Several years ago, my parents gifted me with a gorgeous, red braising pot.
It’s a ceramic-coated cast iron pot, and I always feel like whatever I put in it should be really extraordinary.
This week’s recipe really fit the bill for using my special pot, since I was getting ready to embark on a dinner project that was going to take some decent preparation and several hours of braising to accomplish, and boy, did it stand up to the task.
The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Well Seasoned Studio” by Ari Laing. You can find the original post at https://www.wellseasonedstudio.com/red-wine-braised-beef/. I added extra garlic in my version.
Red Wine Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 to 4 pound beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 large sweet onion cut into one-inch pieces
- 2 leeks halved and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine I used a cabernet sauvignon
- 2 cups beef broth or stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 bay leaves
- about 12 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 large carrots cut into one-inch pieces
- mashed potatoes for serving
Instructions
- Set your roast out to come to room temperature while you prep all of your vegetables.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using paper towels, pat the roast dry all the way around, and then season it liberally with salt and pepper.
- Put a large Dutch oven (or braising pot—just make sure what you use is deep, has a lid and is oven-safe) on the stovetop and heat the oil on medium-high heat.
- Add the roast, and sear it on all sides, cooking each side for about three or four minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate, and add the onion and leeks, along with just a bit more salt. Saute, stirring regularly, until they are soft.
- Add the garlic to the pot and saute for one or two minutes until it just starts to brown and is fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, making sure to incorporate everything in the pot well.
- Pour in the wine, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, scape the bottom of the pot to get all the stuck on bits up. Let this cook for two or three minutes, and then add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, bay leaves, thyme (I tied mine together in a bundle with cooking twine so it will be easy to remove later), and carrots.
- Add the roast back to the pot, pushing it down into the ingredients so that it’s mostly submerged.
- Cover with a lid and put the pot in the oven. Cook until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, which will take about three hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and use tongs to carefully put the roast on a cutting board. Let it rest for five to 10 minutes before shredding it with two forks.
- Meanwhile, remove the thyme and bay leaves from the pot. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, if needed. Add the shredded beef back to the pot, and stir.
- Serve the beef and veggies over mashed potatoes, along with some of the amazing sauce you created.
This was heavenly. The meat melted in your mouth, and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. We enjoyed a glass of the leftover cabernet sauvignon with our dinner, too, which made it feel extra special.
I have made plenty of chuck roasts in my slow cooker, and they’re always delicious, but this treatment just took everything up a notch, and while it does take a bit of a time commitment, I will absolutely be making this again.
After all, I need all the excuses I can get to let my pretty cast iron pot shine.
This piece first appeared in print March 20, 2025.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
