Braised Beef

5 from 1 vote

Braised beef transforms a tough, inexpensive cut of meat into a melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy, flavor-packed meal! It’s the quintessential Sunday evening dinner.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

4 to 5 pounds beef chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow cooking onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, finely diced (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, finely diced (1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine (or extra beef broth, see note)
1 ½ cups beef broth, more as needed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 bay leaves
fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour until all sides are coated. Reserve extra flour.
4 to 5 pounds beef chuck roast, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Heat vegetable oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the beef and set aside.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and reserved excess flour, stirring for 1 minute to incorporate.
1 large yellow cooking onion, diced, 2 medium carrots, finely diced, 2 stalks celery, finely diced, 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pour in the red wine (or broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
1 cup red wine
Stir in the beef broth and Worcestershire. Return the beef to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. The liquid should cover about two-thirds of the beef but the beef should not be fully immersed. Add more broth if needed.
1 ½ cups beef broth, more as needed, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Nestle the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid.
2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to a preheated oven. Bake for 3 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
Skim off excess fat from the liquid in the pot, if desired. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme stems from the pan.
Shred the beef and return it to the pot to soak up the sauce, or serve it with the sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

A note about the vegetables: This recipe is not meant to be a stew. The onions, carrots, and celery should be finely diced. You'll find that they pretty much disappear into the sauce after the baking time.
Wine: We highly recommend using dry red wine in this recipe. The flavor it adds is exceptional.
Reduced sodium: If you want to decrease the sodium in this recipe, use no-salt-added or low sodium beef broth and no-salt-added tomato paste. Check seasoning before serving; add salt if needed.
Storage: Any leftover braised beef should be refrigerated in a covered container with the sauce; it will keep for up to 3 days, or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

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