Cold Weather Braised Beef

The recipe Sunday was cold-weather braised beef — Dutch oven braise of cubed chuck roast in red wine, beef broth, onion, carrot, garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaf. Three hours in the oven at 325. Served over mashed potatoes.

The recipe is below.

Cold Weather Braised Beef

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 pint (2 cups) home-canned crushed tomatoes, or one 15 oz can
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat and season. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pat the beef pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels, then season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared pieces to a plate and set aside.
3. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, stirring until the paste turns a shade darker.
4. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Add liquids and return beef. Stir in the canned tomatoes and beef broth. Nestle the seared beef back into the pot along with the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. The liquid should come about 2/3 of the way up the meat.
6. Braise low and slow. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot tightly and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and pulling apart easily.
7. Finish and serve. Remove the herb sprigs and bay leaves. Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the beef in wide bowls with crusty bread, over egg noodles, or alongside mashed potatoes, spooning plenty of the rich tomato braising sauce over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 530mg