Aromatic Beef with Cloves and Marjoram
- 1/ 3 cup fresh marjoram sprigs, or 2 1 /2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 1/ 2 ounces fatty prosciutto or pancetta, in a single slice (75 g)
- 2 1 /4 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed (1 kg)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
- 1 medium celery rib, sliced
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
- 1 / 3 cup extra virgin olive oil (80 ml)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry red wine (250 ml)
- 1/ 2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 cups finely chopped peeled tomatoes, seeded if fresh
Instructions:
Finely chop the marjoram and 1 garlic clove together and put onto a small plate. Cut the prosciutto into strips about 1 / 2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Using a sharp, thin knife, make slits in the beef, spacing them evenly.
- Roll the prosciutto strips in the chopped garlic and marjoram and then use them to lard the meat all over, pushing the prosciutto pieces down into the meat. Tie the meat so that it keeps its shape.
- Make the battuto: Finely chop together the remaining garlic cloves, the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley.
- Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole over moderate heat and stir in the battuto. As soon as the vegetables begin to sizzle, add the meat and cook, turning and seasoning it with salt and pepper, until it is light brown all over, about 20 minutes. Stir the vegetables often.
- Add the wine, nutmeg, and cloves. When the wine has almost evaporated, add the tomatoes and enough water to almost cover the meat. Cover, reduce the heat to moderately low, and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours, turning the roast every now and then.
- Remove the meat to a carving board. If the sauce is too liquid, boil uncovered until it is slightly thickened. Cut the meat into fairly thick slices. Arrange on a platter and ladle some of the sauce over the meat. The remaining sauce is used on fettuccine—better if homemade— and sprinkled with pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper.