This braised beef with carrots is a comforting one-pot meal made with slowly braised beef chuck, carrots, raisins, and onions, in a red wine and chicken broth sauce.
This simple one-pot braised beef with carrots delivers a Sunday supper sorta meal that’s French-inspired. It’s made with a cheap cut of beef—chuck roast— that’s slowly coaxed to fall-apart tenderness along with red wine, carrots, onions, and raisins for sweetness. Mound it atop buttery mashed potatoes and you’ll hear nothing but sighs.–Angie Zoobkoff
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Braised Beef with Carrots
Ingredients
- One (2-pound) chuck roast, cut into about 12 pieces
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil plus more if needed
- 2 medium yellow onions thickly sliced
- 1 garlic clove sliced
- 4 anchovy filets minced (optional)
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- Handful chopped fresh parsley leaves plus more for serving
- 2 pounds carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch (25-mm) pieces
- 2 cups canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a medium bowl and dredge the meat in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a heavy large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a lid over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, add the meat in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a large plate.
- If the pot seems dry, add a little more oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, and anchovies, if using, and cook until the onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook until the wine has reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Return the beef to the pot and add the raisins, parsley, carrots, and stock. Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, put it in the oven, and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables to a bowl or plate.
- Reduce the sauce left in the pot over medium-high heat until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a very easy and yet versatile recipe for the home cook to prepare. I made sure all my prep work was completed before starting the recipe.
One must also take care with the stovetop heat. Medium-high on my unit runs very hot, so I tended to use medium heat throughout the saute of beef and onions. As my carrots were very large on the top end, after cutting my carrot into 1-inch pieces, I also cut the larger ends in half so I had more uniform pieces to avoid mushy carrots.
The braised beef becomes very tender and melts in your mouth as the raisins add a subtle sweetness that melds very well with the carrots and onions. The braise results in a light sauce rather than a thick gravy. I actually added a tablespoon of butter at the end to give it a nice shiny appearance. I think it paired well with a baked potato and sautéed haricot verts.
Originally published January 19, 2020
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Irene Seales
This beef stew is very simple to pull together and pop into the oven yet delivered a savory Sunday-special dinner.
The chuck roast that I was able to buy was in 2 pieces which made it easy to divide into 12 pieces and later to easily portion into servings of 2 pieces of beef per person. The seasoning is straightforward (though I think if you were inclined to use a more traditional bouquet garni that would make it even more delicious). I used a zinfandel from Paso Robles in the stew and to accompany dinner.
At 2 hours, the meat was perfectly tender without falling apart. I reduced the liquid slightly and served it over mashed red potatoes. Although this is not as fancy-sounding as a bœuf bourguignon (this is closer to a daube), it stands right up there with flavor and elegance. The anchovies deliver an invisible umami (no one would even guess they are there) and with a dry red wine the result was spot on. The carrots were very tender without being overcooked.
While the beef was cooking in the oven I prepared small red potatoes for mashing so they would be ready before the beef was ready to serve. I delegated mashing the potatoes while I reduced the sauce, adding the beef and vegetables back in to reheat. I divided the remainder after serving 2 of us with one portion for two to freeze and another in the fridge for a meal in the next day or two. This also would work well with polenta or a simple risotto or rice.