Red Wine Braised Beef
/So, I’m not the biggest fan of traditional pot roast or beef stew. I know, I know, it’s a classic and everyone loves it. I just can’t get past the mushy veggies that have been cooked to death. This recipe is similar in cooking method but you strain out the veggies at the end and make a beautiful sauce. You can just slice the beef and serve with the sauce or, my favorite, shred the meat right back in the sauce. With the shredded version, the serving ideas are endless; over home fries (pictured), over rice, as is with a side veg (if your low carb), or even in quesadillas (strain the meat and use the sauce for dipping). Enjoy!
ingredients
3 - 4 lbs beef, round or chuck roast
Salt & pepper
Neutral cooking oil, like canola
1 onion, cut into large chunks
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
4 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
3 tbsp tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, smashed and paper removed
2 cups dry, red wine
1-3 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
directions
Preheat oven to 275
Heat about 3 tbsp oil in a large dutch oven over med-high heat until shimmering.
Pat roast dry with paper towels and season all over with salt & pepper. Sear the meat on all sides to form a nice crust, about 3-5 minutes per side. Place meat on a plate.
Add onion, carrots, and celery to oil and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic cloves and cook, stirring, for another 2-4 minutes until the tomato paste starts to caramelize a little. Add 2 cups of red wine and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Add bay leaves and thyme. Nestle the roast among the veggies and add beef broth until the meat is almost covered. Allow the liquid to come to a simmer, place lid on dutch oven, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 3-4 hours until the meat is super tender and falls apart easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 30 min.
Remove the meat from the dutch oven and place on a plate. Strain the veggies out of the sauce using a mesh strainer over a saucepan. Let the sauce sit for a few minutes to allow the excess fat to rise to the top and skim off some of the fat with a spoon. You’ll want to leave some fat for flavor but you don’t want it to be greasy.
Using two forks shred the beef, this should be VERY easy, and add it back into the sauce.
Serve & Enjoy!