When it comes to hearty beef dishes, Stracotto, or Italian Pot Roast is at the top of the list for most delicious! The beef is braised until tender in a tomato-based sauce with red wine, vegetables, and herbs and served with polenta or pasta for a truly unforgettable meal!
Braised beef dishes are a must for cooler weather and Stracotto is truly one of the simplest you can make.
The Italian word, stracotto, translates to “overcooked” in English and accurately describes the way in which the beef is cooked – braised for hours until super tender and flavorful.
Stracotto di manzo is best served with creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or pasta, such as pappardelle.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Beef. I’m using a chuck roast for this recipe as I find it has the most flavor but you can use leaner cuts such as rump roast, top round, or bottom round. For leaner cuts, the beef can be larded with a larding needle or knife by inserting strips of pancetta into the meat. This will keep it moist during the braise.
- Wine. Use a dry red wine, such as Cabernet, Merlot, or Chianti. You can also omit the wine entirely and replace with stock.
- Stock. I recommend using either homemade beef stock, or a quick stock made with Better Than Bouillion low-sodium beef base.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 325f and set the rack to the middle of the oven in order to accommodate a Dutch oven with its lid. Finely dice 1 large sweet onion, and shred 2 large carrots and 3 ribs of celery. You can also pulse the carrot and celery in a food processor if preferred. Hand crush 1 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes.
- Slice 8 cloves of garlic into slivers. Using a knife, make slits in 1 3-pound chuck roast and insert the garlic slivers. Any remaining garlic can be used later in the recipe. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and season with 1 tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chuck roast to the pot.
- Sear the roast until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes total, then remove the roast to a plate.
- Add the onions along with 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat while using a wooden spoon to gently scrape the bottom and dislodge any brown bits.
- After sauteeing the onion for 10 minutes, add the celery and carrots and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until they’re very soft. During the last few minutes, add any remaining garlic. If at any time the veggies start to burn, lower the heat or and/or add a splash of water or beef stock to the pot.
- Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for 1 minute while stirring frequently. Add 1 1/2 cups of dry red wine and bring to a simmer while scraping the pot with the wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
- Tie together 10 sprigs of thyme, 3 large bay leaves, and 5 large sage leaves with kitchen twine (or add to a sachet), then add to the pot along with 2 cups of low-sodium beef stock, the crushed plum tomatoes, and 1 cinnamon stick (if using). Bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, turn off the heat and add the roast back to the pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Place in the oven and cook for 3 hours, then use a knife or fork to check for doneness. If the stracotto isn’t tender enough, return it to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes, then check again. Once it’s tender enough, remove it from the pot and tent with foil. It can be cut into chunks, or carefully sliced.
- Chuck roast has a lot of fat and you may need to degrease your sauce. To degrease the sauce, lay paper towels on top of the sauce to absorb the fat, then discard, or use a ladle to skim some of the fat. Taste test and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Place the chunks of beef on a platter and top with sauce. You’ll have plenty of extra sauce to serve with pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Recipe tip
I like to shred or even pulse the carrots and celery in the blender so they almost disintegrate in the sauce, however, if you want a more rustic and textured stracotto, you can 100% dice the vegetables instead of shred.
More braised beef recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite braised beef recipes, all perfect for cold weather!
- Brasato al Barolo – Italian beef brisket braised with red wine and herbs.
- Classic pot roast – American-style roast with carrots, potatoes, and herbs.
- Beef Bourguignon – the classic French stew with mushrooms and pearl onions.
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Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast)
Stracotto, or Italian Pot Roast, is a hearty and delicious dish of beef that's braised until tender in a tomato-based sauce with wine, vegetables, and herbs.
Ingredients
- 3 pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion finely diced
- 2 large carrots shredded or pulsed in a food processor
- 3 ribs celery shredded or pulsed in a food processor
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 1 cinnamon stick optional
- 3 large bay leaves
- 5 large sage leaves
- 10 sprigs thyme tied
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley minced, garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325f and set the rack in the middle of the oven to accommodate a Dutch oven with its lid.
- Cut the garlic cloves into slivers. Make slits in the roast and insert the slivers of garlic. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. Any remaining garlic can be added to the pot in step 5 below.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat with the olive oil. Add the chuck roast to the pot and sear until browned on all sides (about 15 minutes total) then remove the roast to a plate.
- Add the onions along with a 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat while scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to remove all of the browned bits.
- After sauteing the onions for 10 minutes, add the celery and carrots and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. During the last few minutes, add any remaining garlic. If at any time the veggies start to burn, lower the heat and/or add a splash of water or beef stock to the pot.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute while stirring frequently. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Again, scrape the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge any remaining browned bits.
- Tie the thyme, sage, and bay leaves together or add to a sachet.
- Add the beef stock, plum tomatoes, cinnamon stick, and tied herbs and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat and add the roast back to the pot and cover. Place into the oven.
