Braised Beef

Chuck roast is seared first and then slow cooked with onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs in red wine and beef broth. The end result is fork tender flavorful beef and vegetables. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice.

Course main meal beef

Cuisine American

Keyword braised beef recipe, chuck roast recipe, dutch oven braised beef, how to braise beef, slow cooked roast and vegetables, what is braised beef

Prep Time 15

Total Time 3 45

Servings servings

Calories 788kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced
3 stalks celery chopped
3 carrots peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic minced
3-4 lb chuck roast
salt and pepper
3/4 cup dry red wine good quality
1 cup low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 spring fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook 5-6 minutes or until the onions begin to brown on the edges. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic cooking for 1 minute; stirring constantly. Remove vegetables to a plate; scraping the pan well to get all the garlic out.
Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the roast. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in Dutch Oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the chuck roast and sear until golden brown. Flip and sear the other side.
Turn off the heat. Add the vegetables back to the pan along with the wine, beef broth, Worcestershire Sauce, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 3-4 hours at 300 degrees or until the roast is fork tender.
Shred with two forks removing the fat and cartilage as you go. Remove rosemary and thyme stems and bay leaves from the pan gravy. If desired serve over mashed potatoes with pan juices. (see notes)

Notes

I love my Dutch Oven. It is one of my favorite ways to cook because you can sear, braise and roast all in the same pan. However if you do not have one or want to invest in one you can cook this recipe using a couple of pans. Simple sear in a heavy skillet and bake in a covered casserole dish.
Chuck roast works best with this recipe because the fat and cartilage in the meat help make it tender and give it plenty of flavor.
If serving company or for a special occasion peel the carrots. Because carrots are more aesthetically appealing this way.
Fresh herbs are essential for full flavor. Add bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Don't forget to fish out the stems and bay leaves before serving or making the gravy.
Use good quality dry red wine. A good rule of thumb is if you won't drink it don't cook with it.
Serve this with the pan juices. You can place the dutch oven uncovered over a burner and simmer for 15-30 minutes to reduce. Or add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water and whisk to combine. Then simply whisk that into the liquid and simmer until thickened.
Don't forget to remove the stems from the rosemary and thyme sprigs and to remove the bay leaves. The rosemary and thyme leaves will cook into the pan juices. They are perfectly fine to eat and delicious.

Nutrition