Italian Arrosto
I knew, theoretically, about this baked beef steak. I saw it in many Italian recipes (Arrosto di Vitello they call it) but I actually discovered its taste, aroma and texture after my sister-in-law cooked it for us (she lived for many years in Italy so cooking it had already become a habit). I was really surprised - it's so easy to cook, so good-looking and very tasty. The recipe can be adapted and you can also make pork in the oven. I prefer to use the neck or veal shank - it's very tender and we also get to diversify our meat menu.
I will tell you in step 1 from where I buy the meat you see in the pictures, very good and high quality. Tying the meat is optional, you can also leave the piece as such, whole. However, you should know that the tying is meant to keep the piece of meat together and not fall apart after baking. When slicing it at the table, you can see the difference. Usually, the steak that has been tied keeps its shape well, the one which hasn't will be a bit loose. I didn't have time to show you how to tie the meat, but here are the steps with photos and video on an Italian site.
Mainly, the basic vegetables here are the onions, celery (root or stems), carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Out of these, I'd say the first 2 are mandatory, the rest, according to taste and preferences. I'm on a low-carb diet and I chose to cook it without carrots and the garlic, I forgot...
As I told you above, I normally use the boneless veal neck.
You can replace it with another favorite cut. As for for the steps on how to tie the meat, see the link in the recipe description.
Season the meat on all sides with salt, pepper, maybe rosemary and other favorite spices.
For the recipe, use a good semi-dry white wine. I had a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. I enjoyed it in the steak, next to the steak and just as such :)
These are the veggies I used, see above other suggestions.
Chop them into the smallest cubes possible.
Heat well the oil in the pan and brown the meat on all sides over high heat.
It's very important that the pan is well heated, the meat must brown quickly and not release the juice.
Set aside the slightly browned meat, in a plate or directly in the tray in which you will roast it in the oven.
Quickly place all the chopped vegetables in the pan (the same one in which you fried the meat), mix and cook for 10 minutes.
Now arrange the meat in a deep oven tray. For steaks, I prefer a deep Jena tray with a lid.
Add the sauteed vegetables to the meat.
Pour the white wine over the meat and vegetables.
Cover the tray with a lid or foil and place in the preheated oven at 160 C for 2 hours.
Every half hour, I recommend removing the tray from the oven, turning the meat over and sprinkling it with the cooking juice from the pan.
Bake without the lid for the last half hour, to allow it to brown nicely.
After the oven, it would be good to leave it covered in the tray for about 30-50 minutes, to rest well and for the flavours to blend in.
Using the scissors, carefully remove the threads, if the meat has been tied.
Be sure to use a sharp knife when slicing, otherwise it might break into pieces.
The slices should be about 6-8 mm thick.
Arrange them nicely on a plate, together with the vegetables and the cooking sauce from the oven tray.
Here is the exemplary version. You can see the slices, but also the whole piece.
I usually slice the whole piece, arrange on a large plate, sprinkle with sauce and place the vegetables among the slices.
It's delicious, serve with any garnish you like.
Enjoy!
