Fork it Over
Just imagine: It’s 6 pm on a weeknight, and instead of frantically mixing up spaghetti marinara, again, you and the family are sitting down for a meal—together. And not just any meal, but bowls of beef so tender and juicy it falls apart with the touch of your fork, mushrooms bursting with the flavor of wine and meaty juices, and a bed of creamy mashed potatoes smothered in the garlicky drippings from the braise (aka, the best gravy ever). And—though it cooks for nearly 3 hours—the prep only takes 15 minutes. Braising—the OG “set it and forget it”.
The Best Braised Beef
We know, we know, we use that “best” word a lot. But, it’s not one we take lightly and know that before we share a recipe, we’ve spent hours upon hours (or sometimes days or even weeks) developing, testing, and retesting until we’ve created the very best for you. Here’s why you’ll love our braised chuck roast:
- It’s inexpensive to make. You’ll shell out the most for the beef, and even then, we call for cubed chuck, which is one of the most value-friendly cuts there is.
- It requires exactly zero fancy-pants spices. We’re not sending you on a wild spice chase for our braised beef roast. All you need is garlic and thyme. Plus salt and pepper, of course.
- It only takes about 15 minutes to get it prepped and ready for the oven. Honestly, we can’t even squeak out a box of mac and cheese in under 15 minutes.
- It calls for 3 cups of red wine. That’s 24 ounces, but a bottle holds nearly 26 ounces. That’s close to 3 ounces for you to sip while your braised beef with red wine roasts. You’re welcome. But also, better have a second bottle handy.
What Is Braising?
Braising meat can be as simple or complex as you like. But what does “braised” mean, you ask? It’s the process of cooking meat in the oven slow and low—roasting for a long(ish) amount of time at a low(ish) temperature. The process slowly breaks down the connective tissues in the meat resulting in the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth forkfuls of meat you’ll ever eat, all richly flavored by whatever your braising broth may be. This dish is so good, so simple to make for a crowd, and so soul-satisfying, we keep it in our regular rotation for months and months on end.
Ingredients for Braised Beef
As we mentioned above, the only thing fancy about our oven-braised beef is the flavor. A few easy ingredients and you’re well on your way to forkfuls of braised beef bliss:
- Beef chuck. Buy it already cubed, or sharpen your knife.
- Vegetables. We use carrots, onion, and mushrooms here and think they’re really the veggie trifecta behind the best braises.
- Bay leaf, garlic, and thyme. A few simple seasonings really go a long way.
- Flour. Which you can omit if you need a gluten-free beef roast, we just like how it creates a thickened gravy in the finished dish.
- Tomato paste and red wine. These work as your acids to break down the tissues in the beef creating the most tender braise you’ll ever taste.
Tools to Roast Beef in the Oven
Our braised beef is definitely tiny kitchen-approved. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sharp knife. Even if your bought your chuck pre-cubed, you’ll still want something sharp to chop the carrots, onion, and mushrooms.
- Dutch oven. Yes, you can make this beef stew the Crock-Pot, but to us, there's just nothing more beautiful or homey or loving than pulling a slowly cooked meal out of a hot oven.
- Dishware for the table. Every time we pull out this set from Le Creuset we swoon. The wide bowls perfect for holding a hearty, generous portion of this braise.
How to Braise Meat
For our braised beef recipe we’ve created a super-simple recipe that needs only about 15 minutes of attention from you. The rest of the time the braised beef roasts in the oven while you get to do whatever else may be on your task list for the day. As for dinner, you can check that off, baby! Here’s how to braise beef:
- Cube your chuck. Freezing it for about 30 minutes prior to cutting can help it keep its shape, making it easier to cut through.
- Pat your meat dry. This helps with the browning process, which in turn helps flavor the finished roast.
- After browning, remove meat and add in chopped veggies first, then follow with tomato paste. The acidity from the tomatoes helps to tenderize the meat while it cooks.
- Sprinkle with flour. Not all recipes do this, but we love how it creates a thickened gravy in the finished beef braise.
- Slowly stir in wine, return meat to pan, and roast at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours. It really is that easy.
So We Meat Again
Hungry for more meaty mains? Check out these protein-packed dishes we love:
- The whole family will mangia our Italian Pot Roast..
- Taco Tuesdays? Say hello to our Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef.
- Craving takeout? Make our Grilled Chicken Shawarma instead.
Roast Us (Just Kidding, Please Don’t)
But seriously, we want to see how your beautiful, wine-y beef braise turned out—be sure to tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper.
Roast Us (Just Kidding, Please Don’t)
But seriously, we want to see how your beautiful, wine-y beef braise turned out—be sure to tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper.
