”.
Chianina farm Fierli
The homeland of the white Chianina cow is the Valdichiana area. The Fierli family is a four generations farm in Foiano della Chiana. A small town located between Cortona and Montepulciano. Today the family keeps 200 Chianina cows on 100 hectares of agriculture land.
Cecilia is member of the family Fierli. She came up with the rich, warm stew recipe “il brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”. Guanciale di Chianina cheek in Vino Nobile wine.
The cheek is a hard working muscle that needs to be cooked very slow. It takes hours before the meat is tender, but it is worth waiting for!
Besides guanciale di Chianina and Vino Nobile wine other necessary ingredients for this dish are olive oil, soffritto, salt and pepper.
A soffritto is the Italian cooking base for sauces, soups, stews and many more. It is an aromatic mix of onion, carrots and celery.
Besides the basic ingredients I add bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves and fresh rosemary. Really recommended!
Important information
It’s important to bring the meat out of the fridge a few hours before cooking. The meat must come up to room temperature.
In this recipe the marination step is not necessary.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours at least
Serves: 2 people
Ingredients recipe
450 gram of bovine cheek (Chianina)
> 1/2 liter of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine
2 tablespoons extra-vergin olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 juniper berries
3 cloves
salt, pepper, fresh rosemary
What else do you need
Stew pot
How to cook
Don’t remove the fat before cooking, that gives the meat a unique flavor and texture.
Clean, wash and chop the onions, carrots and celery.
Heat the stew pot over medium-high heat. Brown the soffritto in hot olive oil. Stirring frequently. The soffritto should be cooked until dorata (golden brown).
Add the meat to the pan and season it with salt and pepper.
Pour in the wine and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat, add the bay leaves, rosemary, cloves and juniper berries.
Cover the pot and turn the meat occasionally.
Leave the meat at a low and slow temperature.
The wine will evaporate. Let the wine reduce a bit and add more wine or other liquids when necessary.
After a few hours, when the meat is tender, remove it to a carving board. Slice the meat. Before serving make sure you remove the woody herbs stems and any bay leaves.
Arrange the meat on a serving plate and pour the wine sauce on top.
What to serve with beef stew
Serve warm with mashed potatoes, polenta or roasted potatoes with rosemary.. my favorite contorno!
A delicious antipasto
Antipasto misto di Cinta Senese: coppa, capocollo and speck.
Cinta Senese is an ancient Tuscan black pig with a white belt. They live free and they have a long and good life. The cinta senese meat has a DOP classification. It is top quality meat.
Wine
The main course pairs with the high tannic red wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.
Red wine and fatty or high-protein foods is a perfect wine and food pairing.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wine is an outstanding wine in the Tuscany region. Buon appetito!
Watch this video recipe to see how to cook il Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano!
Pici is a local pasta specialty from the province of Siena. It is a thick hand rolled pasta made from flour and water. Pici Toscani are similar to fat spaghetti.
The local people from Montepulciano “i poliziani” eat pici quite often. Since I moved here, I only eat pici. This pasta is amazing. So delicious!
Normally I buy fresh pici in the supermarket. It is a 300 gram packet, just enough for two meals. They are fresh and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Obviously dried pici are available as well in grocery stores, but I prefer the fresh homemade variety!
Le vongole veraci
I don’t live near the beach, but I eat fish regularly. Fish is one of my favorite dishes.
There are different types of clams. They live in the Mediterranean and Adriatic sea. On the Italian coast you find a wide range of good restaurants where they serve the best fish and fresh seafood.
In Italy we eat plenty of fish. I personally always prefer the clams “vongole veraci” for my pasta. This shellfish is bigger and they give an essential “sea” taste to the primo piatto.
A primo piatto can be a risotto or a pasta dish.
Recipe
Pici alle vongole is my personal recipe. I enjoy to experiment with different flavors and herbs. For the best pasta recipes I often ask locals, or I check out various recipe websites. Mostly I use the website of Giallo Zafferano.
