· recipe ·
Gnocchi with Slow-Braised Beef
Chuck comes from a hardworking part of the animal, so it needs slow, moist cooking to become tender. Its connective tissue gives a long-cooked sauce body as the meat softens.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 205 min
- Total
- 240 min
- Servings
- 4
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 1010
- Protein
- 57 g
- Fat
- 51 g
- Carbs
- 67 g
Brown the beef
Start the beef before making the gnocchi. Trim hard exterior fat from the chuck, cut it into large pieces, and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with black pepper and brown on all sides, leaving space between pieces; if necessary, remove browned pieces to make room for the rest. Transfer all the browned beef to a plate.
Cook the soffritto
Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook them in the same pot until soft, then add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
Reduce the wine
Add the red wine, scrape the browned layer from the pot, and simmer until the wine has reduced by about half.
Braise until spoon-tender
Return the beef and add the beef broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover and maintain the gentlest simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily. About 90 minutes before the beef is ready, start preparing and shaping the gnocchi.
Choose boiling or baking
Choose boiling or baking. Boiled potatoes make a softer, moister dough; baked potatoes make a drier dough that usually needs less flour. To boil, put the whole unpeeled potatoes in cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center; then drain. To bake instead, pierce them and bake at 425°F220°C for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.
Mash the potatoes
Peel the potatoes while they are warm. Pass them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Spread the potato out briefly to let the steam escape.
Mix the dough
Mix the warm potato with the egg yolk, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and 1 cup120 g of the flour. Fold gently until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add more of the listed flour a spoonful at a time. Stop when it is soft and slightly tacky; you may not need all the flour.
Roll and cut the dough
Divide the dough and roll each portion into a rope about 3/4 inch2 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the ropes into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces.
Carpentry Dynasty gnocchi boards15% off with code WOFG15Shop on Amazon →Add the ridges
Roll each piece over a gnocchi board to create beautiful, well-defined ridges that help the sauce cling. A fork can make simple grooves.
Shred and reduce
Lift out the beef and pull it into large shreds. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems, skim excess fat, and reduce the braising liquid until glossy before returning the meat.
Heat the cooking water
Use 3 quarts3 liters of water. Once the beef is shredded, bring the cooking water to a gentle boil while the braising liquid finishes reducing. Add 1 1/2 tsp9 g of the salt to the water.
Poach the gnocchi
Once the beef sauce is ready, lower the gnocchi into the gently boiling water and stir once. Lift them as they float and transfer them directly to the hot sauce.
Finish the ragù
Fold gently over low heat for 1 minute. Add up to 1/2 tspup to 3 g of the salt only if needed, then serve with finely grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
