stracotto

This is beef, 'extra cooked': chuck or some other cheap cut simmered for hours. The sauce will often involve garlic (just a little), tomato, a soffrito, and wine, but every corner of north and central Italy has its own take on it. In Emilia-Romagna they often use tongue (stracotto di lingua) and always add a little clove and nutmeg (so do we).