Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Cloves | Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball, author of Milk Street: The New Rules, makes a Roman-style pot roast of tomato-braised beef seasoned with cloves, thyme and fennel. 

"When you make a beef stew, don't sauté the meat," Chris says. 

"In traditional bolognese cooking, you never brown the meat," Rach adds. "In fact, you barely take the color out of the meat. Although, for many dishes, I do say color equals flavor in cooking — and it can."

"In Rome, cloves are used to flavor the pot roast-like dish known as garofolato di manzo alla Romana," Chris says. "Cloves, known as chiodi di garofano, give the dish its name. The earthy, subtly smoky and slightly bitter flavor of cloves complements the natural sweetness of the onion, fennel and tomatoes used to flavor this dish. The beef typically is cooked as a large roast, similar to a pot roast. I prefer cutting a chuck roast into chunks and simmering the meat as a stew, as this ensures the pieces are succulent and flavorful throughout, while also slightly reducing the cooking time. For cool contrast, serve a Fennel, Tomato and Parsley Salad with the stew. Polenta or crusty bread is an excellent accompaniment for absorbing the flavorful sauce." 

Pro Tip: If your cloves have been in the pantry for more than a few months, uncap and take a whiff. The aroma should be sharp and strong. If not, it's time to get a new jar. 

Adapted from Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change The Way You Cook by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2019 by Christopher Kimball. Used with permission by Voracious. All rights reserved.