Recipe for Bresaola

BRESAOLA is soft, salted and air-dried beef, eaten raw. The original and best examples hail from the Valtellina mountains on the borders of Italy and Switzerland.

Cut into thin, succulent, almost translucent, ruby-red slices and served with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan, bresaola is one of the classic Italian starters.

To make bresaola:

1 large lean top rump (around 2kg/4½lb) tied tight with string

500ml (18floz) red wine (eg Chianti)

2 tsp ground red chilli powder

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

6 bay leaves, shredded

750g (1lb 10oz) coarse salt

1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

10 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped

10 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped

3 tbsp sugar enough muslin to wrap the beef red wine vinegar, for washing

Place the beef in a large Tupperware container and cover it with all the ingredients bar the muslin and vinegar. Massage them in well. Leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for one week, turning it over every day to ensure an even distribution of marinade. After this period, brush the marinade off the beef and wrap it in muslin. Hang it in a dry, cool place for one month. It will drip for a day or two, so take appropriate measures to protect your floor.

The bresaola has matured when it feels firm to the touch. Once it is ready, wash it down with red wine vinegar, then dry it with a cloth. Store in the fridge, preferably in a container, for up to one month.