I always put emotion and love in a dish, cooking is one of my greatest hobby. Besides wine tasting and running of course.
There are rules about Italian food that Italian follow and I respect that. Also the wine is important because the meal I prepare must pair with the wine I choose. It’s important to have a balance between the food and the wine.
I pici alle vongole
Primo piatto
Tuscan cuisine
Recipe for 1 persoon
Ingredients
1 clove garlic
Remove the skin, place the flat side of the knife over it and press down.
1 fresh red chilly
Chop the chilly into small pieces. How many chilly pieces you want to use for your pasta depends on how spicy you prefer to eat.
150 gram pasta i pici
100 ml white wine
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
300 gram vongole veraci Normally 250 gram is enough, but if you love vongole, the more the better.
half a bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
chop the parsley
extra vergine olive oil
two table spoons of olio Italiano
salt
Preparation
Bring the water to boil in a pot.
Scrub the clams clean. They are unlikely to have sand in them. But to be sure that they are all clean and healthy I recommend to clean them.
Put two table spoons of olive oil into the hot saucepan. Add the garlic and some slices of chilly. Swirl a few seconds and make sure that the garlic doesn’t get too brown.
Pour in the white wine and bring it to boil. Then add the clams and increase heat to high. Cover and cook the clams until they are open. This will take at least 6 minutes.
After the water for the pasta has started to boil I add some salt. Cook the pici al dente. The recommended cooking time on the pasta package is 10-12 minutes. I always prefer having the pasta al dente.
Meanwhile keep on stirring with a spatula. Add the pici to the pan with clams, cook over high heat, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce.
Remove the garlic, add the parsley and some pasta water if the sauce seems dry.
Serve your pici alle vongole directly while its hot.
Buon appetito!
PS: to pour the wine in the pan before the vongole is a recommendation from a fish market vendor in Montepulciano.
Can I store the pici alle vongole in the refrigerator?
You can store the pici alle vongole for maximum one day in the refrigerator, but it’s not recommended. Le vongole should be eaten fresh and immediately with the pasta.
Wine and food pairing
Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Millesimato
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
Both wines are wonderful wines from the winery Toffoli in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area in the Veneto region, available on my wine webshop.
During the Easter holidays the whole of Italy was classified “red” from 3 – 5 April. In a red zone it is prohibited to leave your hometown except for work and health reasons.
Over the Easter period we were allowed to visit friends and families in their homes with a maximum of two visitors at a time.
Tuscany will remain under the heaviest restrictions until April 20, as I read in a newspaper. The infections are not declining.
Pizza
Last Saturday I went for a bike ride and pizza dinner with my friends. It’s been weeks since we met. We’re not seeing each other often these days because we do not live in the same municipality. I live in Montepulciano. My friends have a house in Montallese and in Chiusi. Two towns in Tuscany.
Pizza is a social food. A food for family and friends. I never make a frozen pizza at home. For me a pizza is to be eaten at a pizzeria. It must be eaten immediately after it comes out of pizza oven and must be made by an expert!
Our friend in Montallese has recently installed a wood fired pizza oven in his garage. He prepared for us a variety of pizzas. Gianfranco is an Italian pizza chef!
I had a great dinner and I really enjoyed the pizzas. It has been a long time since I have had a so good pizza. Too long…
Pizza with spinach
Pizza with truffle
Pizza with anchovies
Pizza with wurstel
The nationwide curfew from 10 PM till 5 AM is still active. In Italy we usually eat late, around 8 – 9 PM. With the current rules we eat a little earlier.
Pizza dinner
Online wine tasting
I have celebrated Easter at my home in Montepulciano.
I’ve had a fabulous evening with American people. Together we’ve tasted -virtually- some nice Tuscan wines from the winery Gattavecchi.
Pasquetta was spent on running, foods and friends. We were allowed to travel.
I went to Chiusi for a 12 km run and a lunch.
