Best Cut for Braised Beef in Red Wine

Red Wine Braised Beef

Red wine-braised beef has always been my favorite comfort food meal. I can't remember the first time I had it, but now it's the first thing I make when the temperatures start to dip. I always serve it over my creamy creme fraiche mashed potatoes with lots of fresh chives on top. The perfect, impressive recipe for dinner parties or just casual dinner.

What is 'braising'?

Braising is a combination cooking technique that features both wet and dry heat. First, you sear the beef in the pan for flavor and color and then you add liquid to the pot and transfer the covered pot to the oven. In the oven, the beef cooks slowly at a lower temperature. The resulting meat is exceedingly tender. Braising is particularly effective for tough cuts of meat (brisket, chuck, pork shoulder, etc). Cooking tough meats low and slow in liquid allows the muscle tissue and collagen to slowly break down. Any liquid can be used to braise, but the wine really adds that extra depth of flavor!

How to make Red Wine-Braised Beef

This recipe doesn't require any fancy tools or ingredients, just good quality ingredients and time.

Tools Needed

• Braiser with Lid
• Chef's Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients you'll need

• Beef Chuck.Opt for a large piece with great marbling.
• Vegetables.I used a mix of onion, leeks, carrots, and garlic but you could also add celery and mushrooms.
• Red Wine.Choose a bold red wine that you'd enjoy drinking–I found a great, full-bodied merlot from the pacific northwest. Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah would all also be great options.
• Beef stock.For best results, definitely use homemade here. Alternately, try to find the real beef stock (not the boxed stuff) in the freezer section of some well-stocked grocery stores.
• Herbs.Bay leaves and fresh thyme really take this braised beef to the next level.

How to Prepare Red Wine-Braised Beef

This is such a great recipe to pull out of your back pocket because it only requires about 15 minutes to prep the whole dish. The rest of the time is in the oven, leaving you plenty of time to run errands or relax.

1. Cube your beef.You want the pieces to be at least 3-4 inch pieces. Too small and the beef will fall apart into the sauce.
2. Season everything. Pat your beef really dry (helps with browning). These are thick pieces of beef so season all sides really well with salt and pepper.
3. Sear the beef.This is a crucial step! Sear the beef really well on all sides until deeply golden brown.
4. Cook your veggies.After your beef is nice and browned, remove it from the pan and add in your onions, leeks, and garlic. Try and work up some of those browned bits in the pan as the veggies cook.
5. Add your wine and stock. Once the veggies are softened, add the wine and beef stock and return the beef to the pan. Nestle the carrots in around the beef with the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Bring everything to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.
6. Oven time! Braise for about 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. Remove from the oven and skim the layer of fat off the top. Cover and let the beef rest in the juices for at least 45 minutes. Gently re-warm on the stove and serve.

Best cuts for braising

I love using beef chuck because it's affordable, easy to find, and full of flavor. Other great cuts for this recipe would be brisket or beef short ribs.

More Braising Recipes to Try

• Beer-Braised Carnitas Tacos

• Coconut Milk-Braised Chicken

• Instant Pot Italian Beef

• Beer-Braised Brisket

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Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs

• 4 lbs beef chuck roast cut into large (3-4") pieces
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 2 large leeks white and light green parts only, rinsed and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 cups red wine like merlot or cabernet sauvignon
• 2 cups beef stock homemade is preferrable (see notes above)
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• 2-3 dried bay leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh minced chives for serving
• Mashed potatoes for serving

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the beef very dry using a paper towel and generously season on all sides with salt and pepper.

• In a large braiser or dutch oven, heat oil until over medium-high shimmering. Brown meat on all sides until deeply golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

• Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, leeks, and garlic. Saute until onions and leeks are just tender, about 5 minutes.

• Add the wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pan and nestle in the carrots, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. The meat should sit just above the liquid line. For a good braise, you don't want it fully immersed in the liquid. Cover and transfer to the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove lid and cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender.

• Remove from the oven and skim off the layer of fat on top and discard. Cover and rest the beef in the juices for at least 45 minutes. Gently re-warm on the stove before serving.

Serving: 6 oz Calories: 773 kcal Carbohydrates: 13 g Protein: 85 g Fat: 27 g Cholesterol: 286 mg Sodium: 219 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 4 g

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Source: https://somuchfoodblog.com/red-wine-braised-beef/

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