- Cook the roast for 3 hours then check for doneness. If it isn't tender enough, return it to the oven for another 30 minutes and check again. Once the roast is tender remove it from the pot and tent with foil. The roast can be cut into chunks or carefully sliced.
- To degrease the sauce, lay paper towels on top of the sauce to absorb the fat then discard or use a ladle to skim some of the fat. Place the chunks of beef into a platter and top with sauce. You will have pleny of extra sauce to serve with pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chuck roast makes the best pot roast due to its unique fat profile, but other leaner roasts such as rump roast, top round, and bottom round can also be used. Those cuts can be sliced instead of shredded.
- There will be enough sauce for the pot roast and 1 pound of pasta.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 748kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.1g | Protein: 75.7g | Fat: 36.6g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 239mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 1988mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15.5g | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 10mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Whoa! I just made this recipe tonight and while we technically haven’t had dinner yet, I just tasted the sauce and the roast and I had to leave a review because this sauce is PHENOMENAL. The cinnamon stick and the generous amount of garlic does something to this sauce that makes it extra special.
At this point, my entire meal plan each week is nothing but your recipes and this one is another banger!
We’re happy you enjoyed this one, Crystal! We love that you’re having our recipes each week!
I’ve seen a similar recipe (but much simpler) on another website say 8-9hr on Low or 4-5 on High when using a slow cooker for a Stracotto. If my slow cooker hadn’t broken I would gladly make this in a slow cooker. I may actually try the slow cook feature on my Instant pot for this.
We hope you enjoye it!
This recipe looks really yummy. Can I make this is a slow cooker? I have a slow cooker that sears meat and cooks on high or low. You have great recipes.
Hi Phyllis, you can although we haven’t tested it in a slow cooker so can’t advise on timing, etc.
I love your recipes. Keep them coming!
We are so glad you enjoyed this one, Mary!
Loved this stracotto recipe. It came out excellent and made such a delicious sauce. I put on penne. I will most definetly will make again.
We’re happy to hear you enjoyed it, Gail!
Amazing! The meat was so tender. The flavors work so well together; the sauce is delectable. Reminds me of the delicious traditional Italian food my mother-in-law cooked in Brooklyn.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Lisa!
I’m always cooking for 2. Would it be ok to use a boneless beef chuck steak instead of a full 3 lb roast for a smaller portion?
Hi Annie, yes, it will likely take a lot less time to cook since the steak is presumably thinner than the roast. Hope you enjoy.
Update. I made the Stracotto using a boneless beef chuck steak for a smaller portion. It was delicious, a keeper! I did not reduce the amounts of the ingredients for the sauce, I made it as written. I did use a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours. After I degreased the sauce I did use an immersion blender to smooth it out just a bit (a texture preference). I may not have pulsed the veggies enough to start. When I removed the beef to shred, I put the sauce alone on the stove to reduce it a little as it was a little thin (likely because a covered slow cooker simply does not reduce much). This was a preference and not necessary for the great flavors. I added most of the meat back into the sauce and served it over pappardelle. I reserved the rest of the meat and the next day added just a small amount of the sauce, heated and served it as pulled beef sandwiches. Delicious.
Thanks for reporting back, Annie, and so happy you enjoyed it!
This will be delicious. I do the very same recipe/procedure with a rack of spareribs, cutting them into separate ribs, browning, then proceeding. I cooked it for four hours, and the meat disintegrated into the most unctuous ‘pork sauce’ ever. Over polenta, is how I served it the first day, then tossed with fettucine the next day. Yum.
can you make in a insta pot our a slo
Yes definitely. I don’t own a slowcooker but I can see online that it takes 4-5 on high or 8-10 hours on low to get tender. I would probably use the slow setting.
James, I have cooked several of your recipes and I have to thank you for allowing me to copy them here at home. They are wonderful, espically you Italian beef Peposia.
Would love a cook book by you if ever you decide to write one.
Sincerely
Bill
Hi Bill. Happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipes and would like a cookbook. We would like a cookbook too, lol! It is a huge undertaking and something we are committed to do within the next 12-18 months. Stay tuned.
James – great video, looks delicious! The recipe has tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic
but the video does not. I’m sure it is great either way!
Hi Pat. The video isn’t out yet. You might be seeing the classic pot roast or braciole video, I think. I have our most popular videos playing in the background on most posts.
I have waited for a recipe like this. My favorite pasta meal at Rosebud Italian Restaurant in Naperville, Illinois was “Grandma’s Gravy”. The roast was super tender and the gravy delightful.
I can’t wait to try your recipe. I will let you know how I did. I love polenta, so I’ll go with the polenta when serving.
Thank you.
Hi Renee. Hopefully this recipe will compare to your favorite. Polenta would be my choice too but I got overridden by my kids when I shot this one, haha!
Brought me back to my childhood. Delish and so easy
Glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Great meal… very tender and tasty with the red wine… mmm mmm good
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Dianne!
Wow, this looks so amazing, can’t wait to make it!
Hope you enjoy it!
super lekker