Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Onion (Picchiapò)

Name: Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Onion (Picchiapò)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 600 min
Total time: 640 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb beef shin, trimmed; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 medium yellow onions, quartered; 2 medium carrots, peeled and halved; 10 whole whole black peppercorns; 3 whole whole cloves; 1 cup dry white wine; 14 oz crushed tomatoes; 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped; 1 tbsp fresh marjoram; ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes; freshly ground black pepper

Recipe GLPR3c98f33fd520cd

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Italian

Main Course

640 min

225 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

A traditional Roman braise featuring tender beef shin slowly cooked with white wine, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. This humble yet flavorful dish develops deep, complex flavors over hours of gentle simmering. The beef becomes fork-tender and the sauce rich and savory. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious braising liquid.

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Ingredients

1 lb beef shin, trimmed

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, quartered

2 medium carrots, peeled and halved

10 whole whole black peppercorns

3 whole whole cloves

1 cup dry white wine

14 oz crushed tomatoes

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp fresh marjoram

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pat the beef shin dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with kosher salt and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, carefully place the beef shin in the pot and sear on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 6-8 minutes total. Remove the beef and set aside on a plate.
In the same pot, add the quartered onions and halved carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and caramelize slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
Return the beef shin to the pot. Add the whole black peppercorns, whole cloves, coarsely chopped onion, fresh marjoram, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes.
Bring the braising liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot partially with a lid, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.
Braise the beef for approximately 9-10 hours, or until the meat is very tender and practically falling apart when tested with a fork. Adjust heat as needed to maintain a gentle, steady simmer throughout.
Remove the beef from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Season the braising sauce with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Slice or shred the beef into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot, stirring gently to combine with the sauce. Serve hot, optionally accompanied by ciabatta rolls for soaking up the flavorful braising liquid.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.75

Picchiapò is a forgiving braise that builds deep flavor from beef shin—cheap, available everywhere from Walmart to Food Lion—and pantry-stable aromatics like carrot, onion, and tomato that need no special sourcing in Charlotte. The stated 640 minutes is honest: this is a ten-hour dish that mostly ignores you after browning and deglazing, ideal for a weekend when you can let the oven do the work. Cost per serving runs under $4, driven by the long braising time that turns inexpensive cuts tender and delicious. The one caveat is timing: plan this for a Saturday when you're home, and expect leftovers to reheat beautifully for two or three days afterward, making it excellent value for the effort.