Cannonau-Braised Beef Stew with Porcini, Root Vegetables and Dark Chocolate

Story of the Dish

This is a powerful Italian beef stew inspired by Sardinian and northern Italian mountain cooking. Beef is slowly braised with Cannonau wine, porcini mushrooms, root vegetables and a small touch of dark chocolate. The chocolate does not make the dish sweet; it gives bitterness, color and depth, like an old-style Italian braise.

This is a serious winter dish: rich, dark, slow-cooked and full of character. It works beautifully with creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or fresh pappardelle.

The soul of the dish is patience. The beef must be browned properly, the wine must reduce, the porcini must perfume the sauce, and the final texture must be deep, glossy and rich.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

• 2 1/2 lb beef chuck, cut into large cubes / about 1.1 kg

• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms / about 30 g

• 2 cups hot water, for soaking porcini / about 480 ml

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

• 2 cups Cannonau or full-bodied red wine / about 480 ml

• 1 cup beef stock / about 240 ml

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 rosemary sprig

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 oz dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa / about 15 g

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil / about 60 ml

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

• Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for finishing

Preparation

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 20–30 minutes, until soft. Remove the mushrooms, chop them roughly and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove any sand. Save the liquid.

Season the beef generously with salt and black pepper.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or braising pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and brown it very well on all sides. Do not crowd the pot. The meat should sear, not steam. This step creates the foundation of the stew.

Remove the browned beef and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the same pot. Cook slowly, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables become soft and lightly caramelized.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. This removes the raw tomato flavor and deepens the sauce.

Return the beef to the pot. Add the Cannonau wine and let it reduce by about one-third. The wine should become rich and aromatic, not sharp.

Add the chopped porcini, strained porcini liquid, beef stock, rosemary and bay leaves.

Bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. The liquid should never boil aggressively. A slow braise keeps the meat tender and the sauce deep.

Remove the lid during the last 20–30 minutes if the sauce needs to reduce. The final sauce should be thick, glossy and rich enough to coat the beef.

Turn off the heat and stir in the dark chocolate until completely melted into the sauce. Let the stew rest for at least 10–15 minutes before serving.

Finish with a little fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or buttered pappardelle.

Wine Pairing

Pair with Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva. The wine has structure, warmth and dark fruit that match the beef, porcini and dark chocolate beautifully.

Other excellent pairings include Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Aglianico del Vulture or a strong Chianti Classico Riserva.

Chef Tips

The beef must be browned hard before braising. If you skip this step, the stew will taste flat.

Use only a small piece of dark chocolate. It should deepen the sauce, not make it sweet.

Always strain the porcini liquid carefully because dried mushrooms can carry sand.

Let the stew rest before serving. Like all great braised dishes, the flavor becomes better after the sauce settles.

For an even richer result, make it one day ahead and reheat it slowly the next day.

Chef Gianluca Deiana