Bresaola

Bresaola is soft, salted and air-dried beef eaten raw. The original and best examples hail from the Valtellina mountains on the borders of Italy and Switzerland. Cut into thin, succulent, almost translucent ruby-red slices and served with olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan, bresaola is one of the classic Italian starters.

Recipe Authors: Nick Sandler & Johnny Acton
Preserved
Photography by Peter Cassidy
Reproduced courtesy of Kyle Cathie (publishing) Ltd.

Publisher's Copyrighted Material
Category:  Starters & Salads , Canapes & Cocktails  - 
PrintEmail

Ingredients

For 1 Batch(es)

Recipe

  • 1 large lean top rump (around 2 kg) tied tight with string
  • 500 ml red wine (e.g. Chianti)
  • 2 teaspoons ground red chilli powder
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 6 bay leaves, shredded
  • 750 g coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 10 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped
  • 10 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • muslin to wrap the beef
  • wine vinegar, for washing
Bresaola

Bresaola Directions

  1. 1. Place the beef in a large Tupperware container and cover it with all the ingredients bar the muslin and vinegar. Massage them well in. Leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for 1 week, turning it over every day to ensure an even distribution of the marinade.
  2. 2. After this period, brush the marinade off the beef and wrap it in muslin. Hang in a cool, dry place for 1 month. It will drip for a day or two, so take appropriate measures to protect your floor. The bresaola has matured when it feels firm to the touch.

    3. Once it is ready, wash it down with red wine vinegar, then dry it with a cloth. Store in the fridge, preferably in a container, for up to 1 month.
Top