This Cacoila was divine! The meat was utterly silken and succulent. If I had cooked it beyond the 3 1/2 hours, it would have shredded apart (and turned in to a different but still delicious dish), but as it was, the cubes of beef kept their shape nicely. I love pressing down on a piece of meat and it just gives in and yields to the pressure of the fork; you can tell it’s the perfect texture, reminiscent of a well-braised short rib. The onions, parsley, garlic and spices melted together in the wine braise to create a rich, redolent, and deeply flavorful sauce.
I opted to use lard (because I had just rendered some the other day and wanted an excuse to use it) but I think butter might have lent the dish an even richer flavor (although believe me, there was no shortage of flavor!) I also opted to use crushed red pepper flakes instead of making my own, and no one in my family found it be at all spicy. In fact, next time I make this I will skip the overnight rub with the red pepper flakes, add them directly to the sauce, and up them to 1 teaspoon.
I used a 6 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven, which seemed like the right size, because the cooking time of 3 1/2 hours was on the money. The beef simmered slowly for 2 hours covered, then the last hour and a half uncovered. I got a beautifully reduced sauce that was still plentiful enough to spoon over potatoes and greens. This recipe didn’t indicate any particular amount of salt, and without it, it was flat. So adding a 1/2 teaspoon of Morton’s kosher salt at a time, I found a total of 3 teaspoons to be the right amount. I served this with mashed russet potatoes and escarole sautéed with crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil. I think the lemon zest in the escarole added a nice brightness to the richness of the sauce.
This whole dish with the accompaniments was just an explosion of flavor!