Beef braised in Barolo wine (Brasato al Barolo)

1. Put the beef shoulder in a snug dish with the roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, the garlic and all the spices, then pour over the red wine to cover; cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

2. The next day, lift out the meat and pat it dry (keep the marinade), season with salt and pepper and tie it with kitchen string.

3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy pan and brown the meat on all sides for 10 minutes until dark brown.

4. Strain the marinade: add the vegetables to the meat and fry for 5 minutes, then pour in the wine, bring to the boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 2.5-3 hours, turning the meat every 30 minutes.

5. Lift out the meat and rest it under foil; remove the bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves, blend the vegetables with the wine until smooth and reduce until thick if needed.

6. Cut the beef into 1 cm slices, pour over the velvety sauce and serve with polenta or mashed potatoes.

Tip: No need for an expensive Barolo: any full-bodied dry Piedmontese red (Nebbiolo, Barbera) will do - what matters is the long marinating and slow braising.