Wine Braised Beef with Mushrooms

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Rich and savory melt-in-your-mouth, wine-braised beef - hard to resist with only 15 min. of prep!

Braising Know how:

Braising is the process of cooking meat in the oven low and slow or - roasting for a long time at low temperatures. The process breaks down tougher tissues in the meat creating tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat richly flavored by your braising broth.

Ingredients for Braised Beef

  • Beef chuck. Cut to 3-4 inch pieces.

  • Vegetables. You can use carrots, onion, and mushrooms.

  • Bay leaf, garlic, and thyme. A few simple seasonings really go a long way.

  • Flour. Omit if you need a gluten-free beef roast, but it does create a thickened gravy for your the finished dish.

  • Tomato paste and red wine. These are the acids which break down the tissues creating that tender braise.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (5-pound) chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into approximately 3-inch pieces

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups light red wine, such as pinot noir

  • 1 pound mushrooms, sliced

  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • Mashed potatoes or egg noodles, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Braising Meat

Prep time 15 minutes. Roasting time 2-3 hours:

  • Cut your chuck. Make your job easier by freezing the meat for about 30 minutes prior to cutting it.

  • Pat the meat dry.

  • Remove meat and add in chopped veggies, follow with tomato paste. The acidity from the tomatoes to help tenderize the meat while it cooks.

  • Sprinkle with flour.

  • Stir in wine slowly and return meat to pan.

  • Roast at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  1. Generously season your dry meat with the salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Wait till the oil is glistening, and work in small batches, sear until deeply browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the seared beef to a separate container.

  2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and bay leaves to the same pot. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. 

  3. Stir in the tomato paste. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine, stirring constantly, then add the mushrooms.

  4. Return the seared beef to the pot along with any juices, nestling the pieces into the liquid but not completely submerging them. Add the thyme sprigs. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven. 

  5. Braise for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and shreds easily. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme stems.  

  6. Transfer to a serving platter or serve directly from the pot with mashed potatoes or egg noodles alongside. 

This braise is even better the next day. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.