Scaramella is a cut of the beef thorax that includes the intercostal muscles and the great dorsal muscles. This is a second-rate part, but not in quality, as the meat is well speckled with fat and connective tissue. These characteristics make it suitable for slow and low temperature cooking that transform it into a succulent dish.
Ingrediants
Marinade
- 700 ml of still red wine
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 g of black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 500 g of chopped tomatoes
- 500 ml of beef broth
- 2 crushed cloves of garlic
Spice mix
- 27 g of sweet paprika
- 7 g of onion powder
- Salt to taste.
- Pepper as needed.
- 3 g of oregano
- 6 g of garlic powder
- 1 g of cumin
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Brown the Scaramella
Step 1. Thaw the meat for one day in the refrigerator
Make sure you have enough time for this, as you don't want to use the microwave to defrost the scaramella.
Step 2. Prepare the marinade
There are many marinade recipes that go well with this cut of meat, including those based on red wine, dark beer or with ingredients with an oriental flavor. If you have decided to follow the recipe in this article, add red wine, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, black pepper and thyme to the beef broth.
Step 3. Pour the liquid into a large resealable plastic bag
Add the defrosted meat and seal the bag. Turn it several times to wet the entire surface of the scaramella.
Step 4. Place everything in the refrigerator for about 4 hours
The longer the marinating time, the more intense the flavor will be.
Step 5. Remove the beef from the fridge and then from the bag
Dry it with paper towels and don't throw away the marinade.
If the meat is dry it will brown better
Step 6. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat
Arrange the scaramella in the pan to brown it. Cook each side for 5 minutes.
Step 7. Remove the meat from the heat and transfer it to a plate
Eliminate all the oil present in the Dutch oven except 2 tablespoons.
Step 8. Dice the onion, two large carrots and two celery legs
Brown them in the Dutch oven until they turn brown. Remove any residues that have stuck to it from the pan with the help of a wooden spoon.
Step 9. Return the meat to the pan
Add the marinade you saved and bring everything to a boil.
Step 10. Put the lid on the Dutch oven
Reduce the heat and let the food simmer. Cook on a low temperature for at least 90-120 minutes.
Step 11. After this time, remove the scaramella from the pot
Leave it aside and warm.
Step 12. Bring the cooking juices to a boil again until their volume is halved
If possible, remove the fat or serve the reduction as a sauce without degreasing it. Serve it immediately.
Method 2 of 2: Bake the Scaramella in the Oven
Step 1. Thaw 2.7kg of beef scaramella by refrigerating it for at least one day
It can take up to two days to have completely defrosted meat.
Step 2. Cut the scaramella into 5-6 strips if it has not already been cut this way by the butcher
Step 3. Dry each piece with kitchen paper
Step 4. Make the spice mix by mixing the ingredients listed above
If you are cooking less meat, cut the spices in half.
Step 5. Rub the mixture into the meat
Wrap it in cling film and let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 150 ° C when it is not long before the end of the rest period of the scaramella
Step 7. Put the meat in a baking dish or in a roasting pan with the fat side up
Close the dish with aluminum foil.
Step 8. Bake the scaramella for two and a half hours
Step 9. Remove the meat from the oven and discard the aluminum foil
Raise the oven temperature to 218 ° C.
Step 10. Brush the surface of the meat with 120ml of liquefied honey
Return it to the oven without covering the pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes to glaze it.
