Slow-Cooked Beef with Gin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, thinly sliced
2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 2 or 3 pieces
2 tbsp gin, or 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put the olive oil and the sliced onions in a heavy-bottomed pot and set
the meat on top. Add the gin (or juniper berries) and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat on to medium low and put then lid on.
When you hear bubbling, adjust the heat so that meat cooks at a very
gentle simmer. Cover the pot. Simmer for about two hours, or until the
meat is extremely tender.
When the meat is done the sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If it is too thin, remove the meat and raise the heat a bit until it has reduced.
Serve with roasted winter (root) vegetables.
Note: This can also be done in the crockpot on a low setting.
From Bob Pastorio's northern Italian grandmother