Guancia di Vitello al Barolo e Tartufo Nero: Slow-Braised Veal Cheek with Saffron-Infused Celery Root Purée and Black Truffle Shavings

Pat the veal cheeks dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly dredge each cheek in all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess.

In a large, heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the veal cheeks in batches until deeply golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the seared cheeks from the pot and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pot. Add the finely diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté gently for 8-10 minutes until softened and translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another 2 minutes until fragrant and the tomato paste has deepened in color.

Pour in the entire bottle of Barolo wine. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the flavorful fond. Let it reduce by about one-third, which will take approximately 10-15 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off and the flavors to concentrate.

Return the seared veal cheeks to the pot, nestling them into the vegetable and wine mixture. Add the beef broth, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Ensure the veal cheeks are mostly submerged; if not, add a little more beef broth or water. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.

Cover the pot tightly with a lid and transfer it to a preheated oven at 160°C (325°F). Braise for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the veal cheeks are incredibly tender and can be easily shredded with a fork. Turn the cheeks once or twice during the braising process.

Once cooked, carefully remove the veal cheeks from the pot and set them aside on a plate, loosely covered with foil to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. Bring the strained sauce to a simmer over medium heat and reduce until it reaches a desired consistency – thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

While the veal is braising, prepare the purée. In a medium saucepan, combine the peeled and diced celery root with whole milk and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the celery root is very tender.

Drain most of the liquid from the celery root, reserving about 1/4 cup. Transfer the cooked celery root to a food processor or use an immersion blender. Add the steeped saffron threads (with their liquid) and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, adding a little of the reserved cooking liquid if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Season with sea salt to taste. Keep warm.

To serve, spoon a generous dollop of the saffron-infused celery root purée onto each plate. Place a succulent braised veal cheek on top of the purée. Drizzle generously with the rich Barolo sauce. Finish with delicate shavings of fresh black truffle and a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.