Il Tocco: Genoese Meat Sauce

A classic Genoese meat sauce that even virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini was fond of, tocco–also known as tuccu–must make its way into your Sunday sauce rotation.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Inactive time: 5

Total Time: 5 50

Servings:

Calories: 582kcal

Equipment

Wide pot

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (or use dried chanterelle or dried shiitake mushrooms)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds whole lean beef roast, such as top round or rump roast
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely minced
3 carrots, peeled and finely minced
3 ribs celery, trimmed and finely minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1½ cups Syrah, Sangiovese, or your favorite dry medium-bodied red wine
3 cups beef stock
28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary, thyme, or 3–4 sage leaves
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

For serving:

Cooked ravioli or pappardelle
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Basil leaves, optional
See cooking note for other serving options

Instructions

Soak the mushrooms:

Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Transfer the mushrooms to a heat-proof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes. After soaking, remove the mushrooms and mince them with a knife or in a food processor. Reserve the water used to soak the mushrooms.

Brown the roast:

Pat the roast dry and season all over with salt and pepper. For a 2-pound roast, I recommend 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Use less salt if you’re using table salt.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the roast to the pot and cook for 3–4 minutes per side until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.

Cook the aromatics:

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the minced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.

Simmer the sauce:

Pour in the red wine. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, and then add the mushroom soaking water, beef stock and tomatoes. Add a pinch of sugar. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the beef, bay leaves and rosemary. The beef should be just barely submerged in the sauce.
Cover the pot and simmer for at least 3–4 hours. You can even simmer it all day like a true Genoese local! Check the sauce occasionally to ensure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Finish the tocco:

Once the beef is very tender, remove the cover. Discard the spent rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer until the sauce reduces to your desired thickness, depending on how you intend to serve the tocco. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon. Taste and add salt, pepper, and another pinch of sugar if needed.

To serve:

Slice the roast and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce on top. Scatter a few basil leaves on the roast and finish with a spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve the remaining sauce with ravioli or pappardelle.

Notes

A few ideas for how to serve the tocco:

Slice the meat and spoon a few tablespoons of sauce on top. Serve alongside roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or roasted potatoes. You can also serve with slices of warm, crusty bread.

Use the remaining sauce and serve with cooked ravioli, pappardelle, or your favorite pasta shape. The sauce would also make an excellent base for lasagna.

If you feel like being a little blasphemous, thinly slice the beef and arrange it on a buttered Italian roll. Spoon the sauce on top. Arrange a few slices of mozzarella on top. Broil for 2–3 minutes until browned and bubbly. Add a few basil leaves on top and enjoy an amazing tocco sub.

Nutrition

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