Braised Beef

By Rachel Cooks

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))

Prep Time30mins
Cook Time210mins
Servings8

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nestle the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid.

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.