Friends from Chiusi – Tuscany
A typical Tuscan Easter food is “ciaccia di Pasqua”. In Umbria they call it “torta di Pasqua”. It’s a pizza filled with cheese. La ciaccia di Pasqua is perfect for your Easter picnic.
la ciaccia di Pasqua and capocollo
Normally we eat the ciaccia with capocollo. Super delicious!
ciaccia di Pasqua
Last but not least there was a tiramisù to conclude our Pasquetta lunch.
Giacomo Baraldo is a passionate winemaker from San Casciano dei Bagni (SI). What is a Vigneron? Vigneron is French. It derives from the word “vigne” which means grape vine. It is a person who cultivates grapes for winemaking.
Giacomo makes wine from his own grapes… He is a Vigneron!
Giacomo Baraldo
As a student of oenology Giacomo already started producing wine. After intensive experiences and completing his wine bachelor of science degree in oenology Giacomo became a professional winemaker.
He has a passion for making fabulous wines. He worked hard and didn’t stop until he achieved what he wanted… being one of the most greatest winemakers in the world!
Giacomo is a native Tuscan. He travelled around the world to discover the winemaking industry. He visited some of the best wineries in France.
France is the country of the most finest and expensive wines. For wine studies France is the country to learn the secrets of quality wine making. For a taste of fine work, training and educational programs Giacomo headed to Bordeaux (Margaux), Graves and Burgundy. All prestigieus wine regions in France.
Winemakers and wine growers in France taught him everything about wine and winemaking. In Burgundy he got to know the basics with white wine.
San Casciano dei Bagni (SI)
Giacomo lives with his family in San Casciano dei Bagni. San Casciano dei Bagni is a medieval town located in the southern border of Siena.
San Casciano dei Bagni
The village is known for its natural outdoor thermal springs and roman baths. The thermal waters contain sulphur, calcium and fluorides. A perfect opportunity to relax for FREE all year!
Vineyards
Tuscany is a region best known for it’s Sangiovese-based dry red wines. In San Casciano dei Bagni the family Baraldo owns about 3,5 ha of vineyards for the production of red and white wines.
They make red IGT as well as white wine: Grechetto, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Trebbiano.
Pinot Noir
Giacomo works together with the Greystone winery in Waipara valley, New Zealand. Here he put his knowledge of wine making into practice.
In Waipara valley Giacomo buys Pinot Noir grapes from vine growers. He makes his own premium quality wine from Pinot Noir grapes.
Pinot Noir Giacomo Baraldo Vigneron
Pinot Noir Giacomo Baraldo Vigneron
The front label of the wine bottle shows the Kiwi. And on the back label is the following tekst written:
Contains 100% of Pinot Noir Contains 100% of my work Contains 100% of my passion
In many wine shops in Italy you can purchase the Pinot Noir wines from Giacomo Baraldo. Even in Montepulciano!
For our lunch in restaurant Daniela we ordered the Pinot Noir wine from New Zealand: 2018 18,5 K Pinot Noir Giacomo Baraldo Vigneron. The wine was not filtered and not fined.
By holding the glass the wine has a pale red color with charming red fruits of cherries, wild strawberries, pomegranates, coffee, cacao and herbaceous.
A special wine with an elegant texture. It is a great wine to pair with antipasti misti and pasta dishes.
Antipasto misto
Pappardelle al ragù di cinta senese bianca
Millefoglie con crema chantilly, fragole e panna
Screw cap
There is the romance and tradition with the classical cork. Almost all Italian wines have a cork.
New Zealand is a young and innovative wine country. New Zealand wine is sealed with screw caps. Whether they are cheap wines or among the best bottles in the country.
Ristorante Daniela
The family Baraldo owns and operaties restaurant Daniela in San Casciano dei Bagni. The restaurant serve local Tuscan cuisine. It’s not just a restaurant, it is a place where besides the good food, you will get good service and good wine.
Ristorante Daniela is a unique experience and really recommended. Siete i benvenuti!
Address: Piazza Matteotti 6, 53049 San Casciano dei Bagni (Siena)
Alberto Giorgi is a local farmer and a small producer of aglione. He grows fruit, vegetables and aglione -garlic- in the Valdichiana valley.
His farms are located in Montepulciano and Chianciano, Tuscany.
Every Wednesday and Friday morning is a small market in Montallese. Alberto is always there with his market stall to sell fresh vegetables, fruits and aglione. His local products are good and value for money!
Montallese is a town located in the province of Chiusi. It is a small village along the road that connects Chiusi with Montepulciano.
Aglione from the Valdichiana
At the market and many local supermarkets you can buy fresh Aglione only in season.
Aglione is a giant garlic variety from the Valdichiana Senese area. The aglione is also called the “aglio del bacio” (kissing garlic). This garlic is mild, odourless and easy to digest.
The weight of a giant garlic varies from 50 gram to 1-2 kilos. But 1-2 kilos is more the exception rather than the rule.
Every year the seeds of the aglione (which are about 4-5 cm in size) are sown in September. The aglione bulbs are ready to be harvested in June. Climate plays a crucial role at harvest time of the aglione. Many rainfall, pests and diseases can affect the garlic crop.
After the harvest time the garlic should be left out in the sun. The giant garlic is still green.
You can last aglione for one year after it’s harvested, on the condition that the garlic is being kept in a dry, well ventilated and shady place.
Note: humidity can lead to damage of the aglione.
Flavour for foods
You can use aglione as a normal ingredient in all kinds of food dishes, such as sauces, dressings, vegetables, stews and meats.
The two most famous pasta dishes with aglione from the Valdichiana are: Pici all’Aglione (pasta i pici with tomato-garlic sauce) and Pici con le Bricciole (pasta i pici with breadcrumbs). Super yummy!
It is excellent food you need to try when in Tuscany. Buon appetito!
The nicest part I love of the Wine and Food Experience is meeting people and sharing my passion for wine. I love tasting wines in good company.
Wine tasting at Cantina Gattavecchi
All my guests come from everywhere: America, South Africa, Holland, Belgium, Italy… The Wine and Food Experience always starts by telling the history of Montepulciano and the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is situated in the center of an area rich in history, art and wine. The village is only at a stone’s throw away from Pienza and 40 minutes drive from Siena.
San Biagio church Montepulciano
Did you know that the locals call themselves “Poliziani”? Which was the former Roman name of the town? And that Poliziano also the name was of a local humanist and famous writer (Angelo Ambrogini) living in Florence and born in Montepulciano?
Some identification detail of the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a precious product and was the first classified wine as DOCG. It is the “King of all Wines” by Francesco Redi 1685.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
The local economy in Montepulciano is mainly agriculture and tourism. The wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a symbol of the village Montepulciano.
Sangiovese –Prugnolo Gentile- is the grape that gives the wine an identity. A wine that achieves an unmistakable taste, after 2 years of aging in wood.
Sangiovese grapes
Food is also an important item while drinking tannin wines. Tannins provide texture and structure in a wine. The flavors that appear in the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are mostly plums and cherries.
A pairing principle of the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with food is that it interacts with rich, fatty and salty dishes, like wild boar, meat, pasta with ragù and old cheeses. They diminish the perception of tannins, making a wine like Vino Nobile more smoother.
Local pasta “i pici”
In Montepulciano, Montichiello, Pienza and Montalcino is the most renown dish “i pici”. A thick handmade pasta of local flour water and few salt.
Pasta i pici
In the Cantina of Gattavecchi the restaurant offers a wide choice of Tuscan specialties. I love the local pici, especially the Pici all’aglione. The “aglione” is a spicy garlic tomato sauce… yummy!
Aglione
Yesterday I had a lovely group of American guests who had the chance to do an amazing experience with chef Lilian. She showed us how to make home made pasta.
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