roast beef with cippolini onions and pancetta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the roast on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the roast and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the sliced onions and sauté about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about another minute. Add the dry rosemary and dry parsley and stir. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the beef broth and stir. Return the roast to the Dutch oven. Bring the liquid back to a boil and place a lid on the pan. Place it in the center of the preheated oven. Roast for 1½ hours, then turn the roast over and roast for another 1½ hours.

During the last half-hour of roasting the beef, sauté the pancetta in a large oven proof pan until brown and almost crispy. Add the onions and toss to coat. Sauté about five minutes. Add the fresh rosemary and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Place the sauté pan in the oven with the Dutch oven during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Remove the roast from the Dutch oven. Spoon excess fat from the pan and discard. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Use a hand-held stick-type blender (or pour into a conventional blender) to purée the juices. Bring the sauce to a low boil on the stove top, then turn off the heat. Add the butter and stir to blend well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice and plate the roast with the sauce over top, and the onions on the side with a bottle of Vittorio’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy!