pot roast in broth with porcini mushrooms and fresh herbs

marinata di carne in zuppetta

4 to 6 servings

If Tuscan kale is unavailable, use Savoy cabbage instead.

• 1 2-pound boneless chuck roast, tied
• 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 fresh oregano sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 1 pound Tuscan kale (also called cavolo nero, lacinato kale or dinosaur kale), stems and center ribs discarded, leaves cut widthwise into thirds
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1¼ pounds fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4–6 thick slices country-style bread, lightly toasted

Place roast in a large bowl; add red wine. Cover bowl and chill for 8 to 12 hours, turning meat once or twice.

Heat oven to 350º. Remove roast from wine and pat dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides, about 12 minutes; remove from heat. Remove roast from pot and pour off fat. Return roast to pot.

In a large saucepan, combine broth, white wine, 2 oregano sprigs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and pour over roast. Cover pot and place in oven. Braise roast, turning meat over halfway through, until tender, about 2½ hours (roast may be cooked up to 2 days ahead).

While roast is braising, combine 4 tablespoons oil, parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic and pinch salt in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Remove roast from oven and let cool slightly. Remove roast from broth and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Bring broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add kale and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove kale from broth; pat dry.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, butter and ½ teaspoon garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add kale and cook, stirring, until edges are golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Stem remaining 2 oregano sprigs and finely chop leaves. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add remaining ½ teaspoon garlic, mushrooms, onion, oregano, mint and thyme; stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown. Add 1½ cups broth from roast, bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Slice meat across the grain; drizzle slices with reserved parsley-garlic oil. Distribute toasted bread among shallow serving bowls. Alternate slices of meat and kale leaves to create a stack on top of bread. Rewarm mushrooms and broth then drizzle over and around meat.