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Chef Orsini’s Espresso Braised All Natural Beef with
Wine Barrel Spices & Orange-Mint Gremolata

Recipe By: Dominic Orsini

This richly flavored braised dish has a complexity that shows so nicely with our 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Barrel Spices refer to the traditional spice aromas that our wine barrels add to our wines. This dish makes a great meal for a party of friends. You can prepare it the day before and just heat it up to serve. The recipe calls for beef chuck roast, but you can substitute a number of other cuts like, short-ribs, brisket or my personal favorite: beef cheeks!

Recipe Serves Six
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, 2 thinly sliced, 1 smashed, chopped
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges
1 (3lb.) boneless beef chuck roast (seasoned with salt & pepper, coated with flour)
1 tablespoon very fine ground espresso (can substitute with decaffeinated)
1 navel orange, juice reserved, zest chopped
½ bottle of Silver Oak
1 tablespoon salt
6 red potatoes, small, quartered
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, for gremolata

Wine Barrel Spices:
1 teaspoon All Spice
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Clove
¼ teaspoon Star Anise, ground
1/3 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• In a large dutch oven over high heat add the olive oil and sear the chuck roast on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the pot and add the sliced garlic, onions, carrot, celery and fennel together for 3 minutes. Add the Wine Barrel Spices and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Pour into a storage container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• In the same dutch oven add the beef, espresso, orange juice, red wine and enough water to cover the beef three-quarters of the way. Cover and bring to a simmer.
• Once simmering, place in the oven and let cook for one and a half hours. Be sure to flip the beef over every 30 minutes to cook all sides evenly.
• Add the quartered potatoes to the pot and cook in the oven for another half hour.
• Add the reserved vegetables and continue cooking in the oven for at least another 30 minutes. At this point the meat should be tender enough to cut with a fork. Continue cooking until it is. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• For the gremolata, in a separate bowl, mix together the smashed garlic clove, chopped orange zest, mint and extra virgin olive oil.
• To serve, slice the beef and layer in a deep platter, pour the braising liquid and vegetables over top and finally drizzle with the gremolata.