Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours, 35 minutes

Serves 6

This dish, served at the Tra Sole e Vigne farmhouse restaurant in the Piedmonte region of Italy, appears in "The Italian Farmer's Table" (Three Forks, $19.95, 320 pages). You can buy certified Piedmontese beef at Corti Brothers, 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 736-3800. Note: For some variations on this recipe, see Allen Pierleoni's story on this page.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch half-moon slices

2 medium yellow onions, cut into small dice

2 stalks celery, cut into small dice

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons minced rosemary

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 bottle full-bodied red wine

11/2 cups canned low-sodium beef broth

4 whole cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy casserole pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and rosemary. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse meat and pat dry. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with cornstarch and add to the vegetables, continuing to cook until the meat starts to turn brown. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes to let the alcohol burns off; reduce the volume of the liquid slightly. Add 1 cup of the broth, the cloves and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the cinnamon, another 1/2 cup of broth and continue to cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Per serving: 579 cal.; 30 g pro.; 15 g carb.; 35 g fat (13 sat., 17 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 3 other); 104 mg chol.; 776 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 55 percent calories from fat.

Right, the Les Ecureuils farm in northern Italy; below, traveling authors Melissa Pellegrino, left, and Matthew Scialabba. "The Italian Farmer's Table"

Tags: Beef Chuck, Casserole Pan, Chuck Roast, Cloves Garlic, Corti Brothers, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Farmhouse Restaurant, Folsom Blvd, Ground Pepper, Inch Cubes, Low Sodium, Medium Yellow Onions, Mg Chol, Piedmonte Region, Tablespoon Cornstarch, Teaspoon Cinnamon, Teaspoon Pepper, Teaspoons Salt, Virgin Olive Oil, Whole Cloves