Festive Slow Cooked Beef Tips

The writing has accelerated — Rachel's interest has given me a deadline, not a contractual deadline but a motivational one, the knowledge that someone is waiting, that the book has a destination beyond my kitchen table. I write every morning from seven to eleven now — four hours, not two — and the chapters are flowing with a speed and confidence that surprises me, because the confidence is new, the confidence is Rachel's gift, the confidence that comes from a professional saying: this is good, and the goodness is monetizable, and the monetizing is not the point but the validation is.

I am writing the chapter about the challah — the chapter that traces the braid from Sylvia's kitchen to mine to Ethan's hands, the chapter that is about the physical act of braiding and the metaphorical act of connecting, the three strands that become one, the one that becomes bread, the bread that becomes Shabbat, the Shabbat that becomes the week, the week that becomes the year, the year that becomes the life. The challah chapter is the heart of the book, I think. The brisket is the signature. But the challah is the heart.

I made challah while writing the challah chapter — the writing and the braiding happening simultaneously, the pen in my hand and then the dough in my hands, the words on the page and then the strands on the counter, the chapter and the bread rising together, side by side, on the same table, in the same kitchen, and the simultaneity was the chapter itself, the doing and the writing about the doing happening in the same room, in the same morning, by the same woman. The challah was golden. The chapter was good. The morning was the best morning I have had in months.

The challah is the heart, I wrote — and I meant it — but no Shabbat table in my memory has ever held only bread. While the dough braided itself into golden loaves that morning, the slow cooker had already been doing its quiet, patient work for hours, filling the kitchen with the smell of something deep and savory and entirely unhurried. This is the beef dish that has always sat beside the challah in our house, the one Sylvia made before me, tender and rich and ready by the time the bread comes out of the oven — the signature, as I called it, that lets the heart of the meal shine.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 7–8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 20 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs beef sirloin tips or stew beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine (or additional beef broth)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

Season and sear. Pat beef pieces dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil and sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Build the base. In the same skillet, cook the sliced onion over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook another minute, then pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Combine and slow cook. Pour the onion mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and thyme. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is very tender and pulling apart easily.
Thicken the sauce. About 20 minutes before serving, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, replace the lid, and turn to HIGH. Allow the sauce to thicken for 15–20 minutes.
Adjust and serve. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the beef tips and their rich sauce into a serving dish and scatter fresh parsley over the top. Serve alongside challah, egg noodles, or roasted potatoes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Festive Slow Cooked Beef Tips — The Brisket That Anchors the Table While the Challah Rises